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SBARC system problems
by Bill Talanian 07 May '08

07 May '08

7 May 2008 To: SBARC Telecommunications users From: Bill Talanian, Telecommunications Services Subject: Down systems By now most everyone is aware of the many disparate problems that have caused our systems to go down in the past few weeks. These problems are not due to any one cause but different events all culminating at the same time. The service and maintenance is remanded to only a handful in SBARC who have the knowledge and ability with the proper test equipment and diagnostics to bring systems back on line when they fail. The complexity of our equipment both in hardware and software is not something we entrust to just anyone. It takes a lot of hard work and man-hours to fully understand our equipment and its interfaces. In most cases this requires the ability to design and engineer what is required for any particular function or interface. There is a theoretical limit in how much we can expect from individuals when they must also pay attention to their job and needs at home. We are fortunate to have the talents and time given to us but we are also careful to recognize when people are stretched to the limit to maintain Club equipment. We will focus on these issues one at a time and beat them down. So please bear with us during this period. 146.790 Repeater The first stages of this problem was noted when the system was regenerating "trash" once the receiver breaks tone squelch with the transmitter on. Several local attempts were made to isolate the problem without the use of test equipment but these basic techniques were unsuccessful. It was noted that the UCSB voting receiver was not causing a problem. Rather than shut the system down the UCSB link and La Vigia transmitter have been kept in operation until we can get the calibrated service monitor and spectrum analyzer on site for troubleshooting. The proper test equipment is generally in the hands of very few people, especially those who know how to use it. In some cases the test equipment is part of shop inventory by those in the government and private sector. In general most organizations frown upon non-official outside private use of expensive test equipment by any employee, especially with transporting it to a remote site. We are left to only one or two who have such equipment and willing to bring it to the site. Digital Communications At the La Vigia site SBARC has a rather very extensive digital systems interface to several individual systems. This includes two computers with interfaces to IRLP, APRS, Weather Data, WebCam, and variations of packet forwarding including WinLink. These systems are also interfaced with one DSL line which is also shared with the site phone going to two repeaters. After spending many man hours with our ISP troubleshooting and replacing specific units such as the Router and Modem we concluded that the particular problems may be associated with the telco line and its ability to properly "sync" up with our local modem. A request has been submitted to Verizon for an on-site service call to check out the telco line between La Vigia and the ISP. 223.92 Santa Cruz Island This system has been temporarily shut down due to regeneration of the transmitted output. Our first guess is that this problem is associated with the weather station on site. It will be the end of this month before we can get out there to do what is necessary to bring this system back on line. Portapeater In general this system needs some attention to bring it back on line. Again, a situation that we cannot trust to occur without the basic service monitor equipment. ********************

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Missing Link of Electronics Discovered: "Memristor"
by NEV 02 May '08

02 May '08

Check it out, the possibilities are incredible, and we may have to re-write the electronic textbooks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memristor http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=missing-link-of-electronics http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207403521 Excerpt: PORTLAND, Ore. The long-sought after memristor--the "missing link" in electronic circuit theory--has been invented by Hewlett Packard Senior Fellow R. Stanley Williams at HP Labs (Palo Alto, Calif.) Memristors--the fourth passive component type after resistors, capacitors and inductors--were postulated in a seminal 1971 paper in the IEEE Transactions on Circuit Theory by professor Leon Chua at the University of California (Berkeley), but their first realization was just announced today by HP. According to Williams and Chua, now virtually every electronics textbook will have to be revised to include the memristor and the new paradigm it represents for electronic circuit theory. "My situation was similar to that of the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev who invented the periodic table in 1869," said Chua. "Mendeleev postulated that there were elements missing from the table, and now all those elements have been found. Likewise, Stanley Williams at HP Labs has now found the first example of the missing memristor circuit element." When Chua wrote his seminal paper, he used mathematics to deduce the existence of a fourth circuit element type after resistors, capacitors and inductors, which he called a memristor, because it "remembers" changes in the current passing through it by changing its resistance. Now HP claims to have discovered the first instance of a memristor, which it created with a bi-level titanium dioxide thin-film that changes its resistance when current passes through it. -- :-) neil

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Beginner foxhunt May 17 in Placentia
by Marvin Johnston 25 Apr '08

