Tag Archives: Amateur Radio On The Internet

HAB-2 Launch This Saturday – How To Track Our High-Altitude Balloon

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Source: HAB-2 Launch This Saturday – How To Track Our High-Altitude Balloon

The Nashua Area Radio Society is planning to launch another High-Altitude Balloon (HAB) this coming Saturday, October 28th at 15:00z (11 am Eastern Time) from Winchester, NH USA. Our Balloon will carry a 2m APRS transmitter operating on 144.390 MHz and will be using the call sign N1FD-11. You can also track our HAB via the Internet using aprsi.fi. We expect our HAB’s flight to last about 2 1/2 hours and reach an altitude of over 105,000 ft. The balloon will also be carrying two video cameras to capture near-space video during the flight.

Our HAB launch is part of a STEM learning project with local High School students here in New Hampshire. You can read more about our project and see a video from our previous HAB launch and flight on our website here. We hope that you’ll track our HAB!

Fred, AB1OC

Remote Operating Enhancements

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Updated Remote Operating Setup

Updated Remote Operating Setup

As explained in a previous article, we have been working on enhancing our FlexRadio 6700-based Remote Operating Setup to include additional remote control client options, better remote networking via the Internet, and better integration with our microHAM system.

Remote Operating Enhancements

Remote Operating Architecture

Remote Operating Gateway Architecture

This project involved the addition of the following capabilities to our base Remote Operating Setup:

These steps are now complete, and we have some good results to share.

SmartSDR Configuration

SmartSDR V2 Remote Connection

SmartSDR V2 Remote Connection

The first part of the upgrade was to update to SmartSDR V2. This upgrade enables much improved SmartSDR operation over the Internet. Our previous approach, which used a tunneled VPN connection combined with the previous versions of SmartSDR, did not always perform well when used with low-bandwidth or high-latency Internet connections. SmartSDR does much better in this area.

SmartSDR CAT Remote

SmartSDR CAT Remote

DAX Operating Remote

DAX Remote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both the SmartSDR CAT and the SmartSDR DAX application have been updated to allow software on a PC being used to operate the FlexRadio SDRs over the Internet to gain access to CAT and sound interfaces associated with the radio.

Maestro Operations

FlexRadio Maestro Console

FlexRadio Maestro Console

We also added a Maestro Console to enhance the usability of the SDR radio portion of our Remote Operating Gateway. The Maestro is very easy to use and extends the available controls and display space which was limited when using just a laptop PC. The Maestro supports direct microphone connections for phone operation and also works with connected CW paddles for operation in CW mode. I have been using a single-level paddle along with our Maestro at speeds of 22 WPM with full QSK. Sending CW at these speeds with the Maestro works well.

The Maestro has built-in WiFi and Ethernet connections and full support for SmartSDR V2’s connections over the Internet. The Maestro can operate from AC power or from an internal battery pack. I have a couple of spare rechargeable batteries for our Maestro to support longer operating sessions on the battery.

Remote Operation using TeamViewer

TeamViewer VPN

TeamViewer VPN

We have been using a combination of TeamViewer Remote Control software and a router-based VPN solution to enable control of our antenna controllers and station power/amplifiers. This arrangement works well, but most of our readers probably do not have a router to support VPN connections or the networking knowledge to set up a secure VPN system.

Using TeamViewer’s built-in VPN capability, a much simpler VPN solution can be realized. You simply install TeamViewer on a PC in your shack that can access your station accessories and on your remote-operating laptop or PC. You then enable TeamViewer’s VPN option, and the configuration is complete.

TeamViewer VPN Connection

TeamViewer VPN Connection

We now use TeamViewer to set up both a VPN connection and a remote desktop control connection to a computer in our shack which can control amplifiers, power, and other station accessories associated with our Remote Operating Gateway. We use TeamViewer in this way to control our microHAM Station Master Deluxe antenna controllers, RigRunner remote power controller, a microBit Webswitch device, and an Elecraft KPA500 amplifier which are all part of our station’s Remote Operating Gateway.

DXLab Operating Remote

DXLab Operating Remote

With the addition of the SmartSDR and the updated TeamViewer/VPN setup, we can operate our station remotely over the Internet. We have tested our setup using a Wireless Hotspot modem and Verizon’s LTE service. The combination of our PC running the DXLab Logging Suite and the Maestro work great in this configuration.

