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The Brass Pounders Quarterly
is an Electronic Newsletter of the ARRL National Traffic
System
Richard Webb, NF5B, editor
PUBLISHED BY TRAFFIC HANDLERS FOR TRAFFIC HANDLERS
Volume II Issue 2
Copyright 2008 by The ARRL National Traffic System
Contents
Editor's corner
NTS news briefs
General articles: Improve your station's Audio, Part II.
NTS Training: Understanding the "check" field
NTS outreach: Announcing the fidonet EmergCom Conference
How to submit an article
Where to get BPQ
This electronic newsletter is free to all who may wish to receive it. You may
upload it to bulletin board systems; ftp sites etc. so long as no fees are
charged for access to it. Individual articles retain the copyright of the
author.
Editor's Corner
Bringing 5
Alive
I'm sure that most of us have heard about the U.S. 60 meter band allocations,
although I doubt many NTS and public service operators have used them. In case
you've been existing in a cave somewhere, these are the five channelized
frequencies in the 5 MHz range.
These frequencies were allocated to the amateur service on a shared basis with
government to provide emergency communications frequencies which could be put to
use when an 80/75 meter path didn't quite get it done, but 40 meters wasn't
right either.
I'd be willing to bet most traffic handlers and public service ops have never
transmitted on these frequencies. I've played on 60 with a G5RV a bit and
found some interesting ragchews there, even with a couple of mobiles.
However it seems many avoid the band.
To utilize it, one must have the ability to transmit outside the traditional
amateur bands, of course. Most modern transceivers with general coverage receive
can be modified for this purpose for MARS/CAP use. However, a few other
factors should be kept in mind when planning to bring 60 meter capability to
your station.
First, these frequencies, unlike most in the amateur service, are channelized.
Frequency stability is a must. Also, if you hear other signals on that channel
do not attempt to use it.
There are additional considerations required for utilizing these channels as
well. ERP is limited to 50 watts when calculated using a half wave dipole
in free space. Hence if you're using a non-resonant antenna you'll want to
do some figuring. I did some penciling when using a G5RV on these channels
a few years ago with a Kenwood TS-440S and figured that even when using the
auto-tuner in the radio to match radio to antenna and feedline I was within the
50 watts ERP requirement. To make sure I did not run any audio processing
and backed down the mic gain just a touch.
Also, keep in mind that CW and other modes are prohibited; upper sideband only
on these frequencies. Yes Virginia, LSB, SSTV, and digital modes are prohibited.
Since these frequencies are administered in the U.S. by the NTIA they must be
able to monitor all amateur use without having to acquire and use special
decoder, software, etc. Hence the limitation to upper sideband only.
Again, remember these are shared channels, with government users primary, and
our use secondary. We must accept all interference from these stations when
utilizing these channels, and must not interfere with these stations. Generating
a carrier to make adjustments on these frequencies isn't just bad practice, it's
contrary to the rules.
Now that we've discussed the limitations and prohibitions let's talk about why
you might wish to prepare your station for 60 meter operation. The first is
obvious. One of these channels might be just what the doctor ordered to work
traffic related to an emergency. Late in the afternoon when 40 meters
starts to go long and broadcast signals hamper your efforts one of these
channels might be just what is needed to keep your net effective while awaiting
the sunset and the opening of 75 meters. A region phone net working late
afternoon might wish to send two stations with traffic to exchange to one of
these channels and get it done without needing to resort to relays on net
frequency.
Along with this, ARRL and others are arguing for expanded 60 meter allocations.
Some net activity would go a long way toward demonstrating the utility of these
frequencies for amateur use to the government agencies. After all, the FCC must
deal with other government agencies whenever it considers anything in this band
as these are government channels. By using them, we demonstrate the need
and pave the way for a higher quality international allocation for amateur use
in the 5 MHz part of the spectrum.
Of course, right now this has more apparent relevance to the strictly phone
operators among us, but a higher quality allocation at 5 MHz will benefit us
all. By using it, we set the stage for just such an event.
As we prepare to put this issue to bed many communities in the Midwest are being
inundated by flood waters. A tough reminder, but maybe it will serve as
such for ops in those areas when planning for Field Day operations this year.
Invite those officials to visit your field day site and see firsthand what
amateur radio can do for the community when such events occur. Let's hope
that these events also remind many operators of the necessity of learning to
handle formal message traffic. If members of your emergency response group
have not received this training, now's a good time to implement it.
