SBARC-list

sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com

8 participants
2698 discussions

Lou Frenzel
by Darryl Widman 24 May '16

24 May '16

The Shack Is Back May 24, 2016 by Lou Frenzel, W5LEF, in Communiqué The exterior of a typical free-standing RadioShack store in Texarkana, Texas. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) Back in February 2015, Radio Shack filed for bankruptcy. Many of us feared that we had lost a popular source of electronic products and parts. Well, in case you didn’t get the memo, Radio Shack is alive and well as a new company. It did not come out of bankruptcy as is the usual case. Instead, Standard General, a New York hedge fund, bought the assets and brand and formed a new company under the ownership of General Wireless with the name Radio Shack. It retained about 1,700 of the original 4,000-plus stores. Roughly 1,400 of the 1,700 are co-branded with Sprint and the telecommunications giant will sell cell phones and subscriber plans on-site. More Blog Posts from Lou Frenzel DIY Makers, Hobbyists, and Experimenters Get Professional Software RadioShack: Tragedy or Inevitable? The Future of AM Radio Radio Shack is now a greatly scaled-down company and more focused on building a new business model around its stores and a greatly expanded online presence. It will continue to sell popular consumer electronics items, but also will take advantage of the growing DIY/Maker niche. Look for a growing number of Radio Shack smaller electronic kits in stores in the months to come. What they really need is a few signature larger kits to generate some significant buzz and dollars. Drones and robots come to mind, but that has been done. How about more radio products? Why not ham radio products, as this is a known and growing market? Besides, the former ham kit company Heathkit is not doing anything. Radio Shack is also pursuing an educational approach to the hobbyist market. It plans to participate in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) movement in schools to introduce students to these technical fields. It will also offer in-store learning sessions and demos. I urge them to do even more educational projects like offering books, learning kits, and online webinars. I am glad to see the survival of Radio Shack. It will continue to be a valuable resource for parts and accessories that many of us have come to rely upon. Let’s hope it flourishes with the new focus and direction. Check out the new website for an update. The whole Radio Shack bankruptcy and re-emergence took place in less than a year. Yet here we are many years later still waiting on Heathkit to come back to life as the premier kit maker. So far not much is happening. A few years ago, Heathkit conducted an extensive survey of old and potentially new customers to find out what they wanted. What came of that was a $149 AM radio. A TRF rather than superhet version at that. Battery powered with no tuning dial or speaker. What were they thinking? Who is the market for this anyway? Kids? Really? People still do listen to AM radio, but mostly in their cars. It is an adult news and talk radio business. Kids and millennials listen to online sources mostly and FM if it is radio. Anyway, what’s up with Heathkit? Such a great name and reputation is just going to waste. We all know that designing new kits is not easy, especially the larger and more complex kits Heathkit is known for. But how many years does it take? Is it a cash problem? Or maybe the new owners do not believe they can live up to Heathkit’s glorious past or new customer expectations. Whatever. Hey, Heathkit guys, do something soon. Radio Shack is already showing you up. There is a single individual who claims the assets of Heathkit and as near as I can tell he is trying to make a business out of selling copies of Heathkit manuals for those of us trying to resurrect older units that we acquired sans manuals. There are a few Ham radio oriented sites that sell NOS or salvaged parts for Heathkit as well. In any event the market may indeed be ready for another Heathkit style company but I think the old one is moribund and stifled by the low aspirations of the current owner of the Heathkit assets. We used to have Knight Kits (Allied Radio) and Eico Kits too (Lafayette Electronics?) Maybe Allied Electronics, with its interest in supporting the MAKER phenomenon, could be encouraged to bring back Knight Kits. Amateur Radio, Electronic Test Equipment, and Embedded computer applications come to mind as likely markets. My 2 cents worth. Lou Frenzel Lou Frenzel, W5LEF, writes articles and blogs on the wireless, communications and networking sectors for Electronic Design. Formerly, Lou was professor and department head at Austin Community College...

1 0

UC Remote Receiver
by Bill Talanian 14 May '16

14 May '16

The TZ .19 Remote Receiver at UCSB is back on the air. Persons operating a 1/2 watt HT from Goleta should be able to be heard 100% thru the downtown Mesa TZ .79 repeater. Thanks to Matt Lechliter, W6KGB, and Calli Marquez, KD6OVS, for their work in aligning the Mesa Voter and link radio system with the GE M3 Repeater.