Startup Sequence

We have found the need to initialize the networking configuration in a specific order to get everything running correctly. The steps that we use are as follows:

  1. Connect the laptop PC to the Internet
  2. Bring up the TeamViewer VPN connection
  3. Run SmartSDR on the laptop PC and log in to SmartSDR Remote
  4. Bring up the DXLab’s Suite, including Commander (currently, DXLab’s Commander has some issues connecting when the FlexRadio protocol is used. We have found that the KENWOOD protocol works fine.)
  5. Bring up the remote control application for the Elecraft amplifier and access our RigRunner power controller and microBit Webswitch units to turn on accessories as needed.
  6. Initiate a second TeamViewer Remote Control connection and use it to run the microHAM remote antenna controller in a single window
  7. Shut down SmartSDR on the laptop PC and bring up the connection to the radio via the Maestro.

There is obviously still some room for simplification in this initialization procedure. I expect some simplification as all the software involved becomes more mature and is further adapted for remote operation.

Once initialized properly, it’s simple to use the PC and Maestro combination to work SSB Phone or CW contacts. The DXLab Logging Suite will follow the radio and track modes, handle split operation, and allow control of our antenna rotators via DXView. We can click on spots in DXLab’s SpotCollector to automatically set the FlexRadio SDR’s mode, frequency, and split configuration. The Maestro and DXLab will stay in sync during tuning, mode changes, and other radio operations.

Remote Operation with WSJT-X

Remote Digital Operation using WSJT-X and FT8

Remote Digital Operation using WSJT-X and FT8

The final part of this project was to add the latest version of the WSJT-X software to our Remote Operating client laptop PC to enable FT8 operation on the HF bands and MSK144 for Meteor Scatter work on 6m.

SmartSDR and JTAlert Supporting Remote FT8 Mode

SmartSDR and JTAlert Supporting Remote FT8 Mode

We do not use the Maestro for digital operations. Instead, SmartSDR running on our remote laptop PC is used. We also use the JTAlert application to create an automated bridge between WXJT-X and the DXLab Logging Suite.

The combination of SmartSDR V2 and WSJT-X works great remotely. We have used this combination to make quite a few FT8 contacts on the HF bands and several Meteor Scatter contacts on 6m using MSK144 mode.

These enhancements to our Remote Operating Gateway have helped Anita and me operate more. I have our Maestro in my home office or on a table in our kitchen, where we can listen to the bands and work DX when the opportunities come up. Remote Operating, even if it’s just from another room at your QTH, is great fun!

Additional Planned Enhancements

In the near future, we should be able to begin the next step in our station upgrade plans – the addition of an Elecraft KPA1500 shared amplifier. The new amplifier will enable our Remote Operating Gateway to operate at 1500w on the HF bands and 6m.

This project has turned out to be somewhat involved, so we will be providing a series of articles to explain what we did:

Fred, AB1OC

HF Mobile – Planning A U.S. County Hunter’s Tour

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2015 Dayton, OH County Tour

Planning a County Hunter’s Tour – 2015 Dayton, OH County Route

Anita (AB1QB) and I have been having a lot of fun with our Mobile HF station since we completed it several months back. We’ve been working quite a bit of DX, and we make contacts whenever we are doing errands or taking other trips. We are planning to attend the Hamvention in Dayton, OH again this year, and Anita suggested that we use the trip to activate some most wanted United States Counties along the way.

CQ US-CA Award

CQ US-CA Award

U.S. County Hunters are Amateur Radio operators seeking to work and confirm all 3,077 U.S. Counties. CQ Magazine has an awards program for U.S. County Hunters. Quite a few Amateur Radio operators work all U.S. Counties – some do this using multiple modes, and several have done it multiple times. To find out more about the US-CA Award, see the excellent County Hunter Dot Com site.

The Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club (MARAC) is a support group for county hunting and mobile activities with members worldwide. This is a great organization to join if you are interested in County Hunting. MARAC provides additional awards center around County Hunting and mobile operating.

You can also view WY7LL’s video on YouTube for a nice introduction to County Hunting, MARAC, and the tools the group provides to help County Hunters.

Anita did the planning for our County Tour to Dayton, OH, and back. She began by looking at the County Hunter’s Web most wanted page to determine which counties lie along potential routes between our home and Dayton, OH were most needed by County Hunters. Based upon this information, she created the route shown at the beginning of this post. As you can see, we are taking different routes going to Dayton, OH and back to allow us to activate as many U.S. Counties as we can. We are also taking a few side trips off our route to activate a few of the most needed Counties near our route.