We hope you are participating in Field Day with your local club or other
emergency communications organization. We also hope you've convinced leaders to
incorporate some third party traffic in your Field Day activities this year.
------------------------------
UPDATE PACIFIC MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE NET
FREQUENCY: 21.412 MHZ
DAILY SINCE 1979
TIME: 2200Z - 2400Z
EARLY BIRD 2100Z
NET MANAGER: W1VDE
NET SECRETARY: WA4PVZ
WEBMASTER: K0MGD
WEB SITE ADDRESS:
http://pmmsn.aboutus.tc/
SEE MISSION STATEMENT ON WEB SITE
THIS NET IS ARRL NTS AFFILIATED
------------------------------
The season of killer tornadoes and hurricanes is once again upon us. As NM of
Central Area Net daytime, I sent Steve Ewald our emergency operations procedures
and policies.
In brief, Central Area Net anytime will man the daytime 40 meter Region net
frequency to handle traffic whenever an HF emergency net is activated within the
bounds of Central Area NTS. In addition to handling emergency and priority
traffic, this net will provide outlets for health and welfare traffic coming out
of the emergency locale.
If you live within the Central Time Zone be sure to let your local and section
emergency coordinators know.
Anybody wanting the text in full of Central Area Net policies and procedures can
request them via email to elspider@bellsouth.net.
------------------------------
Speaking of Central Area, Region and Area daytime nets:
Most days Regions 9 and 10 don't even have a daytime net these days it seems. If
you live within the bounds of Region 9 or 10 your presence and assistance would
be most welcome.
If you've some free afternoon time around 14:15 hours central, Central Area Net
Cycle Two could also use net controls. A great pool of Region reps would assist
with this, but with such little participation from Regions 9 and 10 most days
there are no representatives from either region.
------------------------------
Coming in future issues:
In our next issue watch for Part 3 of our series on improving your station's
audio.
Got noise problems that make operating less than pleasant? Hunt down that
unintentional QRM provided by your utility company and get them to take action!
BPQ training: Operator's
notes, the whens, whys, and wheres of their use.
Digital and cw ops, we could sure use some pieces from you folks. Help get
those newcomers up to speed on operating pactor, packet, and good old fashioned
cw! Your contributions are always welcome.
Until next time ...
==============================
Improve Your Station's Audio Part II.
By Richard Webb, NF5B
Improve the listenability of your HF SSB station! Choose the right
microphone for the job. The wrong one can hinder your effectiveness as a phone
traffic handler.
Before we discuss microphones though let's look at another issue I hear with a
lot of regular traffic handlers which is actually a combination of issues.
Poor quality audio due to improper grounding and RF being where it
shouldn't be. Fix those problems folks! Once you've tackled those
issues take a close look at your station and how you operate then choose the
proper microphone for the job.
I can understand why I might hear less than stellar audio on my local FM
repeater. Most stations operating this mode are in a variety of
environments with a wide variety of equipment. In the car, at the mall, on
the bus, standing on the corner, all these places with either a mobile or
handheld radio. None of them are tailor made for good clean stellar audio.
However, in your shack handling traffic should be the one place where you should
be able to put out a clean listenable signal. Again remember that the
public we serve can listen in on shortwave radios and we want to show them the
highest standards of operating. As an added bonus, the stations receiving
your traffic will find their job much easier. You'll be asked for fewer
fills and the efficiency of the nets you participate in will improve.
Remember on HF SSB your bandwidth should be 3 kilohertz or less. There's a
common characteristic I find with a lot of the stations on the band who have
wide signals that shotgun all over the place. Too much processing leading to too
much noise! The operator wants to sit back in his comfortable chair and work the
desk microphone a foot or two away from him and relax. He may or may not
be using VOX.
In the background behind this op's voice I'll usually hear cooling fans and
shuffling paper or other ambient noise. Most modern ham shacks have more
than one receiver operational as well. This background noise is
unnecessary.
Maybe working the desk microphone from a distance is the right technique for the
way you use your shack. Then again, maybe it isn't. If you find that it is
think about applying other solutions to these common problems. They're harder
and might cost you some money however. First, let's see if you might be as
well served by working the microphone closer or choosing a different microphone
altogether.