25 Apr '08

Since I'll be at Dayton Hamvention that weekend, I won't be there. But for those of you who might be thinking about it, the terrain is a flat grassy and open park, and very nice for beginners! Marvin, KE6HTS ********** The next southern California on-foot direction-finding event is especially for beginners. It will be Saturday, May 17, 2008 at Tri-City Park in Placentia, as part of the annual "Antennas In The Park" event, organized by the Fullerton Radio Club. It's also in celebration of the eleventh annual CQ Worldwide Foxhunting Weekend. All ages are welcome, so bring the family. We're expecting members of the Western Amateur Radio Association (WARA) and Fam-Comm Amateur Radio Association, as well as transmitter hunters from all over southern California. Radio activities get under way at 10 AM. Beginning around 11:30, a cookout and potluck will precede the transmitter hunts, which will start around 12:30 PM. There will be grilled hamburgers, kosher hot dogs, strip steaks and chicken breasts, as well as an array of condiments, beverages and utensils. There is no fixed price for the BBQ, but there will be a donation jar to offset some of the clubs' expenses. Plans are to have hidden transmitters on the 3.5, 146, and 222 MHz bands. These transmitter hunts will be simple, informal and intended primarily for newcomers. Experienced ARDFers will be present to help you get started. There will be no charge for participation in the hunts. If you have them, bring a handi-talkie, receiver, or scanner for each person who will be going ARDFing. If you have directional antennas, attenuators, or other on-foot RDF equipment, be sure to bring that too. Make sure all batteries are fresh. For those with no radio gear, some extra ARDF receiver/antenna sets will be available. Besides the transmitter hunts and cookout, there will be some antenna building and testing for Field Day and radio-controlled sailboating. Expect to find at least one HF ham station on the air in the park. The traditional Worldwide Foxhunting Weekend cake will be served for dessert to participants in the transmitter hunt. Canopies and tables will be set up, but if you plan on doing a lot of sitting around, please bring a lawn chair. The entrance to Tri-City Park is at the corner of North Kraemer Boulevard and East Golden Avenue in Placentia. The BBQ and hunt start will be in the northeast corner (to the right as you enter the park). Look for the orange and white Orienteering flag and the radio club banners. Map at <www.homingin.com>. Entry and parking are free, but empty spaces near the picnic site may be difficult to find if the park is crowded, so consider carpooling. Call K0OV on K6QEH/R, 146.97(-) PL 136.5 for two-meter talk-in. 73, Joe Moell K0OV

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Military aerial firefighting resources to train on Central Coast
by kc6nah＠juno.com 24 Apr '08

24 Apr '08

Should be fun to listen to: http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=8210268 Hubert _____________________________________________________________ Click to begin your health care training online. Request info today. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2111/fc/Ioyw6iigiO3UyxDaJpTq0XCBkXvM2V8…

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Schabarum Park ARDF April 19
by Marvin Johnston 03 Apr '08

03 Apr '08

Our next on-foot transmitter hunt will take place Saturday, April 19 in Schabarum Regional Park. Whether you're training for international championships or just learning how to track radio transmitters for fun, this Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) event is for you. A ham radio license and knowledge of radio equipment are not required. Experts will be on hand to teach you the basic techniques. Also expect to see some competitors training for the 2008 USA ARDF Championships that will be in Texas on the second weekend of May. If you are a beginner, there will be entry-level two-meter fox transmitters, set by Joe Moell K0OV. For advanced radio-orienteers, there will be an international-rules ARDF course, set by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS. An optional 80-meter fox transmitter will also be on the air. Transmitter hunting begins at 10 AM. You may start at any time up until 1 PM. Courses close at 3 PM. There are picnic tables nearby, so you can bring your lunch. The beginner course and the 80-meter transmitter hunt will be free of charge. The advanced ARDF training will use electronic registration/scoring ("e-punch"), so a $5 per entry (individual or group) donation is requested to defray the cost of the full-color orienteering map and e-punch equipment. If you have them, bring a handi-talkie, receiver, or scanner covering the two-meter band for each person who will be going ARDFing. If you have directional antennas, attenuators, or other on-foot RDF equipment, be sure to bring that too. Make sure that all batteries are fresh. For those with no radio gear, some extra ARDF receiver/antenna sets will be available. Be sure to bring anything you'll need while going after those radio foxes, such as munchies, bottled water and sunscreen. For map plotting, bring your own compass, protractor and pencil. Trails are primitive in some areas of the park, so wear sturdy shoes. All ages are welcome, but young children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Schabarum Regional Park is on the south side of Colima Road, just east of Azusa Avenue in Hacienda Heights. (Thomas Guide Pg678-G4, also maps at www.homingin.com) There is a vehicular entry fee for the park, so carpooling would be a good idea. Upon passing through the entry gate, drive south (straight ahead, don't turn right) and continue to the end of the road (about 0.7 mile). Park in the last parking lot near the restrooms. Look for the orange and white orienteering flags and signs. Call K0OV on 146.970 simplex if you have trouble finding the site within the park. 73, Joe Moell K0OV