Date

 States Counties
SundayMay 10 MA Middlesex, Worcester
CT Windham, Tolland, Hardford, Litchfield, New Haven, Fairfield
NY Putnam
NJ Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren
PA Northampton, Lehigh, Berks, Lebanon, Dauphin
MondayMay 11 PA Northumberland, Montour, Union, Snyder
TuesdayMay 12 PA Cumberland, Fulton, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Indiana, Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene
WV Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler
OH Monroe, Washington
WednesdayMay 13 OH Athens, Meiga, Gallia, Lawrence, Scioto, Pike, Ross, Greene, Montgomery
SundayMay 17 OH Clark, Madison, Union, Delaware, Morrow, Richland, Ashland, Wayne, Medina, Summit, Cuyahoga, Lake, Ashtabula
PA Erie
NY Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaiga
MondayMay 18 NY Oswego, Madison, Oneida, Herkimer, Montgomery, Fulton, Schenectady, Albany, Columbia
MA Berkshire, Springfield, Hampshire, Worcester, Middlesex

Planned U.S. County Activation Schedule

The table above shows the 86 U.S. Counties that we plan to activate on our trip along with a rough idea of our schedule.

County Finder App

County Finder App

We found a useful iPhone App (County Finder) that will tell us what County we are in at a given time. The County Finder App uses the GPS in our iPhones to provide our current location in real-time.

Ham Clock Grid Square App

HamClock Grid Square App

We will also be tracking and logging the current grid square that we are operating from. We will be using the HamClock App on our iPhones to determine our grid square of operation in real-time.

Mobile Logging

Mobile Logging

Anita and I will be taking turns operating and logging. We are planning to use a laptop computer running the DXLab Suite, and we will connect it directly to the IC-7000 Radio in our truck. This combination, plus the County Finder and HamClock Apps above, should allow us to log all of our contacts accurately. We will also be uploading contracts that we make to eQSL, LoTW, and ClubLog in real-time as we operate.

OpenAPRS App

OpenAPRS App

We will also be running an APRS station so that folks can see where we are located in real-time and follow our progress. We are using the OpenAPRS iPhone App for this purpose. Our APRS callsign with be AB1QB-15, and you can see our position and progress on aprs.fi at any time by clicking here.

N1FD Special Event QSL Card

N1FD – Nashua Area Radio Club QSL

Anita and I are the Nashua Area Radio Club members, and we will be operating using the Club’s call sign, N1FD/M, during the trip. In addition to the electronic QSL’ing methods mentioned above, we will also be able to provide paper QSLs using the Club’s QSL card shown above. All paper QSLs we send will note the correct County and Grid Square from which the QSL’ed contact was made. See N1FD on QRZ.com for QSL information.

Band County Hunters Net Frequency (SSB)
20m 14.336 & 14.271 MHz
40m 7.188 MHz
80m 3.901 MHz
17m 18.136 MHz
15m 21.336 MHz
12m 24.936 MHz
10m 28.336 MHz

County Hunters Net Frequencies

We plan to operate on or near the County Hunters Net Frequencies listed above. We will be QRV SSB on all of these bands, and we may also do a limited amount of operating on 160m SSB as well.

Scorpion SA-680 Screwdriver Antenna

Our Mobile HF Station

We hope you will take some time to work us during our trip. If you do and you read our Blog, please let us know. If we do not have other stations calling, we’d like to take a little time to say “hello” and get to know some of our readers better. We will also be attending the County Hunter’s Forum on Friday, May 15th, at this year’s Dayton Hamvention. If you are there, please introduce yourself, and we’ll have an “eyeball QSO”.

– Fred, AB1OC

2015 DX’ing – DX’ing Tools Produce One Of The Best Years Ever So Far

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March 2015 DXpeditions

DX’ing Tools – March 2015 Featured DXpeditions

2015 has been quite a year for DX’ing and working new DXCCs for us. This month is the most productive I have experienced, with more than 20 interesting DXpeditions. We’ve been fortunate to have the chance to work the DXpedition on Navassa Island (#2 on ClubLog’s most wanted list), which took place in February of this year. In addition to those shown above, there are also quite a few small operations, including E51UFF on North Cook Island and VP8DOZ on South Georgia Island (#9 on ClubLog’s most-wanted list) being on. Also, Eritrea, E30FB, which is operating right now, is #20 on ClubLog’s most wanted list. All of this makes for a great opportunity to work all-time new ones and add new DXCC Band-Points. We extensively used DX’ing tools as part of working new DXCCs this year.