First maybe you should consider a headset microphone. A friend of mine has
devised a foot switch to key the transmitter as he doesn't care for VOX
operation. Many dispatchers use head-worn microphones to good effect and
commercial models are readily available. In the real spirit of ham radio
you can rig your own with a low cost electret element commonly available at
Radio Shack as well as other dealers and a pair of headphones you like. In some
applications a fairly good dynamic will work also. If you wish to not use VOX
with such a setup a foot switch can be rigged easily. In fact, check out
your local musical instrument dealer as electronic keyboards and guitar amp rigs
use push switches for sustain pedals and other chores. Add a tip/sleeve jack of
the appropriate size to your parts list, (that's the female) and another
appropriate microphone connector for your rig and you're set to go. Most of
these switches have an advantage over one you could rig in a project box---they
stay where you put them on most surfaces and don't wander around.
Musicians must use them in a variety of circumstances so some better ones are
built to not slide around on a hard floor. By the time you buy your project box,
a momentary switch and some little rubber feet you'll have as much invested as
in the ready made product. It's easy to rig such a microphone so that you're
talking across it. This will often solve other problems with your transmitted
audio. A boom microphone might serve you well also. A boom will move that
microphone closer to your position allowing you to sit back in your chair
and be comfortable. When you work the microphone closer you don't need to run
the gain so high and therefore don't pick up all the background noise present in
your environment. You also pick up less reflected sound and more direct
sound making your transmitted signal much more listenable.
Back to the foot switches again, many ready made boom mics for communications
work such as the Heils also make provision for a foot switch. Again those pedals
from your musical equipment dealers work great. cut the quarter inch tip/sleeve
male off and install an eighth inch to mate with these.
Let's talk about the common types of microphones you'll encounter. There are
four basic pickup patterns you'll find in most microphones. Each has its
advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at them and see which might suit
you.
1. Omnidirectional microphones. Not really useful for the shack. An
omnidirectional microphone is like your omnidirectional vertical antenna, it
picks up sound equally from all directions. For many recording applications this
is helpful. its one advantage for communications use is the lack of proximity
effect. So what is proximity effect? With other types of microphones than omnis
bass frequencies increase as the source gets closer to the microphone. This can
often hinder intelligibility of your spoken words. with an omni proximity effect
doesn't show its ugly head however. Still, you want to cancel out noises from
the rear and sides of your microphone, hence you don't see many omnis used as
communications microphones that I'm aware of.
2. Cardioid pattern: This is a heart-shaped pickup pattern with the most pickup
being from the business end of the microphone. You'll also see a hypercardioid
pickup pattern which is a more pronounced heart-shaped pickup pattern.
3. Figure-eight. This is basically two cardioid microphones placed back to back,
useful in some recording applications but again not real useful in the shack. If
you were doing interviews to tape you might find a figure eight pattern useful.
For radio communications however you'll rarely find one used. Most of what
you're going to find for communications microphones are of the cardioid variety.
Note I only listed three here but originally stated four different pickup
patterns. Most folks will call cardioid and hypercardioid microphones a
different pickup pattern, but for our discussion they're similar enough I lumped
them together.
Using the proper microphone and technique can allow you another benefit. You can
turn down the processing. I find the processing built into most radios is rather
crude compared to those I'm able to use in commercial audio applications. A good
compressor for the studio allows you to adjust the compression ratio, the attack
and release times etc. With those available on most of our rigs however
this isn't possible, in fact on some rigs you've got to open up the case and
find the appropriate adjustment inside the radio, leaving you a practical choice
of too much or none at all. When given that choice, opt for none and set
your microphone gain appropriately.
If you still find that using a desk microphone is most comfortable for you when
handling traffic we'll look at ways of improving its effectiveness and
eliminating some problem background noises in the next installment, so don't
feel like you're being picked on. Stay tuned and we'll get into acoustic
treatments for the radio communicator's environment. Our main focus will be on
getting direct sound of our voices into our microphones and the direct sounds of
the radio's speaker to our ears.
Understanding the "check" field
In our last look at fields or parts of the radiogram preamble we discussed
handling instructions and the misunderstandings that abound regarding their use.
The second most misunderstood and misapplied field is the check count. Again,
old hands aren't going to learn anything they didn't already know from this
article, but newcomers should continue reading. experienced hands might find
this a useful review as well however.
What it is: The check field is intended so as to insure accuracy in all phases
of message handling. This is a count of groups in the message body. Not in the
address signature or any operators' notes, but in the body of the message.