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ARDF Practice on Sunday
by Marvin Johnston 26 Mar '08

26 Mar '08

Hi everyone, I'll be putting on an ARDF practice Sunday, March 30 at Lake Los Carnaros. It will be totally informal and free. Transmitters will go on the air at 10:00 AM, and last start will be at noon. I'll have a few pieces of gear available for loan if needed. At 1:00PM, a few girl scouts will be there to learn a bit about orienteering, and I could use some help putting out the control markers (about 10 controls mostly on or near trails.) Thanks! Marvin, KE6HTS

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hams exempt from CA hands-free law, I think
by W1PR 14 Mar '08

14 Mar '08

>From today's ARRL Letter: * Amateur Radio Exempt from California's New "Hands Free" Law: On July 1, the State of California will have new laws on the books to deal with the use of wireless telephones while driving. There has been some confusion as to whether California amateurs who operate in their car will be affected by the new law. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicle's Web site <http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/dl208_03cell_phone.pdf>, "the use of dedicated two-way radios such as walkie-talkies or Citizen Band (CB) radios is not affected by the new law" for drivers 18 or older. -- Paul R Ryack - W1PR, Santa Barbara, CA JE1LRT, Tokyo, Japan trustee, NN6DX email: W1PR(a)arrl.net

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April 2, An Evening with Steve Wozniak
by Marvin Johnston 12 Mar '08

12 Mar '08

> UCSB Arts and Lectures > Spring Lecture Series 2008 > > "An Evening with Steve Wozniak/ from > Computer Geek to Cult Icon, and a > Personal View on What Comes Next" > > Co-founder of Apple Computer, Inc. > > Wednesday April 2 at 8 PM > Arlington Theater _ Santa Barbara > > "Techie guru and philanthropist Steve > Wozniak helped shape modern technology > when he single-handedly designed and > built the Apple I and II, effectively inventing > the personal computer and co-founding > Apple Computer, Inc. with friend Steve Jobs. > He will discuss his recent memoir iWoz - > > From Computer Geek to Cult Icon, current > technology and what's in store for future > generations." > > "Tickets available in advance or at the door, > if still available, beginning one hour before > event start time." > > $16 General public > Tickets and Info: 805 893-3535 > www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

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Tony is moving
by auditron 10 Mar '08

10 Mar '08

Tony is moving A good friend of the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club, Tony Planinac, K6FCF, from Nipomo, is moving away. He got a good engineering job in Bloomington, Indiana, and the company is going to move him there. Tony says that he is having a sale this coming Saturday, March 15. Tony has accumulated a WHOLE BUNCH of electronic STUFF and must get rid of it very quickly! Give Tony a call at 805-929-4909 and get the directions to his place. Empty out your vehicle and get ready to help Tony empty his place in a hurry. He will really appreciate it and -- so will you. Darryl, KF6DI

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Tony is moving
by auditron 08 Mar '08

08 Mar '08

A good friend of the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club, Tony Planinac, K6FCF, from Nipomo, is moving away. He got a good engineering job in Bloomington, Indiana, and the company is going to move him there. Tony says that he is having a sale this Saturday, March 8, and next Saturday, March 15. Tony has accumulated a WHOLE BUNCH of electronic STUFF and must get rid of it very quickly! Give Tony a call at 805-929-4909 and get the directions to his place. Empty out your vehicle and get ready to help Tony empty his place in a hurry. He will really appreciate it and -- so will you. Darryl, KF6DI

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