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NJQRP MEETING SUMMARY

Saturday, May 31, 2008


The meeting was called to order at 9:20 AM.



Attendees:


Tom Ledoux KD0DI, Dennis Kopecky WJ2R,Garner Harris W6AXM, Al Miner WA1CZG, Vojtech Bubnick AB2ZA, Nick Battaglia K2JMK, Pushpendra Khaira AB2XF, Lenny Wintfield W2BVH, Tom Bagdas NU2I, Brian Boccardi N2MPM, Gary Wilson K2GW, Gerry Jurrens N2GJ, Ray Sills K2ULR, John Acacia KB3OXW and Dennis Albisser AB2PD.


Meeting notes:


Lenny led a roundtable discussion of members amateur radio activities and projects for the last month.


Tom (NU2I) brought some sponge foam packing for the membership (maybe good for protecting a GoKit?), participated in Hamilton's Nottingham Rescue EMT day at Haldeman Ford on RT 33, sparse attendance at that event led to him winning an iPod Shuffle in the raffle, he also mentioned that the NJ Triathlon coming up on July 27, 2008, is in need of volunteers.


Lenny (W2BVH) worked Alabama during an opening on 6 meters.


Push (AB2XF) brought a Laptop and KX2 with a QRP modem. He is currently researching Lithium batteries, in particular a Sony 2600 ma hr unit and discovered that the freezer is not good place to store and preserve it!


Nick (K2JMK) got his Extra ticket last month.


Vojtech (AB2ZA) brought his constructed sling shot/fishing reel combo, also his altoids box noise generator and a dissected cheapo sound card ($7) he plans to use as replacement for a PSK meter.


Gardner (W6AXM) brought a vacuum tube marked "USN CWL-860" for identification.

Push later identified this tube as a "power tetrode with a 10v 3.25 amp filament and max 3000v plate 500v grid and 150watt dissipation. The Anode may be tantalum?


Dennis (WJ2JR) noted that there is a 6M contest coming up.


Gerry (N2GJ) helped a fellow employee make his first contact. He also had two other people express interest and he referred them to ham radio. He brought business card stands to be used for a new QRP modem.


Gary (K2GW) went to Dayton. This event is truly a trade show and not just a run of the mill flea market. 500 Exhibits and 60 firms were represented there. He brought back with him an antenna analyzer made in the Ukraine, the Rig Expert 2200 ($500). Gerry later added that the graph in the picture below shows that the dipole (inverted vee) at N2ARC is resonant at pretty much exactly 3.950 MHz, within a few kHz of where we hoped it would resonate, based on calculations when Gary and I put up the antenna!.


John (KB3OXW) built an MFJ CUB and is looking for antenna recommendations.


Ray (K2ULR) at his first meeting, is in the process of selling a home and has an aluminum CB antenna and mast to give away. He bought his PSK modem and is waiting to upgrade firmware. He mentioned an interesting web accessible receiver located in the Netherlands. Even more amazing, this is what it looks like:


Brian (N2MPM) is building NU2I's KX1.


Dennis (AB2PD) is currently testing an EYECLOPS camera for use with the USB port on a laptop. He will bring battery holders to the next meeting for consideration of a group purchase.


Gary (K2GW) announced that there is a DVRA meeting a week from next Wednesday at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Ewing,NJ at 7:30PM. The topic is the history of Field Day. All were invited to both the DVRA and the David Sarnoff Club Field Day events on June 28.



See you all at the next meeting! (See the NJQRP Event Calendar for the full set of meeting dates.)

Last updated: June 11, 2008