You'll note that I did not say "words" in the description above. All "groups" in
the body are counted, and said groups may not be words. An example of this might
be numbers or initials. Let us say you received the following text for relay.
thanks for the contact on
3780 kHz ssb x have
sent card with sase and
would appreciate one in return
for was credit x 73
The above text would of course get a check count of 25. Note that there are
number and initial groups in the text. A phone number in standard format for
U.S. and Canada including the area code is usually broken into three groups, the
area code being a group, the prefix the second group of three, and the last four
as a group. Newcomers will note that the x standing alone is counted as a
"group" as well as it is used in lieu of punctuation as was the "stop" in a
regular telegram.
It should be fairly obvious even to the newcomer by now that by utilizing the
check field of the preamble one should easily be able to tell whether or not the
text of the message has been copied correctly at a glance. Many operators
do as I did above and place five groups on a line so as to enable quicker
counting on the fly. I endeavor to keep to this rule, but when copying with a
computer or a brail slate it's often easier to just keep moving while copying
though it takes a bit more time to count the groups when done. Try forming
the habit however and you'll find it much easier to count groups and be able to
tell at a glance if you're missing something.
When one of those ARL numbered text macros is used as part of the body of the
message the check count should be preceded with ARL. I've seen this one
misused quite often these days by newcomers. One will see a message which has an
ARL before the number in the check field, and no ARL numbered text in the body.
For an example, text number 50 which is the standard "greetings via amateur
radio" is written in the message body as "ARL Fifty" which is two groups.
ARL Forty Six hence is three.
For reasons of clarity these are always spelled out as shown above. The
important thing to remember for the newcomers is that the ARL should only be
used in the check field of the preamble if there is an ARRL numbered text in the
body of the message.
Finally in our review of the check field we should address what should never
happen but often does these days. That is what to do if you're sure you have
received all the groups in the body correctly but find that the check count on
the message as provided by the originator and yours don't agree.
First and foremost, be sure that the operator from whom you received the message
agrees with your amended check count. If so, you indicate this with the
original group count as provided by the originator, a slash then the amended
count, i.e. 23/22. If you do this it might be prudent and courteous to other
operators down the line to append an operators' note after the signature.
What's this about operator's notes? We'll delve into them in a separate training
module, but your NTS elmers can help you understand them in the meantime.
For our purposes here that "opnote" will explain to other ops down the line that
you've already had this battle with the erroneous group count. This might keep
them from worrying about it when they relay the message toward its destination.
So why should the above scenario never occur? Obviously, the originator
should exercise due diligence when composing the message and count the groups
accurately. Some are better than others at this however. The first station
receiving the message should also be diligent in actually counting groups in the
text. The time to get it right is at the start of the journey of the
message. Should you find an operator whose check counts are consistently
inaccurate it might be wise to assist him or her in properly counting groups in
the text of originated messages.
We all know that you should never acknowledge receipt of a message until you are
certain that you have copied it correctly in its entirety. The check field is
there to assist you in exercising this "due diligence" and therefore when you
encounter the need to amend the check count this is a good indicator that the
first relaying station did not exercise due diligence. Be mindful of this,
and utilize the check count as it was intended to be used.
Announcing the fidonet
EmergCom conference!
EmergCom is a fidonet conference (called an echo) for radio amateurs; REACT
members; search and rescue volunteers; public safety dispatchers and
professionals.
The purpose of the conference is the dissemination of information tools and
techniques for providing emergency or disaster communications using radio.
During widespread emergencies and disasters the regular communications
infrastructure is one of the first things to go down. Amateur radio operators
have a longstanding tradition of being ready and available when this occurs.
These days groups such as REACT are also called upon to fill the void. This
conference is a
place for both amateurs and professionals to discuss any and all aspects of
emergency communications using radio.
Many of these folks are unaware of NTS and the service we can provide. Most give
little thought, or none at all to the value of outgoing health and welfare
messages from the stricken locale. People suffering the after effects of
storms earthquakes and other calamities find the ability to send a short
advisory to friends or family outside boosts their morale and gets them in a
more positive frame of mind. This translates to citizens better able to
assist themselves and their neighbors. Also, many volunteers and
professionals in other facets of emergency and disaster response work get their
amateur licenses and remain blissfully unaware of NTS and other training
opportunities within the amateur community.
Many fidonet bulletin board systems available via telnet, www, and through use
of your usenet newsreader offer the EmergCom conference. Drop by and help spread
the word about the value of NTS to served agencies and the public.
Many of the systems listed in the section on where to get BPQ carry this
conference. For additional listings, or information on which systems offer
news reader access be sure to email this editor.