Anita, AB1QB has worked 13 all-time new DXCC’s and I’ve worked 5 all-time new DXCCs since the beginning of 2015. Anita has broken the 250 DXCC barrier, and I’m just 2 away from breaking 300. There have also been quite a few new IOTAs for us. Anita has added 11 IOTAs this year, and I’ve added 14. We also added more than 85 DXCC Band-Points each toward our DXCC Challenge Award totals. I have set a goal to work at least one new DXCC Challenge Band-Point each day in 2015 in hopes of getting to the 2,000 DXCC Band-Point level before the end of the year (I am currently at 1,785 worked).

Shack Board

Shack Board – Upcoming Operations and Contests

We use a number of different sources to find out about these operations. Our favorite ones are The Weekly DX, DX-World.net (the source of the graphic above), and DX Publishing’s QRZ DX. These are all excellent sources for finding out about upcoming DXpeditions, small DX operations, and IOTA activations. Working DX contests such as CQ WW DX, the ARRL DX Contests, and CQ WW WPX are also excellent ways to work new DXCCs and new Band-Points. We have a whiteboard in our shack where we record upcoming operations that we need and contests that we want to participate in. This helps us keep track of what is coming up that we need.

DXLab SpotCollector

DXLab SpotCollector

We also use the SpotCollector component of the DXLab Suite to help us identify new DXCCs, Band-Points, IOTAs, and WAZ Band-Zones that we need in real time when they come on. We have also used SpotCollector to alert us when stations we need for the Yearly CQ DX Marathon are on the air.

Spot Sources Configuration In SpotCollector

Spot Sources Configuration In SpotCollector

We have configured SpotCollector (the spotting component of DXLab) to aggregate spots from various sources. Our logs are kept in DXLab, and we program the SpotCollector to filter all incoming cluster spots and CW/RTTY Skimmer data to tell us about high-priority stations we want to work with when they are on the air. The key to this approach is carefully filtering incoming cluster and skimmer spots to only display and forward the most important opportunities.

Award Setup in DXKeeper

Award Setup in DXKeeper

The first step in the filtering is to configure DXLab’s DXKeeper component for the types of contacts we are interested in. This is done in the Award configuration section of DXKeeper.

SpotCollector SQL Filter

SpotCollector SQL Filter

We then use the powerful SQL script capability of SpotCollector to only tell us about stations that we are willing to “head for the shack to work.” SpotCollector is configured to send the appropriate spots as text messages via email to our mobile phones so that we know immediately when something we need comes on. The filter above selects all-time new DXCCs, new DXCC Band-Points, new IOTA’s, and new WAZ Band-Zones which are spotted in the Eastern or Central United States. The filter also picks up new Band-States for the ARRL Worked All States Award.

We hope our readers interested in working DX and IOTAs will be able to find some time to work so of the operations on the air right now. This time period is certainly one that has a lot of potential to put “new ones” in the log. If you use the DXLab Suite, you might try some of the more advanced features of SpotCollector to help you better find stations that you want to work when they are on.

– Fred, AB1OC

2014 Amateur Radio Highlights

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2014 Readers Around The World

Amateur Radio Highlights – our 2014 Readers Around The World

It is again time for our annual 2014 Year Amateur Radio highlights post. First, I’d like to thank our readers for their continued interest in our Blog. Our blog was viewed about 100,00 times in 2014 from 165 countries worldwide. You, our readers, have made 2014 our busiest year yet, and this provides Anita (AB1QB) and me with great encouragement to continue to provide content for our readers.

