http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog Ham radio towers, software, coax, DXing, contesting, and life in general Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:27:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Last Sunday I drove to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to a hamfest. Some of my earliest ham radio memories are going with my dad to the hamfest in Cedar Rapids in the 1970s.  In those days, the hamfest was a huge event... I vaguely recall table after table of boat anchors and ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/08/06/treasures-from-your-local-hamfest/ While flipping through the July 2010 issue of QST I stumbled on the Vintage Radio column titles "From Dits to Bits".  In this article, John (K2TQN) describes his long held fascination with computers and connections to some some early computer magazines, clubs and kits. I would imagine many hams would ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/07/08/qst-meet-john-atanasoff-inventor-of-the-digital-computer/ The Story County Amateur Radio Club (SCARC) held field day at the 4H building on the Iowa State University campus again this year. This building is considered an EOC for the campus which allows us to "compete" in "F" category. We have been using two transmitters plus a "Get on ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/07/04/solar-powered-field-day-part-2-190w-rollable/ Field Day 2010 is in the books. The antennas have been plucked from the trees, the BBQ has been finished and the generators have been unplugged. Field Day is always entertaining and it's a great way to try a new aspect of the hobby. This year, I spent time with ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/07/02/solar-powered-field-day-part-1-1kw-powershade/ PowerFilm Solar will have it's first booth at Dayton Hamvention 2010. This will mark an entry into the ham radio market for the thin-film solar panel company. Last fall, I joined PowerFilm Solar. At PowerFilm Solar we make thin film solar panel products for a wide variety of products. PowerFilm ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/04/13/solar-panels-at-dayton-hamvention/ I managed to spend some time in the ARRL SSB International/DX contest a few weeks ago. Although it was a very casual effort for me (I started about an hour late and took many big breaks) - I still had fun. This contest was a good chance for me to give ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/03/22/contesting-arrl-ssb-dx/ As I write this, it’s the middle of a fairly nasty winter. We have had near record snowfall and the temperature is currently 5°F (-15° C). What better time to reflect upon a warm/sunny Field Day 2009? The Story County Amateur Radio Club (SCARC) and Iowa State University ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/02/01/field-day-2009/ It's been far too long since I've updated the blog.  I hadn't intended to go so long without a post, but the chaos of life simply got in the way. I'm now planning to get back into the routine of posting from time to time on this blog. I'm going to ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2010/01/24/catching-up-2009-to-2010/ Nasa reported today that the sun isn’t broken after all. Whew! I learned a few things about the inner workings of the sun by reading this article: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/17jun_jetstream.htm?list1061202 The sun has an internal “jet stream” that shifts latitude with the solar cycle. It’s been sluggish, but they’ve ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2009/06/18/nasa-sunspots-coming-back/ I’ve made some headway on the new website. Lots of work to be done yet, but it’s good to tackle some of the major challenges prior to the big cutover. If you would like to get a sneak peek at the new N0HR.com website – just be warned ... http://www.n0hr.com/hamradio_blog/2009/05/21/n0hrcom-migration-underway/