W6IFE Newsletter

President: Doug Millar,
K6JEY 2791 Cedar Ave Long Beach, CA 90806 562-424-3737
[email-masked]

Vice President: Dick
Bremer, WB6DNX 1664 Holly St. Brea, CA 92621 714-529-2800
[email-masked]

Recording Sec:Mel Swanberg, WA6JBD 231 E
Alessandro Blvd Riverside, CA 92508 909-369-6515 [email-masked]

Corresponding Sec: Kurt
Geitner, K6RRA 213 Main St. #5 Seal Beach, CA 90740 310-718-4910
[email-masked]

Treasurer: Dick Kolbly,
K6HIJ 26335 Community Barstow, CA 92311 760-253-2477
[email-masked]

Editor: Bill Burns, WA6QYR 247 Rebel Rd
Ridgecrest, CA 93555 760-375-8566 [email-masked]

Webmaster Chip Angle, N6CA

ARRL Interface Frank Kelly, WB6CWN 1111 Rancho Conejo Blvd. #501 Newbury
Park, CA 91320

805-499-8047 [email-masked]

FCC Interface Dave Laag, K6OW 11614 Indian St. Moreno Valley, CA 92557
909-924-1517

W6IFE License Trustee Ed Munn, W6OYJ 6255 Radcliffe Dr. San Diego, CA 92122
619-453-4563

[email-masked]

The 7 December 2000 meeting of the SBMS
will be about 1200 MHz EME equipment and challenges. The SBMS meets at the
American Legion Hall 1024 Main Street (south of the 91 freeway) in Corona, CA at
1900 hours local time on the first Thursday of each month. Check out the SBMS
web site at http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/.

Last meeting Kurt K6RRA covered for Doug, K6JEY who was off teaching a
college class. Kurt handed out a several page document on a 76 GHz transverter
by Michael Kuhne, DB6NT. Kurt had a video that Doug had taken of Will, W6EOM and
his shack with lots of millimeter hardware to show and tell about. Bill, WA6QYR
talked about his trip to Microwave Update 2000. 18 people present.

Scheduling-

4 January 2001 PSK 31 the new narrowband mode for Microwaves?

1 February 2001 TBD

Wants and Gots

Wanted- 12-inch piece of WR90 with flanges Chuck, N6EQ 909-898-4940

Date: Saturday, November 18, 2000 Subject: 5 Mtr Satellite Dish Available
Free

I have a 5 Mtr Spun Aluminum Solid Dish that is located in Fullerton,
California. It is available for free. All you need to do it to take it down and
remove it from the premises at your expense. However, it needs to be removed
quickly. It will not be available for long. If anyone is interested, please get
in touch with me via email. We can discuss the details over the phone. Thank
You, John Lloyd, K7JL [email-masked]

Activity reported at the 2 November SBMS meeting- Dick, WB6DNX cleaned up the
shack and started a 23 GHz project; Alicia, KF6WMX is busy being a college
student; Chuck, WA6EXV had built a dual 24/10 GHz feed from some 3/8 and _ water
copper pipe for a prime star dish. It is similar to a design by W2IMU. Chuck had
it to show and tell about. The patterns at 10 GHz look good and patterns at 24
GHz will come soon along with a report of how it works next month.; Bill, WA6QYR
went to microwave update and had some purchased hardware to show; Ed, W6OYJ
reworked his broken 1296 MHz radio with success and had a list of beacons from
the WSWSS web page (www.wswss.org/beacon.html) s; Kerry, N6IZW brought a lot of
Qualcomm parts to hand out, had an HP memory scope to sell, and was building
some 1200 MHz transverters with some new Qualcomm surplus hardware ( a project
coming in the future), and had some hardcopy viewgraphs(presented at the
Palomare Ham Club) about the laser pointer communicator project that appeared in
last months newsletter, ; Chuck, N6EQ had a DB6NT 10 GHz transverter to show;
Dave, WB6OVZ had a drill jig for making flanges to show; Mel, WA6JBD was working
on a 2 GHz synthesizer with multiplier to 10 GHz and had been working with
copper pipe as a source of waveguide; John, KJ6HZ got a MA-COM LO working; Kurt,
K6RRA was working on a 1296 GHz transverter and a new dish and had gone to a San
Diego Microwave Group meeting; Gene, WA6YOJ had a piece of 4 KHz piece of
waveguide to show; Ken, WB6DTA did some 1296 radio work; Bob, W6SYA repackaged
his 10 GHz transverter and had received one of the Ericson 130 w block amplifier
"chips"; Peter, K6PTL got his work bench cleaned off; Dick, K6HIJ was still
working on his 10 GHz pole mount transverter; Glenn, KE6HPZ went to Frazier
Mountain to work the 2300 MHz event on 23 October.