1 0

Yaesu System Fusion Repeater Up
by Brian Milburn K6BPM 10 May '16

10 May '16

Hi All, We are testing our Yaesu 440 FM and digital repeater up at the La Vigia site for a couple of weeks before it goes back to it's permanent location at the WB6OBB site on Broadcast Peak. The repeater does both regular FM and Yaesu System Fusion digital voice. We are inviting everyone to give it a workout whether you have digital capabilities or not. The frequency is: 449.300 - minus offset - PL 131.8 Several of us will be monitoring as time allows. There are quite a few of us in the local area who do have Yaesu digital radios and it is a really different experience! Join us on this repeater if you can! 73 -- Brian - K6BPM

1 0

System maintenance schedule.
by Bill Talanian 04 May '16

04 May '16

Folks: This coming Friday Calli Marquez, kd6ovs, and Matt Lechliter, w6kgb, shall be conducting in-depth fine tuning adjustments of the 19/79 Mstr III repeater and GE Voter at that the Mesa site. The repeater may be off the air from 1000- until completion. Please disregard any unusual on-the-air test activity unless the tech's request an outside response. The refined tuning and limited controller script additions should improve overall user functions as we move forward. Thanks for your consideration.

1 0

Re: [Sbarc-list] Remote receiver
by Bill Talanian 04 May '16

04 May '16

Ken, Part of the process at Gordon's will be to perform any alignments during the transition. He has antennas up so not an issue. Your only a block away from Bruce and also in a good location. But we sure appreciate the offer of SB Electronics and keep that in mind for any future build-outs. The Chatsworth racks are what I'm looking for. I'm partial to a 7 footer with 12-24 mounting holes if you have one. Thanks for the offers. Bill Talanian On 5/4/2016 6:50 AM, Ken Alker wrote: > 1) You are welcome to locate the receiver at Santa Barbara Electronics > Supply (roof) in the Magnolia Shopping Center as well. Bruce may > already have a better solution, but I figured I'd throw that out there. > > 2) I will donate a 19" open-frame rack if you need one (I am pretty > sure I have a few Chatsworth racks I'm not using). > > Ken > > --On Tuesday, May 03, 2016 10:19 PM -0700 Bill Talanian > <w1uuq(a)cox.net> wrote: > >> >> Folks: >> >> For over 20 years SBARC has operated a linked remote 146.190 MHz >> receiver >> at UCSB. The coverage enables low level signals from Goleta to be voted >> along with the main input at the Mesa site. Recently UC rebuilt the >> electric power transformer and switch room where our equipment enclosure >> bay is located. The expansion in this utility room now leaves no space >> for the enclosure which requires us to completely remove the enclosure. >> In its place I am proposing an open bay 19 inch rack pending approval by >> UC facilities. During the process of performing all this mechanical work >> the remote receiver will be removed and temporarily located at the >> QTH of >> Bruce Gordon, N6OLT. Gordon's location is near the Magnolia shopping >> center. Since this is to the west of Campinal Hill it should cover many >> parts of Goleta. However, this location may be less than what we have >> seen from UC. The system should be down not longer than two days during >> the relocation process. >> > > > >

1 0

Remote receiver
by Bill Talanian 04 May '16

04 May '16

Folks: For over 20 years SBARC has operated a linked remote 146.190 MHz receiver at UCSB. The coverage enables low level signals from Goleta to be voted along with the main input at the Mesa site. Recently UC rebuilt the electric power transformer and switch room where our equipment enclosure bay is located. The expansion in this utility room now leaves no space for the enclosure which requires us to completely remove the enclosure. In its place I am proposing an open bay 19 inch rack _pending approval by UC facilities._ During the process of performing all this mechanical work the remote receiver will be removed and temporarily located at the QTH of Bruce Gordon, N6OLT. Gordon's location is near the Magnolia shopping center. Since this is to the west of Campinal Hill it should cover many parts of Goleta. However, this location may be less than what we have seen from UC. The system should be down not longer than two days during the relocation process.