2014 was a very busy year in Amateur Radio for us. Our activities included a continued focus on station building, contesting, WRTC 2014, special events, providing presentations to help others in the hobby learn about new things, attending several HAM Events, progress on operating awards, and most importantly – time spent on the air operating.

microHAM Station Master Deluxe Antenna Controller

microHAM Station Master Deluxe Antenna Controller

This year, we upgraded our fixed station to include a microHAM Station Automation system. This major project added some nice SO2R capabilities to our Multi-one station and automated the sharing of our antennas between our two SO2R operating positions. More of this project can be found here:

Eggbeater Antennas And Preamps SystemsOn Tower

Eggbeater LEO Satellite Antennas And Preamps Systems On Tower

We also added LEO Satellite capabilities to our station with the addition of some new antennas and electronics on our tower. This allowed us to make our first contacts through LEO birds with linear transponders. Our articles on this project include:

Scorpion SA-680 Screwdriver Antenna

Our Mobile HF Station – Screwdriver Antenna

Our final major station-building project was constructing a state-of-the-art mobile HF station in our Ford F-150 pickup truck. We did this project in phases, starting with a simple setup using a 100W radio and HAM Stick antennas through the installation of a Screwdriver Antenna System for the 160m – 10m HF bands and concluding with the installation of an amplifier to enable high-power mobile HF operation. You can view the articles on this project here:

AB1OC Operating In CQ WPX SSB

AB1OC Operating In the 2014 CQ WPX SSB

Anita (AB1QB) and I continued to be active in several contests this year. We both continued to develop our skills as contesters and our scores and place in the rankings reflected this. You can read more about our contesting activities and what we learned in the following articles:

Hollis Site Support Team And Referee

WRTC 2014 Hollis Site Competitors, Support Team And Referee

We were also fortunate to host one of the WRTC 2014 competition sites. Along with our friend Scott Anderson, NE1RD, Anita and I acted as site managers for the only WRTC 2014 Competition Site in New Hampshire. You can read more about our WRTC 2014 experiences here.

13 Colonies Special Event QSL Card For K2K New Hampshire

13 Colonies Special Event QSL Card For K2K New Hampshire

Special event operations were a particularly fun part of our on-air activities in 2014. We operated as K2K, New Hampshire, in the 13 Colonies Special Event, W1AW/1, as part of the ARRL Centennial QSO Party, and as N1FD Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Nashua Area Radio Club. It’s great fun to operate in these events and the experience running the pileups that result continued to help Anita and me to develop our operating and contesting skills.

Introduction To The DXLab Suite

Introduction To The DXLab Suite

We prioritize devoting a significant amount of our Amateur Radio time to helping others in the hobby learn new things. In addition to writing this Blog, Anita and I try to create and deliver several presentations each year on a variety of topics of interest to the Amateur Radio Community. This year’s presentation included an update of our presentation on Amateur Radio Station Design and Construction and an Introductory Presentation on the DXLab Software Suite. We are always interested in working with Amateur Radio Clubs to deliver the presentation in person, where practical, or over the web.

Anita (AB1QB) and I with Bob Heil (TBD)

Anita (AB1QB) and I with Bob Heil (K9EID)

We had the fortune to meet some of the legends in Amateur Radio this past year. Anita and I had the opportunity to get meet Bob Heil, K9EID and to appear on his Ham Nation podcast. Bob is an amazing gentlemen and we feel truly fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know him. We also had the opportunity to meet Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ, the President and Founder of QRZ.com. Fred visited our station and did an article about our station on QRZ.com. Anita and I both learned a great deal about HAM Radio and how it came to be what it is today as a result of the time these fine folks spent with us.

Joe Taylor's WSJT Presentation

Joe Taylor’s WSJT Presentation At the ARRL Centennial Convention

Amateur Radio Conventions and HAM Fests were a major part of our Amateur Radio fun again this year. We were fortunate to attend and speak at the ARRL Centennial Convention in Hartford, CT USA this year – truly a once in a lifetime Amateur Radio experience. We also attended the Dayton Hamvention in 2014 where we had a chance to see all of the latest and greatest in Amateur Radio Equipment.

Our 2014 QSOs By Callsign

Our 2014 QSOs By Callsign

We were quite active on the air making almost 26,000 contacts between the two of us. As you can see from the graphic above, about 45% of our contacts were as part of Special Event Operations. We also made a little over 500 contacts from our mobile station, working over 100 DXCC entities in 2014 from the mobile.

Our 2014 QSOs By Band

Our 2014 QSOs By Band

 We were active on all of the HF bands this year. We made our first contacts on the 60m band, and I was able to focus on the 6m band and earn a VUCC Operating Award (100 grid squares worked and confirmed) on that band. Anita and I made our first DX contacts in Europe on 6m in 2014. Anita took quite an interest in the 160m band, and she is working on a Worked All States Operating Award on this band. Our operating time using weak signal and satellite modes on the 2m and 70cm bands was limited to a few contacts this year. I did make my first contacts through LEO Satellites in 2014.