Your friendly editor is also the conference moderator, and your participation
would be most welcome.
73 de NF5B
How to submit an article
Send a file attach of a straight ASCII file to the editor at
elspider@bellsouth.net for
inclusion.
Brief items for our news section should be sent as a regular email.
Again, attach plain ASCII files only. If using MS Word choose the save-as option
to save as plain text, possibly called dos text. Check your favorite word
processor's documentation on creating ASCII files.
No graphics files, pdf etcetera please!
This electronic newsletter is
intended to be machine readable. This newsletter may be distributed on packet
and other radio systems where system operators and relay stations wish to
closely monitor content of transmissions. It is intended to be platform
independent which is not possible with graphical file formats. Even the operator
with the old commodore or Apple II should be able to read this newsletter, or
the fellow using the old dumb terminal. Text to speech systems etcetera should
have no problems reading this newsletter.
If possible use a file extension of .art for your article. If it fits one of
these categories use the category name as the file name. Regular categories for
which we seek articles are as follows:
General : articles of general interest to traffic handlers. Use a file name of
general.art
Training : Articles regarding training hints and tips. As above, use
training.art if possible.
Outreach : articles on ways to reach out to the public and promote NTS and
amateur radio message handling capabilities. As with the above examples,
outreach.art.
Using these naming conventions allows your editor to automatically process your
article.
Type the title twice, the first time at left margin preceded by a * character.
The second time centered as you'd like it to appear. The line with the * will be
used to automatically build a table of contents and the asterisk removed. Your
article will then appear with title centered.
Immediately below the centered title please place your name and call sign so
that folks will know who authored the article. If you have an email address
please provide it as well. Though often these can be looked up the information
provided in call sign databases is often incorrect. If you are a net manager or
hold an ARRL field organization position please provide this information as
well.
IF possible keep line lengths to 70 characters or fewer. Again remember that we
are attempting to be platform independent. Many of our readers will wish to view
this on their screens instead of printing it out.
If you cannot save your article as plain text paste the text into an email and
send it. Your editor will do his best to format it properly for display on most
computer systems. If you do this state in the subject line that text enclosed in
email is an article for BPQ.
Although you retain the copyright on your work, submission of any articles
implies permission to publish them in BPQ and distribute said work
electronically without remuneration to you or BPQ. No fee may be charged to
receive BPQ.
Where to get BPQ
Many fine internet connected
bulletin boards also carry BPQ in the hamnews file area as a zip file using the
same naming conventions as the text files within them. These files are
distributed by the ham-fdn and the International Filegate Project. Visit
www.filegate.net/
Fidonet: Many fine bulletin board systems available via telnet www and
dial-up can link to the ham-fdn described above. If you don't see it on your
favorite fido board ask the sysop to link to the hamnews area through his/her
regular files link.
The headquarters of the ham-fdn can be accessed as follows:
Waldo's place USA. modem
12am-6pm EST. (919) 774-5930
telnet://bbs.wpusa.dynip.com
http://www.wpusa.dynip.com/
ftp://ftp.wpusa.dynip.com
RADIO RESCUE NET OPERATIONS BBS
Modem only 0600-1200 UTC 28.8 kbps n81 (901) 465-9921
If you are the system operator of a BBS (either landline or radio) and cannot
get BPQ through your regular links it can be sent you via email as either
regular email or a file attach. Send an email to bpq.distro@116-901.ftn.wpusa.dynip.com
Provide your email address in the text and tell us how you'd like to receive
BPQ. Also tell us what kind of BBS system you operate, its frequencies of
operation if a packet board or its dial-up/telnet info etc. Also, please give us
your callsign.
We wish to keep the email distribution list fairly small, so look to your
favorite internet dial-up or packet connections first if at all possible.
Thanks for reading and 73,
Richard Webb, NF5B
Send correspondence to the editor via email using the following email address:
elspider@bellsouth.net
OR using plain text only to: bpq.editor@116-901.ftn.wpusa.dynip.com
All file attached article submissions should be sent to the bellsouth address.
See the earlier section on how to submit an article.
Place BPQ feedback or similar text in the subject line so that it receives
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Readers are encouraged to create a hardcopy of this newsletter for those who do
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Reproduction of articles in club newsletters is permitted so long as BPQ and the
original author are credited.
For more information contact the editor.
BRASS POUNDERS' QUARTERLY
Published by traffic handlers for traffic handlers
Copyright ARRL National Traffic System, electronic distribution encouraged.
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