eHam.net News

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From WWII Until Today, Goldfarb and His Radios Radios Have Been Inseparable

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 04:50 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36294


UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Jack Goldfarb is what's known as an amateur
radio operator. It's a shame he's stuck with that descriptive handle for
ham radio enthusiasts because, after one has done what he has for so long,
the word "pro" should be found somewhere in the title. Unfortunately, the
term "professional" is reserved for the radio you hear while driving in a
car, or the television signals seen broadcast from a TV station. Goldfarb,
of University Heights, has been talking on his ham radio since he was 16.
It was at that age he studied to pass the test given for one to obtain an
amateur radio license. And, when did he get that license? "I got my license
in April, 1941," Goldfarb replied. "I went downtown (Cleveland) to the FCC
office that was in the old post office building. I still remember Mr. Russ
was the FCC radio inspector there. "I was the only one there that day. I
was the only kid there taking the test." Now, most certainly one of the
worldwide deans of ham radio operators, the 91 year old -- he turns 92
later this month -- remains dedicated to his hobby. He's also not letting
time pass him by as Goldfarb is not afraid to take on the latest radio
trends. "It keeps my mind active," Goldfarb said. On the second floor of
Goldfarb's home are several pieces of modern radio equipment and two
computers. A couple of months ago he took down and sold the 40-foot tower
and antenna that had been standing in his back yard the past four decades.
The tower allowed Goldfarb to speak with fellow radio operators, or
contacts, from Slovenia to Japan.


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Introducing Space.com's New Satellite Tracker from N2YO:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 04:48 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36293


Ever wonder when the International Space Station or Hubble Space Telescope
will pass by in their multiple daily orbits? Space.com is introducing a new
satellite tracker powered by N2YO.com to answer that question for many of
the diverse cast of space stations, observational satellites and military
orbiters that trace paths through the sky above. Satellites are
predictable, but the complex algorithms needed to plot their locations are
too slow to work in real time in a Web browser, said Ciprian Sufitchi, the
tracker's creator. Space.com's new app communicates with a server that
reports back the real-time location and speed of several satellites -- and
makes that information personal by plotting exactly where a given satellite
is and reporting when it will pass overhead for the user. Some satellites
are easier to see than others; Hubble, for instance, is very faint, while
the International Space Station is much brighter and can be seen even from
cities or other areas with a lot of light pollution, assuming there's no
fog or clouds. Sufitchi advises against using a telescope -- the field of
view is too narrow, and it's too hard to track the satellites' quick
movement across the sky -- but binoculars may provide a wide enough view to
catch the satellites' passing. However, the naked eye is often the best
option, he said.


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AM RF Engineering Pioneer, (KM5KG) Dies:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 04:47 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36292


PLANO, Texas -- Grant Bingeman, known for his design and software work in
the area of complex AM RF engineering, has died. He passed away early
Monday, according to an obituary on the website of the
Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, at age 66. A funeral service is set
for Friday in Plano, Texas. Bingeman was considered an expert in network
design, antenna couplers and phasing systems for AM radio, as well as
computer control and programming. According to longtime friend and
colleague Jack Sellmeyer, Bingeman did technical work for Gates/Harris,
then joined Rockwell/Collins in the late 1970s. The Collins broadcast
division was acquired by Continental Electronics in 1979; Bingeman worked
there for some years. At one time he held the title of principal engineer
at Continental, according to an earlier bio published by amateur radio
magazine AntenneX. He designed phasing and coupling equipment and was an
early developer of Method of Moments modeling of AM antenna systems,
writing early versions of MININEC code to help manufacturers design systems
and predict driving point impedances on directional systems. Sellmeyer said
Bingeman's work was used by a number of respected industry consultants in
their phasor designs. Bingeman wrote his own software programs for AM
modeling and for ham radio applications; his call sign was KM5KG.


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Piqua Man Charged with Breaking and Entering at Miami County Amateur Club:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 04:39 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36290


MIAMI COUNTY -- A Piqua man is facing charges this week in connection with
a report of stolen radios from the Miami County Amateur Radio Club. Dwayne
M. Fisher, Jr., 40, of Piqua, was charged with fifth-degree felony breaking
and entering along with fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property on
Tuesday. According to Miami County Sheriff's Office reports, Fisher is
accused of breaking into the Miami County Amateur Radio Club in Troy, as
well as selling radio equipment that had been reported stolen to another
Piqua resident. The missing radios were first reported on Feb. 21. The club
stated that they began noticing that radios were missing when they took
inventory of their items. When they noticed some damage to a door, they
suspected that the radios had been stolen. Some of the stolen radio
equipment was reportedly traced back to another Piqua resident, who claimed
that Fisher had sold him the items for $300. The resident also stated
Fisher claimed to have purchased the radio equipment from Govdeals.com.


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DX News -- ARRL DX Bulletin #9:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:22 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36289


This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
QRZ DX, OPDX, The Daily DX, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the
ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.


