KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

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Amateur radio in the news: Kids discover new (old?) way to communicate,
training scouts

Posted: 08 Feb 2021 08:36 AM PST
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Young students discover a different form of communication

In a year that has often been isolating, eight students from Foxboro are
exploring a different way to communicate.Â*They are taking a virtual course
in Morse code through the [CWops] CW Academy.

Liam Polis, 11, a sixth-grader who is home-schooled this year, said his
mother signed him up for the class, and at first, he wasn’t sure about it,
but then found it to be fun.Â*“It’s different than other classes because we
learn on our own and then check in with the teacher, but it’s fun. I
learned a lot about the history and use of Morse code and also the letters:
a, e, i, o, s, t, n, m, y, l and number 1 for week one,� Liam said.
read more
When Scoutmasters Got Trained to be Amateur Radio Operators

Did you know thatÂ*amateur radio suppliesÂ*can come in handy when the grid is
down? In case you didn’t realize this fact before, now you do! Scott
deMasi, the assistant scoutmaster, knew the right way to respond to such an
alarming situation with the power down in Kingwood’s subdivision in Texas.
In 2017, the devastating Hurricane Harvey (Category 4) had wreaked havoc in
many parts of the region, including Scott deMasi’s subdivision.

After the water level decreased, the two assistant scoutmasters, David
Godell and Scott deMasi, sat down and worked for a solution to effectively
communicate with their troop of a hundred scouts. Scott deMasi had spent 15
years as an amateur radio operator and knew the effectiveness of the ham
radio in times where one’s survival is at risk. The task left was to train
their troop of 100 scouts and their parents to maneuver ham radios. With
the power down and roads flooded with water, operating a ham radio was
indeed a lifesaving skill.
read more
Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio holds training in WXOW’s parking lot

LA CRESCENT, Minn. The Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association set up
camp in the WXOW parking lot on Saturday for the day.Â*Vice President Bill
Klein-Schmidt explained they can set up anywhere they want and they try to
do it as often as they can.

Basically what we are doing today is what they call the Minnesota QSO party
and what that consists of is us trying to contact as many counties in the
state of Minnesota that we can in a certain period of time, said
Klein-Schmidt.

He said trainings also help them practice setting up their gear quickly and
in cold, bad weather. It is important because if communication were ever to
go down, they would still be able to communicate with people through ham
radio.
read more

The post Amateur radio in the news: Kids discover new (old?) way to
communicate, training scouts appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.


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Its not a Begali, but.

Posted: 07 Feb 2021 08:41 AM PST
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One of the questions Im most frequently asked is, Whats a good paddle for a
beginner? My usual answer to that was to look for a used Bencher BY-1 at a
hamfest or on one of the online venues. You used to be able to get them for
$60 or less. Now, however, there are few hamfests and the price has gone
up. Now, used Benchers are close to $80.

Another option that newcomers might consider is the CW Morse paddle (shown
at left, below). They cost $60 with a steel base ($43 without), and are
available from 3rd Planet Solar and Gigaparts. I purchased one recently,
and have been using it for the past couple of days. To be honest, I was
prepared to hate it, but it actually plays pretty well. Its not a Begali,
but its not a bad starter key.
Its not a Begali Magnetic Pro (right), but the CW Morse dual-lever paddle
(right) is worth considering as a first key.

These keys are mostly made from plastic. I think that perhaps the parts
were originally 3D-printed, but Id be surprised if they werent molded now.Â*
The parts look too finished to be 3D-printed. The contacts are all brass,
though, and the base is made from 1/2-in. cold-rolled steel. The levers
pivot on sealed ball bearings, which give it a nice motion. Last night, I
had the speed cranked up to 23 wpm, and this key performed well at that
speed.
Under the cover of the CW Morse dual-lever paddle.

My key weighed 22.5 oz (1.4 lbs.), and was quite stationary on the silicone
mat that I use for my keys. The Begali is, of course, a lot heavier at
nearly 60 oz. (3.75 lbs.).

One thing I didnt like very much is that the arms tend to flex more than Id
like. I actually have the same problem with the plastic Begali finger
pieces. Thats why I use the aluminum finger pieces on the Begali.

Another thing that Ill be watching out for is how secure the contact
spacing adjustments are. The screws used to make these adjustments are
standard thread screws,Â* and while theyre spring-loaded, I can see where
they might get loose after a lot of use. The Begali uses screw with a very
fine thread, and I havent had to re-adjust it in all the time Ive had it.

Overall, though, Im quite happy with this key. And, for sixty bucks, which
is about one-fifth of the price of a new Begali Magnetic Pro, Ill be
recommending this to newcomers to get them started with CW.

The post Its not a Begali, but. appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.


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Comm Academy: a FREE virtual training conference on emergency communications

Posted: 06 Feb 2021 01:37 PM PST
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Comm Academy, the conference for EmComm and preparation,Â* has been around
since 2001, but this year, the event is online and free. The event, which
normally takes place in Seattle is two days of training, talks, and
information on emergency communications. Comm Academy 2021 will take place
on April 10-11, 2021, and the theme for this years event is Disasters Here,
There, and Everywhere—Are You Ready?

According to Tim, WT1IM, the PIO for Comm Academy, the organizers are all
volunteers who care deeply about EmComm and preparation, and want to create
a forum for knowledge sharing. Until this year, CA was a local event in the
Seattle area. While the attendees were enthusiastic, they were mostly
local. That being said, the organizers realized that the 2021 conference
gave them a make lemonade out of lemons opportunity to take what they were
doing locally to a nationwide, if not global, audience.

This years presenters come from a variety of backgrounds, but most if not
all, are hams. For example, this years lineup includes Tom Cox, VE6TOX, ICS
Consultant for Alberta Emergency Management Agency; Jason Biermann, KI7KVP,
Snohomish (WA) Department of Emergency Management Director; and Ward
Silver, N0AX, who will present on station grounding and bonding. There will
also be presentations on providing Internet service restoration in a remote
Oregon community after wildfires and safety and communications at Burning
Man.

The presentations will all be pre-recorded, but the presenters will be on
the conference live when their presentations are aired, so that they can do
real-time Q&A, chat, etc., with the participants. To get a feel for the
types of presentations given at Comm Academy, you can view recorded
presentations fromÂ* previous years at http://commacademy.org/archives.

For more information, visit the Comm Academy website, or email


The post Comm Academy: a FREE virtual training conference on emergency
communications appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.