Items of microwave interest

IT'S ALIVE! PHASE 3D IS NOW AO-40 Alive and well and in orbit around Earth,
the satellite known for the past decade as "Phase 3D" has a new name. AMSAT-NA
Board Chairman Bill Tynan, W3XO, this week announced that Phase 3D now will be
known as AMSAT-OSCAR 40, or AO-40. "We have been calling it Phase 3D for far too
long," Tynan said. "Henceforth it will take its place in the long line of
OSCARs, satellites built by the Amateur Radio community for the Amateur Radio
community throughout the world." Tynan said he got the official go-ahead from
Phase 3D Project Leader Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, to assign an OSCAR number. It's
been 40 years since the first OSCAR satellite launched. AMSAT-OSCAR 40 was
dedicated to the memory of one of its principal builders, Werner Haas, DJ5KQ,
and operates under the call sign DP0WH. Haas died earlier this year. A plaque
aboard AO-40 is dedicated to his memory. Tynan, whose tenure as AMSAT-NA
President covered the early years of the Phase 3D project, was overjoyed to see
the satellite finally in orbit. "Congratulations and thanks to all who
participated in any way to this wonderful achievement," he said. Following a
one-day postponement, Phase 3D was successfully launched November 16 at 0107 UTC
and placed into a geostationary transfer orbit, from which it will be nudged
into its final high elliptical orbit. When the Ariane 5 launcher successfully
deployed Phase 3D at 0153 UTC, cheers erupted from the AMSAT team monitoring the
flight's progress in the Arianespace control room. The satellite is not expected
to be ready for general use for about nine months.

"It was a textbook launch," said Phase 3D Mission Director and AMSAT-DL
Executive Vice President Peter Guelzow, DB2OS. Guelzow, who's filling in for
Phase 3D Project Leader Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, said the satellite appears to be in
excellent health. A "general beacon" was transmitting on approximately 435.450
MHz. The AO-40 PSK beacon has been monitored on or about 145.898 MHz--slightly
different from the expected frequency.

This week's Phase 3D launch culminated a decade of planning, design,
construction and testing as well as an ambitious fundraising campaign. The ARRL
was among the major contributors to the Phase 3D project. Newly elected AMSAT-NA
President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, hailed the news of the launch. "It expands the
capabilities of radio amateurs to work with higher frequencies and develop
advanced communication techniques," he said. "Once more, Amateur Radio operators
will be at the leading edge of

experimentation in communications." The satellite now is in orbit some 585
miles above Earth at the closest point. Phase 3D's final elliptical orbital
configuration will put the satellite some 2500 miles away from Earth at its
nearest point, and some 29,500 miles at its farthest. At 630 kg (1380 lbs) and
some 20 feet across when the solar panels are deployed, Phase 3D is the largest
Amateur Radio satellite ever put into

space. Three other satellites, the giant PanAmSat PAS-1R communications
satellite and the smaller STRV-1C and 1D mini-satellites, joined AMSAT Phase
3D--now AO 40--for the ride. For more information, visit the AMSAT-NA Web site,
http://www.amsat.org.

ISS CREW CHECKS OUT HAM GEAR The International Space Station crew of US
astronaut and ISS Expedition 1 Commander William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, and
Russian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, and Yuri Gidzenko checked out the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station initial station ham gear last
weekend. "With the successful execution of engineering test communications
passes,

the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station project has passed a
significant milestone," said ARISS team member Will Marchant, KC6ROL. Two
initial Amateur Radio test passes were conducted via R3K at the Gagarin
Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City near Moscow, with Russian ARISS delegate
Sergej Samburov, RV3DR, at the controls. AMSAT Russia President Eugene Labutin,
RA3APR, and Vladimir Zagainov, UA3DKR, also were on hand for the commissioning
pass. A subsequent test pass via NN1SS at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
was equally successful. The crew reiterated its interest and support for Amateur
Radio activities on the ISS. School Amateur Radio contact schedules and casual
QSOs are pending at this point, however, as the crew tackles a very busy work
regime in space. Shepherd reports that all equipment aboard the ISS appears to
be operating well, although he and the other crewmembers have complained about
the noisy air conditioner. The crew spent its first week installing an oxygen
generator, a carbon-dioxide removal unit and other life-support systems. Things
will get busier when a Russian cargo ship filled with food, parts, trash bags
and another air conditioner arrives November 17. The crew must unload the
rocket, stow the gear, then fill the rocket with trash to jettison before the
shuttle Endeavour lifts off at the end of the month with a new set of solar
panels for the ISS.

