After a firm 48 hour charge as per the directions for first use, I hooked up my new Duracell HD600 Powerpack to my IC706MKII and gave it a test run. I spent the early afternoon sending CQ on 20 meters ssb voice using 100 watts threw my Buddypole. Band conditions were terrible which was good for the longevity test of the powerpack ( more transmitting and less receiving). Bottom line, I was worried about wearing the powerpack out with my long winded CQ's. Instead,...

Based on the May 2008 QST article by Milton Davis, AI6MD, I built a schematic that combines the great features of the Kenwood TM-D700A with The Smart beacon format of the Byonics, Tniytrak III(+). Check it out here in PDF Format.

GOALS:
1. To be able to run my heating system and some lights for a minimum of 5 days or longer during a prolonged power outage.
2. The above assumes that Keyspan is still providing natural gas. As a backup, a generator is supplied that will be tri fuel (natural gas, propane & regular gas). The generator will provide topping off of batteries so nighttime operation will remain quite. If Keyspan is providing gas then during the day the generator can provide additional power. If Keyspan is not providing gas, then the generator will be powered by two large propane tanks and the house will be heated with high efficiency (so they say) electric heaters.
3. To “be green” and save some money (after the 6-7 year calculated pay back). With the price of oil going up as fast as it is- it might be sooner rather than later.

Goals:
1. Provide 12 Volt battery backup for the shack.
2. Automatic switchover when power is lost.
3. Unit must be portable.
4. Must automatically charge batteries.

APRS is a great addition to the hobby. It is also a very good tool for positioning in a communications activity like a marathon or for emergency communications.

...........Click Here for more(.pdf)

By WB2LUA, Dr. John A. Allocca -- The Smith-Victor 10 foot aluminum light stand extends to 10 feet high and weighs only 3 pounds. It collapses to 32” and easily fits into a 36” light stand case. The top section has a diameter of 5/8”, which is suitable for most mounting clamps....

I have been working with PSK31 the last few weeks and came across the following article about SSTV on the ARRL web site. I thought maybe a few in the club would be interested.
I quickly discovered that slow-scan television (SSTV) was just as easy to send and receive...

By: Mike Leek W2SWR

I woke up this morning and looked out to a beautiful clear sky, the first in a while. Since I left the morning open for a fox hunt that was now cancelled, I decided to keep it on the topic of Amateur Radio Experiments. I decided to work Satellite AO-51.

It never ceases to amaze me the variety of resources available to those of us in this amateur radio community. Had it not been for the QSO that I had with N2YAC on my trip home from Dayton, Andrea and I probably would not have had the expert guidance that made this weekend so extraordinary. Coincidence? I prefer to credit karma.

Stan N2NKI