eHam.net News

///////////////////////////////////////////
Hanson Man Has World at His Fingertips:

Posted: 03 Nov 2014 04:03 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33476


From his barn in Hanson, Mark Vess has been able to contact people from
across the world, broadcasting to remote locations such as Antarctica from
the comfort of his own home.
While the Internet has made worldwide communication easier than ever, Vess
has harkened back to technology of yesteryear, highlighting a global
community of amateur radio, also known as ham radio, enthusiasts that
connect over the airwaves. "For all of my life, I've heard these voices
from far away places," Vess said. As a child, Vess would tinker with his
family's discarded radios and in his 20s he began collecting amateur radio
receivers. In the early days, Vess would only be able to listen to other
people's communications, unable to broadcast himself because of an FCC
requirement mandating that all amateur radio operators broadcasting over
the airwaves to be licensed.


///////////////////////////////////////////
Hams Share Love of Amateur Radio:

Posted: 03 Nov 2014 04:03 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33475


Long before Facebook and Twitter, even before MySpace and Friendster, a
different social media connected people of all ages from around the world.


///////////////////////////////////////////
Amateur Radio Emergency Services:

Posted: 03 Nov 2014 04:02 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33474


Amateur Radio Emergency Services:


///////////////////////////////////////////
Radio Amateurs Receive/Decode Signal from 4M Lunar Orbiter:

Posted: 03 Nov 2014 04:01 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33473


Receiving signals from the moon is a challenge. Although amateur radio
operators have been bouncing signals off the moon and receiving them
seconds later when they return to Earth since 1953, the effort required
very large antennas, high-power transmitters and delicate low-noise
amplifiers. The availability of digital modes such as JT65 using software
DSP has made it possible to receive signals that are too weak to hear, but
receiving signals from the moon still requires either bouncing your own
signal off the moon or knowing when someone else is beaming a signal of
sufficient power at the moon when it is visible at your location. Thanks to
the Manfred Memorial Moon Mission (4M) that's been carried into space by a
Chinese Long March 3C/G2 rocket, radio amateurs have had a chance to
monitor JT65B signals being transmitted on 145.980 MHz from the spacecraft
as it heads towards the moon. The ARRL reported radio amateurs were hearing
the 4M signal after the launch but signals weakened as it approached the
moon. On Oct. 27, ARRL reported 4M Moon Orbiter Signals "Quite Weak,"
Onboard Messages to Loop. The 4M Amateur Radio payload completed its loop
around the moon early on Oct. 28 (UTC), so signals should be getting
stronger as the payload starts its long trip back to Earth.


///////////////////////////////////////////
Largest Sunspot in 24 Years Wows Scientists, But Also Mystifies:

Posted: 03 Nov 2014 04:01 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33472


The biggest sunspot to grace the face of the sun in more than two decades
just rotated out of Earth's view, but it was responsible for kicking up
some truly amazing solar activity this week. The sunspot (called Active
Region 12192 or AR 2192) shot off four powerful flares in four days
recently, with many more smaller flares sprinkled in as well. The sunspot
region was about the size of the planet Jupiter and is the largest solar
flare observed in 24 years. AR 2192 was actually one of the biggest
observed sunspots of all time, ranking 33rd largest of 32,908 active
regions since 1874, according to NASA scientists C. Alex Young and Dean
Pesnell. But how does a sunspot grow this big?