2 1

Autonomous vessel
by Bill Talanian 18 Apr '16

18 Apr '16

Autonomous vessel under development to use AIS as one tool in ships identification. SBARC supports and maintains two AIS systems that cover the south coastal region. The two systems nominally pick up vessels from 300 to 900 nm out to sea. http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/military-robots/darpa-actuv-sel…

1 0

QST
by Bill Talanian 15 Apr '16

15 Apr '16

QST Effective this date the former GE Mstr II repeater and its associated ACC RC-850 at the La Vigia site has been decommissioned. In its place is a GE MSTR III which will act as a surrogate system without any bells and whistles. It has the required time out timer and a CW ID. The remote TZ receiver at UCSB and voter will go away for the time being. All voice announcements has now gone away so personnel must make voice announcements as needed. The wide-band GE MSTR III will remain in place as a excellent standby system for the foreseeable future after system upgrade. As explained by Matt Lechliter, w6kgb, at last months club meeting, the Mstr II will be converted to a uMstr with the addition of a new RLC Club Controller. Essentially the former repeater retains the same electronic design configuration. However, all the mixed cabling used for multiple variants will be discarded which will make the system easier to maintain by improving the common interconnections. A single RLC controller is now capable of handling six serial interfaced independent systems, multiple macros, and planned system interfaces tailored to the needs of emergency services and daily users. Commonality of a single controller will have the capability to interface the six-meter repeater, 440 IRLP repeater, the UCSB remote link and voter, ELT receiver, NWS warning system, etc. Command integration of the 146.79 and 145.18 repeaters will now be possible via ethernet controls over the clubs microwave system. Most importantly the controller will be ethernet capable which will ease the load on control operators through remote configuration. We shall try to maintain the basic configuration of the previous club and ARES net functions as best possible. But no two systems have the same design features and capabilities so we must adjust and learn. As we move forward the first task is to upgrade the MSTR II to a uMstr. This should take about 2 months. Meanwhile the task of interfacing the six-meter and 440 system will be on-going. In time you shall see a much more capable system. A last word about the RC-850. The controller was way ahead of its time in the 70's. It has served the club extremely well by performing a myriad of timed macro's, voice synthesizer, paging variants, auto-patch capabilities, plus many control bells and whistles as a single system controller. The limitation of the 850 was interfacing of remotes or additional functions plus finding personnel who wanted to spend their time understanding the unique command software controls and becoming a good control operator-engineer. Hat's-off to the ACC people. They designed a controller that worked flawlessly for over 35 years. But time moves on. Hopefully the new system will attract competent technical people who love to work with systems integration. Bill Talanian

