Tech Sessions – 2020
January
January: How We Got from CW to Digital Radio – Exploring the quest to force more
and more information through a narrow pipe
Phil (K1IRK)
Digital transmission has been around for centuries. DW (damped wave) officially
became CW when the spark gap was outlawed in 1938 but both were the first forms of
digital radio communications. The regulatory groups spurred by the broadcast industry
lobbyists inadvertently forced hams to find clever ways to make better use of their
shrinking band allotments.
February
February: Around the World in 780 days – Winlink
Giff (K1GAH)
This presentation is about the yacht, trip, equipment and how we used Winlink to keep
in touch with friends and family while we were crossing oceans.
March
March: Reflections on SWR: Reflected power, SWR and return loss – theory and
practice (K1IRK and WD1O)
Are there really two waves traveling in opposite directions on a transmission line?
Where does the reflected wave end up? How does feedline loss affect your transmit
power? What causes impedance discontinuities and why do we care? How can you
measure these discontinuities. Why matching can help and ways to do it.
Whats All This SWR Presentation
April
April: 3D Printing (KB1DBL)
May
May: Radio Astronomy and the Amateur (Jon Wallace, Society of Amateur Radio
Astronomers)
June
June: Electrical & Electronic Test Equipment (WD1O, K1IRK, KB1TCE). Meters,
oscilloscopes, sensors, cheap SDRs as spectrum analyzers, etc. Bring your favorite
piece of test equipment!
July
July: Summits On The AIr (AE5KA/MM)
An overview Summits On The Air – SOTA – an awards program that encourages
portable mountain top radio operating. The program has features for both mountain
activators and those who chase them from any location, including home. I will discuss
how one can participate in the program, and some of the gear and techniques that
activators often use.
August
August: Radio Reception Below 30 kHz (KB1TCE). Sudden ionospheric disturbances
and the weird sounds of “natural” radio including whistlers, chorus, tweaks and other
sferics. This will include examples of reception equipment, analytical software and audio examples.
September
October
November
December