I started to program some parts tonight, and found my Pickit 3 with
apparently a bad bit. Does anyone have one I could buy or use for a
short time?
I'm using the latest version of MPLAB that will work with XP, and the
Pickit 3 is the latest Microchip Pickit programmer that will program the
12F629 MPU I am using.
Thanks!
Marvin, KE6HTS
Field Day 2019 was quite a success!
1) If you don't do ANYTHING else, be sure to visit the link three
paragraphs up from the bottom of this email with all the fun graphical
statistics!
2) If you took pictures this year, please email them (high-resolution) to
me (and bring a thumb drive to meeting tonight, if you can).
3) I'll be speaking about this a little at tonight's meeting and Brian will
be giving a demo on HT programming.
Despite a late start in the year, and a large number of last year's
heavy-lifters being on vacation this year, we had a good turnout and had
fun. A big hand goes out to Abhilekh Virdi (W6WV), Bob Muller (KB6CTX),
and Steve Merchant (K6AW) for helping me with all the setup. Jonah Blossom
(W6HKE) and his girlfriend stopped by and helped for a bit too. Thanks to
Theo (KK6YYZ) for securing the park, and Brian (K6BPM) for lending us his
wifi gear.
We had two stations this year: the Rover with the SteppIR antenna and a
40/80 dipole, and a second station set up on a table in the field under an
awning with a G5RV dipole on three fiberglass poles at about 35 or 40 feet
in an inverted-V configuration. Denis Franklin (W6EW) kept us all company
while operating HF independently from his vehicle. The best story of the
weekend involves Orvel Black (NA6J). Orvel attended an SBARC meeting about
a year ago and chose to swing by Field Day for a couple of hours this year
to check it out. He has his Extra class license, but he has been waiting
to get his morse code skills up to around 20wmp before "allowing himself"
to transmit, although he listens frequently. He was so excited by the
Field Day events that he decided he had to get on the air and he made his
first-ever HF transmission from Field Day. After returning home, he
decided he had enjoyed operating so much that he came all the way back from
Ventura to operate from about midnight until past 7:00am Sunday morning and
he made well over 100 contacts during that time. He told me it was "a day
of firsts" for him and "Absolutely a great experience." His enthusiasm was
off the charts. This alone made it all worth it.
Abhilekh made a couple of CW contacts and many SSB contacts. Steve
Merchant was our heavy hitter with 412 CW contacts over the course of about
eight hours. Orvel made over 100 contacts in over seven hours. All in all
we had 592 contacts across the 2, 20, 40, and 80 meter bands. Our point
score submitted to the ARRL was 2,662 (although, true score will be at
least 35 points less due to some duplicate QSOs). Last year our point
score was 2,236 for 553 contacts. Last year our score was heavily
influenced by all the bonus points we achieved including attendance by our
ARRL Section Manager, GOTA station, National Traffic System message
completion, and many more, while this year we also achieved the natural
power, 100% emergency power, and media publicity bonus, the real points
driver was Steve Merchant's 412 CW contacts. We get DOUBLE points for
morse code contacts, so this created a big boost to our points total. We
also get double points for digital modes, so we may want to strive to use
all three modes next year.
Check out these statistics that I compiled from our log file:
http://alker.net/sh5/ka6ken/2019/2019_arrl-field-day_k6tz.
After clicking on the above link, you can simply click "Next" (in the top
right corner) multiple times to get an overview of the various statistics,
but you'll find a WEALTH of info if you spend some time digging (many of
the pages have buried links to fun things that you won't stumble across
simply by clicking "Next"). You can go down very long rabbit holes in
almost every one of the 48 menu items (it isn't just a flat file). For
instance, click on the various MAP links under SUMMARY for a map showing
contacts on ALL bands or any one band. There are even KMZ files you can
download if you are into Google Earth.
For more about ARRL Field Day check out http://www.arrl.org/field-day. For
last year's results (this year is still being tallied), check out
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ContestResults/2018/2018-Field-Day-December-….