We

Our 2014 QSOs By Mode

Our 2014 QSOs By Mode

We mostly operated in the SSB phone mode in 2014. Anita and I both continue to work on our CW skills, and we managed a little over 800 QSOs using CW in 2014. Anita was very active in the RTTY mode as part of her RTTY contesting efforts.

K2K New Hampshire QSL!

13 Colonies K2K New Hampshire QSL!

All of this operating resulted in quite a bit of QSL activity. We sent a total of almost 4,200 QSL cards in 2014!

We again made a video showing all of our contacts around the world in 2014. As you can see from the video, we were fortunate to work quite a bit of DX in 2014.

6M VUCC Operating Award

Fred’s 6M VUCC Operating Award

All of this operating helped Anita and me to make some progress on operating awards this year. In addition to earning a 6M VUCC, I completed a Worked All States Award on all 9 HF bands 160m-10m. I was also able to complete several nice regional operating awards (Worked All Europe TOP Plaque, Worked All VK Call Areas, and Worked All Africa) as well as upgrading my DXCC Challenge Award to the 1,500 Band Country level. Anita completed her JARL JCC Award (she worked 100+ Cities in Japan) as well as her Worked All States Triple Play Award (all states on SSB, CW, and Digital via LoTW).

Anita and I had a lot of fun with Amateur Radio in 2014. We look forward to another great year of HAM Radio fun in 2015. We hope to share some of what we learn and our experiences with our readers here on our Blog.

– Fred, AB1OC

What Is DX’ing All About?

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3B8FQ

QSL Card From Rachid, 3B8FQ, on Mauritius Island

I came across a great video this morning – an excellent introduction to DX’ing. For me, this video really communicates well what DX’ing is all about. Chasing DX is a part of our hobby that provides the chance to meet many new friends around the world, learn about culture and geography and make some amazing contacts. Take some time to watch the video – I think our readers will enjoy it!

– Fred (AB1OC)

Another Milestone For Our Blog – 100,000 Views!

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Our Readers Around The World

Our Readers Around The World

Thanks to support from all of our readers, our blog passed the 100,000 views mark this past week. The material here has seen good interest from HAMs around the world. The map above shows the countries that have viewed the articles and content here.

Top 25 Countries

Top 25 Countries

The table above shows the top 25 Countries that have viewed the information here the most. North America and Europe are the sources of the most interest in our Blog but we are also seeing good interest from several countries in Asia and South America as well. This list probably pretty closely reflects the concentration of Amateur Radio Operators in countries around the world.

We’d like to take thank all of you who read our Blog for you interest. We will continue to publish new content here as our experiences with HAM radio continue and we learn new things about our wonderful hobby.

– Fred (AB1OC)

AB1OC & AB1QB Interview on HAM Nation

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HAM Nation LogoAnita and I were recently contacted by Bob Heil, K9EID about an interview on the HAM Nation webcast series on  our station. We have been fortunate to be able to spend some time with Bob and get to know him.

Bob Heil, K9EID

Bob Heil, K9EID

Bob has a very interesting background in Amateur Radio and Musical Performance. Bob is probably best known by the Amateur Radio community for his excellent line of microphones, headsets and other audio equipment. We used Bob’s HAM Radio Handbook as a resource in the design and construction of our station. Less known is Bob’s association with top name Rock and Roll performers like Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton and others. Bob is also an accomplished musician. Bob is a super guy and he spent a great deal of time with Anita and I getting to know us and helping us to prepare for our interview on HAM Nation.

Our interview is scheduled to be broadcast live on twit.tv this Wednesday evening March 12th at 9 pm Eastern, 8 pm Central, 6 pm Pacific time(this is 01:00 UTC on Thursday, March 13th). You can view the webcast live via the this link. The show will also be available for download here and on iTunes in the near future.

We really appreciate the opportunity to get to know Bob Heil and to be part of HAM Nation. We hope that our readers will check out the excellent HAM Nation podcast series.

– Fred (AB1OC) and Anita (AB1QB)

Our Tower From Space

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Our Tower From Space (Courtesy Google Maps)

Our Tower From Space (Courtesy Google Maps)

I recently had a look at our QTH on Google Maps and noticed that the latest satellite pass had picked up our tower. It is amazing to see the resolution of these satellite photos – our two SteppIR DB36 Yagi Antennas are visible in the photograph.

– Fred (AB1OC)