The crew is not getting Thanksgiving off, and crew members did not request
turkey and the trimmings be sent into space. Students at the Burbank School in
Burbank, Illinois, were tentatively scheduled to have the first Amateur Radio
contact with the Expedition 1 crew next month. Another 18 schools are under
consideration for ARISS school contacts. Tentative operating frequencies are:
Worldwide downlink for voice and packet, 145.80 MHz; worldwide packet uplink,
145.99 MHz; Region 1 (Europe/Africa) voice uplink: 145.20 MHz; Region 2 and 3
voice uplink, 144.49 MHz. Crew members may use their personal call signs or one
of the "club station" call signs issued for ISS use--NA1SS, RZ3DZR, or DL0ISS.
The Keplerian elements bulletin from ARRL now includes data for the ISS. For
more information, visit.http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/. Thanks to The ARRL Letter
and ARRL.

Info from our friend's way up north-- I have placed a 10 GHz beacon in
operation on Pillar Mountain today. Approx operating frequency pairing is
10.230/10.260 GHz. Total ERP is about 150mw. Polarization is vertical. The
beacon is wideband FM with an MCW identifier. Altitude is 1180 feet above sea
level. Let me know if you hear it. It's pointed at Diamond Ridge. But using a
horn, it should get most of the peninsula. Curt AL7LQ

Curt is located on Kodiak Island about 133 miles southwest of Diamond Ridge
[BO49][which lies just north of Homer, Alaska on the southern part of the Kenai
Peninsula]. Pillar Mountain sits above the city of Kodiak [B037] on the NE
corner of the island. Using Wingrid I have calculated bearings and distance. My
home qth in Nikiski [BP40] is 233 miles from Pillar Mtn on nearly the same
bearing as Diamond Ridge. I expect our best chance will be between Diamond Ridge
and Pillar Mtn as the path is 99% over water. Gunnplexers used on both ends. I
will also use a ssb 30 MHz IF Rx to assist in detecting the carrier. I will use
an 18 inch offset dish [DSS]. Not sure when I will get down to Diamond Ridge
[100 mile drive] next. I need to get a little more info from Curt. Eventually if
we find a path I hope Curt will be able to set up for two-way. I will report how
our efforts pan out. 73, Ed AL7EB

Web Article on "Cheap Yagis for VHF/UHF" Hello Microwavers, Back in 1993,
Kent Britain WA5VJB published an article on easy to build "Cheap Yagis" for
portable/rover operation. These antennas can be easily built on a wood boom
using wire or welding rod for elements. The designs are for many different
versions (# of elements) and dimensions are given for the following design
frequencies: 144, 222, 421.5, 432, 435, 450, 902/903, and 1296 MHz. I built one
of these, an 8-element version for 1296 in June. The boom is only 29 inches
long. Chuck Swedblom, WA6EXV measured it on his antenna range and the forward
gain is 12.7 dBi. Not bad for a couple of hours work. I also now have a supply
of leftover 1/8-inch X 36 inch bronze welding rods to make more antennas. You
can download Kent's article from the Clear Lake Amateur Radio Club's web pages.
URL is http://www.clarc.org/site.htm, then select the "Cheap V/UHF Antennas"
article. 73s from Ed, W6OYJ (858)453-4563

John Campbell, W6NVV with a polarplexer and 4 ft dish on Sierra Peak in the
1970's.

San Bernardino Microwave Society is a technical amateur radio club affiliated
with the ARRL having a membership of over 90 amateurs from Hawaii and Alaska to
the east coast. Dues are $15 per year which includes a badge and monthly
newsletter. Your mail label indicates your call followed by when your dues are
due. Dues can be sent to the treasurer as listed under the banner on the front
page.

If you have material you would like in the newsletter please send it to Bill
WA6QYR at 247 Rebel Road Ridgecrest, CA 93555, [email-masked], or phone
760-375-8566. The newsletter is generated about the 15th of the month and put
into the mail at least the week prior to the meeting. This is your newsletter.
SBMS Newsletter material can be copied as long as SBMS is identified as
source.

San Bernardino Microwave Society newsletter

247 Rebel Road

Ridgecrest, CA

93555

USA

73's Bill