1 0

SBARC April EmComm and ATVSIG Reports
by Rod Fritz (rod＠sbatv.org) 13 Apr '16

13 Apr '16

Hello SBARC Members and Friends, Many of you have shown interest in Emergency Communications (EmComm) so I wanted to send you this report that I just sent to the SBARC Board. I encourage you to participate actively in EmComm. It may well be the most important thing we can do as radio amateurs. Some of you may not know that I moved to Mesa AZ about 2 years ago when I retired. I've tried to remain as active as possible in Santa Barbara and have visited often. I've finally discovered that I'm not very effective in a leadership role unless I can physically be there more than is currently practical. I'll continue to be as active in SB as I can. After living in Santa Barbara for 35 years, I have deep roots and consider it home. I hope to move back as soon as I can (though I'll retain my nice home in Mesa) and I want to continue to contribute to the SB community. I also included my Amateur Television report so you can be aware of what's going on. Feel free to send questions and comments to me at rod(a)sbatv.org. Regards,Rod Fritz, WB9KMO -------- Original message -------- From: "Rod Fritz (rod(a)sbatv.org)" <rfritz22(a)cox.net> Date: 4/13/2016 2:18 AM (GMT-07:00) To: 'Dorothy Oksner' <oksner66(a)gmail.com>, bodall(a)sbarc.org, 'Dorothy Oksner' <ox(a)silcom.com>, 'Darryl Widman KF6DI' <kf6di(a)sbarc.org>, 'Rick Whitaker' <rickwhtr(a)cox.net>, 'Bob Muller' <rmuller65(a)gmail.com>, rod(a)sbatv.org Subject: SBARC April EmComm and ATVSIG Reports Rod Fritz, WB9KMO EmComm Committee - Brian and I co-chair this committee As a practical matter, I find it in SBARC's and in my best interest to resign as co-chair of the EmComm Committee, leaving it solely in Brian's capable hands until he appoints another co-chair. I hereby resign with these parting recommendations... Purpose: Successfully complete these three EmComm projects to substantially help provide services to the community in times of need... . INFRASTRUCTURE - Implement and maintain repeaters, radios and a mesh network and train hams and others in the commmunity to use them effectively . GROUP COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - Work with existing groups like HOAs, retirement homes and mobile home parks to integrate communications into their emergency plans . CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - Work with all citizens, households, neighborhoods and service providers to fill communication gaps to provide services when 911 can't INFRASTRUCTURE - Maintain and evolve the infrastructure we have and continue to build and use a mesh network for EmComm and other constructive uses. GROUP COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - Continue working with group communications to define what needs to be done and establish and test standards that will benefit everyone. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - The prime objective is to answer the question, "Who ya gonna call if 911 doesn't work?" Identify and fill a set of communication gaps to effectively serve the community at large with emergency communications. This need extends beyond Group Communication Support to provide a plan, a structure and a method for all people in the community to gain access to services (not just communicate) when 911 falls short. This solution needs to serve at the individual/household/family level (not just associations). Households can contact neighborhood reps and other communicators to ultimately reach radio amateurs who can fill the communication gaps. This communication needs to be end-to-end and back (two-way closed loop) to ensure that the service providers are reached and so the people in need know that help is on the way. An EmComm meeting we held last year helps us understand what this is about, how it might work and the types of things we need to do. These are the key conclusions from a paper exercise to save someone trapped in a building when 911 couldn't be reached... . During the first 72 hours of a major emergency, 911 will likely not be able to meet everyone's needs . Resources will focus on what they can do to benefit the most important locations and largest groups of people . If 911 doesn't work, the EOC is NOT the place to contact to get services . Resources may be available, but may be difficult to contact . If 911 and other direct communication to services don't work, citizens likely don't know who else to call or how to call them . It makes sense for radio amateurs and others in the community to model who can do what and to document alternate ways to contact them . In our exercise, it was easy to identify communication gaps that radio amateurs can help fill, but we only scratched the surface . Lessons learned and potential objectives discussed were... .. All service groups need to identify the scope of what they can and cannot do and alternate ways to reach them .. Generally, service groups provide great services but are weak on communication .. Radio amateurs can provide excellent communication, but they cannot provide other services .. Prepare citizens to contact radio amateurs using all available communication resources, including person to person .. Prepare radio amateurs to communicate with other communication groups and service resources that citizens need .. Establish redundant ways to communicate so if the primary fails, at least one alternate is in place .. Try to ensure that communication is acknowledged from the citizen to service resources and back to the citizen to minimize confusion and be most effective .. Establish and document processes to make end to end communication most effective .. Make citizens aware of what they, we and other resources can do .. Train everyone involved and carry out regular exercises to ensure the processes work and to optimize them .. EmComm participants can keep in touch by email until another in-person meeting is justified (Email isn't working well. It is time for an in-person meeting.) This is admittedly a huge undertaking, but the need is critical. Without us to fill the communication gaps (nobody else is), the consequences will be devastating to thousands of people in the community during a major disaster. This is the magnitude of a challenge that will make the community stand up and notice that we can provide life-improving coordination and communication service to the community. I guarantee that we would no longer be considered a club of ineffective introverts. We are uniquely capable of mobilizing the community and integrating it's support organizations to do what needs to be done. There are too many communication gaps for community support to be effective without us stepping in. Consider this... If we don't do something like this that is so valuable that the whole community stands up and notices, we are doomed to a fate of uselessness. This kind of community support is a key part of our mission. I will do what I can to help, but unfortunately, no longer as the commitee co-chair. Please promote this cause and make it happen. Rod Fritz, WB9KMO EmComm Committee Co-Chair, Resigned ATV Special Interest Group (ATVSIG) – Chaired by Rod Fritz Purpose: Develop a plan and implement it to promote amateur television and other amateur radio specialized modes. I and many others are making good progress implementing mesh networks in Santa Barbara, Mesa AZ and other parts of the country. I'm trying to develop a practical way to run a video net on the mesh. I'm also testing a method to integrate analog and digital video over the Internet and/or mesh networks using Grandstream GXV3500 devices. If any of you are interested in participating in these projects, let me know. I'm continuing to make progress testing 2 MHz-wide DVB-T digital ATV on 434 MHz. It provides excellent quality standard-definition digital video at very low signal levels, allowing it to be used over long distances and when a line of sight communication path is not available. Some of you who can't get into the ATV repeater now may be able to get in with DVB-T. I expect to install a DVB-T receiver on the ATV repeater in Mesa AZ in the next month and then in Santa Barbara shortly after that. Reception of these signals from the repeaters will not change now, but plans are in place to transmit high-definition DVB-T as well as analog ATV on the repeater outputs in the near future. Keep in mind that I will also soon enable mesh video on the ATV repeaters and will be capable of putting ATV video on the mesh. Again, let me know if you're interested in participating. ATV is at the SBARC Club Station and is being maintained and upgraded on an ongoing basis. Let me know if something needs attention. We've operated out of the Rover on numerous occasions and it's relatively easy to set up. I'm looking for one or more local champions to learn how to use the ATV and mesh video gear, teach others and use it for fun and for events. Steve Noll WA6EJO, who lives in Ventura, helps me care for the SB ATV repeater and ATV equipment at the Club Station. He can be there in person when I'm not in SB. There are several other ATV Stations in SB. Let's get them back on the air. It just takes a little interesting activity. Soon, the Amateur Television Network link will be improved. It's ready for installation in Oxnard. That will allow access to dozens of other ATVers (and meshers) in CA, NV and AZ. There is an ATV Net on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm, controlled in L.A. that can be accessed in SB. You can all watch it on the Internet at www.batc.tv, ATV Repeaters, W6ATN. Check it out sometime. When you master that, there are several other U.S. and international ATV signals available on that site, plus some videos that were recorded in the Santa Barbara area. Browse and enjoy... I look forward to seeing you on amateur radio real soon! Rod Fritz, WB9KMO ATVSIG Committee Chair

