Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Mar 09 2018 09:21 am
NETS OF NOTE: THE TUBE NET
DON/ANCHOR: Some things don't go out of style in ham radio. Like a good
ragchew. Like a beloved old rig. And, oh yes, tubes. Combine those
elements, and you've got this next story from Paul Braun, WD9GCO - the
latest in our occasional series "Nets of Note."
PAUL: Nets are a very big part of amateur radio. There are nets for
general ragchewing, working DX, emergency communications, and then there
are very specialized nets that cater to one common interest. The Tube Net
is that kind of net. I spoke with Jimmy Lamanteer, WB2KNR, net control:
LAMANTEER: The Tube Net was actually originated several years ago by an
elderly gentleman, who is a silent key as of last November - WA4SDE, and
his name was Danny Schrader. He started the Tube Net, because he had a
love for the older tube equipment, because of the nice audio and so forth.
PAUL: The requirements were pretty simple and straightforward:
LAMANTEER: If you had three tubes or more, either in the transmitter, or
the transceiver, you were allowed to check into the net. And when Net
Control got your name and your full call, then you gave a little bit
about your station, like what your rig was, what kind of microphone
you're using, if you were using an amplifier, what your antenna was.
PAUL: When Schrader became ill, he asked Lamnanteer to serve as Net
Control from time to time. Eventually, he became full-time Net Control.
According to Lamanteer, it's a fairly active net, propagation permitting:
LAMANTEER: Band conditions - I think I had 18 check-ins the other night,
but sometimes it's been as high as 25 and 30.
PAUL: The Tube Net is held at 8 p.m. Eastern on the last Monday of every
month. You can find them on 3.938 Megahertz if the Sun cooperates. So,
if you share a love of radios that glow in the dark, you might want to
try joining in the fun. Hybrid radios are welcome as well - Lamanteer
uses a Kenwood TS-520.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
**
A POWERFUL PROPOSAL IN SWEDEN
DON/ANCHOR: There's a price to pay for more transmitting power, as hams
in Sweden may soon discover. Here's Ed Durrant, DD5LP, with that report.
ED: In Sweden, if you want to have a big booming signal that exceeds the
minimum, it may end up costing you. An ARRL report says that Sweden's
Post and Telecom Authority, wants to drop transmitter output power for
general operators to 200 watts PEP, and charge an annual fee of $33 for
any hams who wish to exceed that limit. The maximum power permitted on
most HF bands is 1 Kw.
In Sweden, operators who want to be radio amateurs must still pass a
qualifying exam, before receiving a call sign, and operating certificate,
both of which are valid for the person's lifetime. Under the new proposal,
the annual fee would buy them one year's permission to operate at the
higher power.
The proposed change centers around an important issue: the regulator
would like to be able to better trace any interference caused by those
more powerful transmitters.
Right now, the proposal is up for public comment in Sweden, with a March
30 deadline for input.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP.
(ARRL)
**
USE OF V-BAND ON HORIZON FOR NIGERIAN HAMS
DON/ANCHOR: Nigerian radio operators may gain access to a frequency
well-suited to experimental use, as Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, tells us.
JIM MEACHEN: Amateurs in Nigeria may soon look forward to operating on
the 60 GHZ, or "V-Band," as it is known. The announcement by Umar
Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communication
Commission, was made at the end of February, noting that a growing
demand for wireless service has been spurred by new technologies. The
60 GHz band is a very wide frequency band, lending itself well to
technical experimentation.
The NCC chief said that experimental frequencies had become scarce, due
to the emergence of new technologies, and growing demand of wireless
services.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