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Just Ahead In Radiosport:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:22 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36288


Just Ahead In Radiosport:


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US Amateur Radio Numbers Continue to Soar:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:22 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36287


Amateur Radio is alive and well! Growth in the US continued in 2015,
with a record 735,405 licensees in the FCC's Universal Licensing System
(ULS) database by the end of the year.
That's up 9130 over December 2014, a 1.2 percent rise, continuing a
steady increase in the US Amateur Radio population in every year since
2007.


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ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, Retires:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:21 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36286


On February 26, the ARRL Headquarters staff bid farewell and a happy
retirement to Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, as he
wrapped up 11 years at ARRL Headquarters. His last official day on the
job was March 1. At a retirement party, staff members presented Kramer
with an antique clock from a Waterbury, Connecticut, clock maker -- a
particularly fitting gift, as he was born in Waterbury.


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ARISS Celebrates its 1000th Educational Amateur Radio Contact with Video:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:21 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36285


Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), the first-ever
ISS payload activated by the
crew, is gearing up for its 1000th educational ham radio contact in
March. A video jointly produced by ARRL, NASA, and AMSAT, titled,
"Celebrating the 1000th Contact," has been posted on YouTube.


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ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology Announces 2016 Schedule:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:20 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36284


The deadline is May 1 for educators to apply for a spot in this
summer's ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology sessions. These
educational opportunities are offered by the ARRL Education and
Technology Program (ETP).


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National Parks on the Air Update:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:20 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36283


National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) statistics
for the end of February show that momentum for the year-long event
continues. More than 136,000 NPOTA contacts have been made from 311
NPOTA units, in more than 1500 qualified activations! National Scenic
and Historic Trails continue to be the most-activated units. The
Appalachian Trail is the biggest favorite, with 34 valid activations,
while the Santa Fe National Historic Trail has the most number of QSOs
made from an NPS unit -- 3533. For you NPOTA Honor Roll chasers, 34 of
the 59 National Parks have had Amateur Radio activity since January 1.


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ARES Groups, Hams Support Army and Air Force MARS Communications Exercise:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:19 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36282


On February 12, more than 300 Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
members and individual radio amateurs participated in the first
quarterly Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) US Department of
Defense communications exercise of 2016 (COMEX 16-1). US Army and Air
Force MARS operators across the US, Europe, and the Pacific took part
in the 12-hour Department of Defense (DOD) contingency HF communication
exercise, which simulated a widespread loss of telephone and Internet
communication across the US. MARS operators reached out to ARES members
and individual hams in as many US counties as possible to obtain status
reports via radio.


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Armed Forces Day Communication Test to Include Military-Ham Contact on 60M:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:18 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36281


This year's Armed Forces Day Crossband Communication Test on Saturday,
May 14, will include a significant new wrinkle: Select military
stations will be using 60 meter interoperability channels to
communicate directly with Amateur Radio stations on the band. Back this
year, select military stations will use crossband Automatic Link
Establishment (2G ALE) communication as well as MIL-STD Serial PSK to
send the Secretary of Defense Armed Forces Day message.


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Regulators Attend Amateur Radio Administration Course In Mexico City:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:18 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36280


Telecommunications regulators from Mexico and Belize attended an
Amateur Radio Administration Course (ARAC) February 17-19 in Mexico
City. International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU R2), the Mexican
Federation of Radio
Amateurs (FMRE), and the ARRL sponsored the
sessions.


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Texas to Host US ARDF Championships in April:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:17 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36279


The US championships of Amateur
Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) return to the Lone Star State this
spring. Sponsored by Texas ARDF and the Austin Orienteering Club (AOC), the
event will take place April 7-10 near
Killeen, Texas. On-foot foxhunting fans of all skill levels will gather
for 4 days of intense competition.


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'Frequency' TV Series Now Planned for the CW Network:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:16 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36278


The buzz from Hollywood is that a TV series based on the 2000 movie
"Frequency" is in development and -- appropriately enough for a show
featuring ham radio -- on The CW network. Amateur Radio served as a
plot device in the movie and will play the same role in the TV series.


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First Solid-State Transmitter to Span Atlantic Now Part of ARRL Collection:

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:16 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36277


A flea-powered transistor ham transmitter built in the 1950s and later
used to make a transatlantic contact has become part of the ARRL
Historical Collection. The noteworthy historical artifact was donated
by Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ, on behalf of the estate of Gus Fallgren, W1OG
(SK), the ham who was at the key for the momentous event.


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In Brief...

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:15 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36276


List of US House Amateur Radio Parity Act Cosponsors Continues to Grow:
Three more members of the US House of Representatives have stepped
forward to cosponsor The Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301. That
brings the total to 123. The latest to sign on are Reps Evan Jenkins
(R-WV), Stephen Knight (R-CA), and Charles Boustany Jr (R-LA).


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Getting It Right!

Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:15 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/36275


Getting It Right! In "Article Profiles First African-American Radio
Amateur, Rufus Turner, W3LF," which appeared in the February 25 edition
of The ARRL Letter, we inadvertently -- and incorrectly -- added an "A"
to the designation of the diode Mr Turner helped to develop. The diode
the article refers to is the 1N34, not the later 1N34A, which typically
had a hermetically sealed glass envelope. Thanks to Frank Donovan,
W3LPL, for spotting this error.