1 0

Re: [Sbarc-list] Hello there
by Darryl Widman 04 Apr '16

04 Apr '16

Hi Dave, How nice to hear from you. I have an idea. How about putting your need on our Club’s list server! In fact, I think I will do that right now. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Hang on, I’ll do that right now. Let’s hope you hear from someone soon! 73, Darryl, KF6DI BTW, Dave, probably by now most of our members don’t know you or of you and that you are a long-time member of SBARC. In fact, you were our Club Secretary for quite a while, were the chairman of the Hamfest Committee and did a fantastic job for us. In fact, folks, Dave is probably the neatest, tidiest, cleanest guy you have ever met and would leave your place far cleaner than he found it! You can send Dave, K6VML, a note at dhackleman(a)verizon.net. From: David Hackleman Sent: Monday, April 04, 2016 10:57 AM To: auditron(a)juno.com Subject: Hello there Darryl, I had an e-mail almost ready to send you but I accidentally erased it instead. It's too easy to do on the cheap little notebook computer I'm using. So I attached an external keyboard this time. I was wondering if you knew of anyone who I might stay with when I make visits to Santa Barbara/Goleta. I would offer to organize their garage or a room in the house or do yardwork for the privilege. Harry and Carmen had offered to have me stay at their place but they are unable to now. Of course it is expensive to stay at a motel there and staying at a cheaper one down south in Carpinteria or Ventura is inconvenient. I talked to Harry on the air during last year's Route 66 On the Air event that our club heads up. He was glad to talk to me and very appreciative that I could leave Carmen a voicemail while he was out and about on Route 66. He was determined to do it this time and had to reassure Carmen that he would be responsible! I start work at an Amazon warehouse in San Bernardino in a week or so. I had worked there as a temp for 3 months ending in mid-February. I was a "picker" so I pushed a cart around all 10 hours and got orders out of bins. I actually got pretty good at it and would like them to give me that job again on the warehouse floor. It is supposedly the elite position with the most pressure. As I say I liked it and I lost 17 pounds while doing it! This time I was hired directly by Amazon which means I will get benefits! My dad is doing well for 94. My brother and I visit him daily which has kept me somewhat tied down here. Anyway it would be nice to drive up there sometime in the near future and see everyone. I don't know what my schedule is yet, last time I worked Friday thru Monday so I wasn't able to go to SBARC meetings during that time. I hope all is well with you and Diana! Will talk again soon. Dave K6VML

1 0

Jump to page:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

SBARC-list