See you next year!
Ken Alker
KA6KEN
Anyone have a 2m/440 mag mount antenna they want to donate or sell? Need
it today or tomorrow (tomorrow MAY be too late, but try me anyway).
Ken
KA6KEN
805/685-2030
The next southern California on-foot transmitter hunting session will be
a weekend training camp at Mt. Pinos, near Frazier Park, on
Friday-Sunday, July 12-14, 2019. This session is intended for
intermediate to advanced radio-orienteers, especially those who are
training for the USA and IARU Region 2 ARDF Championships. There will
not be an antenna building session this time.
Your organizer is Marvin Johnston KE6HTS. The first practice will be
foxoring on Friday afternoon. There will be a two-meter classic course
on Saturday morning, followed by 80-meter sprints on Saturday afternoon.
A full 80-meter classic course will be available on Sunday morning.
Course setters are to be determined. On Saturday evening, there will be
a Santa Barbara style tri-tip barbecue supper prepared by Marvin. On
Sunday after the 80m event, there will be an optional farewell lunch in
Gorman.
If you can't spend the entire weekend, just come out when you can and
leave when you must. An excellent course map by the Los Angeles
Orienteering Club will be provided for each event. Marvin requests a
nominal donation of $8 per person to cover the maps, the Saturday
barbecue and other expenses.
If you plan to attend, please send e-mail to Marvin to help him make
plans and to insure that you'll be expected at start time.
(marvin(a)west.net) He will reply to tell you the exact starting
locations and times for each day.
Please be on time for these courses. The starts will only be open long
enough to get everyone going (about 30 minutes). Mount Pinos terrain is
mostly runable forest. The air is clear and there is no poison oak.
Scoring will be electronic. If you have an "e-stick," be sure to bring it.
The www.homingin.com Web site has directions, plus infor mation on
camping and lodging in the area.
73,
Joe Moell K0OV
SBARC Members:
As you may have seen, SBARC is assisting the SB Public Library with a live and direct ARISS contact on Wednesday, July 3 during which 12 local Santa Barbara children will speak with Astronaut Nick Hague via amateur radio.
The 10-minute contact will begin promptly at 10:54 AM on Wednesday, July 3. The 2m downlink (astronaut-to-library) will be on 145.800 MHz and should be able to be heard with an outdoor omnidirectional antenna throughout the region.
I hope you will be able to attend this exciting event. If you are unable to come to the library in person, I encourage you to tune into the downlink frequency and/or tune in to the live streams
Live Streams (try both): SB City TV Live Stream | SB Library Facebook Live
Levi C. Maaia - K6LCM
View this email in your browser
Join us on July 3 for a live contact with
Astronaut Nick Hague, KG5TMV
aboard the International Space Station
When: Wednesday, July 3rd. Doors open at 10:00 AM
10-minute contact will begin promptly at 10:54 AM
Where: Santa Barbara Public Library Faulkner Gallery
40 E Anapamu St, Santa Barbara
Children and families will be given priority access to the event, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Capacity for the Faulkner Gallery is 175 people, but overflow viewing and listening will be available.
NASA Astronaut Nick Hague will answer questions from 12 local children as they make a live 2-meter amateur radio contact from the Santa Barbara Public Library to ask him about life on the space station, careers in STEM, experiments in space, and more.
Children and families will have the opportunity to explore space through virtual reality, create rocket ships, and more before and after the contact.
This experience is made possible by Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in cooperation with NASA. The contact will be coordinated by SBPL youth services staff, Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club volunteers, and ARISS mentors.
All ages have enjoyed space-themed programs and events at the Library over the last few months, including learning about astronomy, an introduction to amateur radio, hands on engineering and technology projects, and more. Related programming will continue through the month of July. A full calendar, including two additional amateur radio-related events, is available at SBPLibrary.org/summer.
Levi C. Maaia, K6LCM
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
ARISS-US Education Committee
About ARISS
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
