LARC Hamfest 2018

October 1st 2018

Making A Big Splash

Left to right after Glenn is Robert N4LVG, Jay KN4PIH, and wife Sharron KN4PII new Techs, and John KN4PIJ, new General

Our Surprise Speaker, And It Was A Pleasant One At That

Pinch hitting for Chet who could not make the meeting due to nasty fall, Mike did an excellent job covering the use baluns, toroid composition,both ferrite and powder iron types, and long wire antennas. This kind of presentation makes you want to go out in the back yard and experiment and that is just what he did to prepare. Discovery, and even rediscovery is what makes this hobby so interesting.

Note: I just chatted with Chet who is recovering from a fractured hip. The good news is that the doctors believe it is a hairline fracture and he should recover in a month or so, without the need for surgery.

Attendance

CALL	FIRST	LAST	CLASS	ARRL	ARES	SKYWARN
AA4HT	Robert	Van Winkle	Amateur Extra	YES	NO
AB1DX	Oliver	Richards	Amateur Extra	YES	NO
K1TZD	Gregory	Burton	Amateur Extra	NO	NO
K4JZ	William	Aten	Amateur Extra	LIFE	YES	POL-933
KA9AHB	Francesco	Roncone	General	YES	NO
KB4FHP	Joseph	Lunsford	Technician	NO	NO
KC2RMZ	Brian	Volz	Technician	NO	NO
KF4Q	William	Busbin	Amateur Extra	YES	YES
KF4TPW	Lydia	Morgan	Amateur Extra	NO	NO
KG2G	Bert	Onachila	Amateur Extra	NO	NO
KI4EFL	Donald	Jeerings	General	NO	NO
KI4ZMV	William	Johnson	Amateur Extra	YES	NO	POL-840
KJ4UW	George	Mann	Amateur Extra	YES	NO	POL-410
KK4BMI	David	LaFave	General	LIFE	YES
KK4VCN	Eleanor	Marshall	Technician	NO	NO	OSC-074
KM4BAO	Robert	Doherty	General	YES	NO	POL-829
KM4STT	Aimee	Holzer	Amateur Extra	NO	NO
KM4STU	Leon	Holzer	General	NO	NO
KM4UYX	Kenneth	Kozla	General	NO	NO
KN4BOE	Thomas	Conner	General	YES	NO
KN4FBD	John	McCullough	General	YES	NO
KN4FRA	Susan	Pugh	Technician	NO	NO
KT2T	Michael	Oliver	Amateur Extra	LIFE	YES	POL-322A
N2TE	R.	Marchese	Amateur Extra	YES	NO
N6MRS	Michael	Shreve	General	YES	NO
N7HUQ	Steven	Schultz	General	NO	NO	POL-274
W4XDS	James	Stewart	Amateur Extra	YES	YES
W4ZSC	Albert	Sheppard	Amateur Extra	YES	NO	POL-843
W8DUK	Richard	Grubb	Amateur Extra	YES	NO	POL-782
WB4OMG	Harmon	Morgan	Amateur Extra	NO	NO
WB6ZEQ	Herman	Smith	General	NO	NO
WX4AMS	Andrew	Stevens	General	YES	YES	POL-838
Guests
N4XMT	Paul	Whelpley	Technician
N4LVG	Robert	Young	Extra
WB8QQR	Norm	Nissen	Advanced
NP4PS	Juan	Polo	T
N9XMT	Matthew	Helm	General
	Gordon	Hect
	George	Quinones
	Daisy	Lahvillieh

Getting Started With Allstar

Hello, this is Lucy, CH1MP, with some information about the Allstar System. After reading this you will learn how Chimp Pan Easy it is to use. So let’s get started.

Lucy CH1MP posing before a vintage telephone switchboard.

Anything new can be overwhelming. I am by no means an expert, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t play in the Allstar sandbox. Think of Allstar in terms of a telephone network. In fact, it was modeled after a PBX, or Private Branch Exchange. Large corporations have their own internal phone systems, or PBXs which can also interface with the outside world. Think of the Allstar network as your very own HBX or Ham Branch Exchange.

LARC repeater’s Allstar capability means it can connect to thousands of other hams. It uses the old switchboard telephone model, but with software and the Internet substituting for patch cords and copper wires. The only hardware you will need to take full advantage of the system is a radio capable of sending DTMF tones. DTMF tones are the sounds that your phone makes when you dial a number. Most ham radios have this capability. For example, to send the DTMF tones for the number 1234 using a Baofeng, press and hold the transmit button while pressing in sequence the keys 1, 2, 3 and 4.

You will need to learn a few control codes: *1, *2, and *3. You will also need to select a Node number from the list of available Nodes. This website will help. http://stats.allstarlink.org/ It lists hundreds of Nodes. Our repeater is one of them. It isNode number 49715.

Control codes are combined with Node numbers in the following way:

*1 followed by a Node number. This will disconnect you from the Node number you entered.

*2 followed by a Node number. This will only allow you to listen to traffic on the Node number entered.

*3 followed by a Node number. This code puts you in transceiver mode, or two way communication. This is probably the one you want to use.

Here is a snapshot of part of what you will see when you click on the link above. This is the place to get Node numbers, Maps showing the location of a Node, and Bubble charts, which tell you who is connected to who.

By clicking on Map for a given Node number, you can pinpoint the location of that Node.

Here is an example. The Node for Tampa was selected. In this case only two Nodes are connected.

Finally, there is the Bubble chart. The following is a very simple one. It shows three Nodes connected to a fourth.

Here is a tip to help you pick a Node. Join the crowd. Pick a Node that is designated as a Hub. Do this by sending *3 followed by the Node number of the hub you select. You will be added to the group. As a group member you are now connected to anyone who is also connected to the hub. When you transmit, everyone hears you, and you can hear everyone else. Think of this as a party-line. Don’t be surprised if you get an answer back from someone in Denver, when you put your call sign out. This is possible if the Denver station is connected to the same hub you are connected to.

So now for some practical stuff.

How do I let everyone know I am connecting to an Allstar link and it is not my grandson messing with my HT?
        Good procedure is to announce your intentions before you send any DTMF codes. Say “This is ‘your call sign’ connecting to Allstar.”

Can I cause any damage by punching in something incorrectly?
        Not likely. The system is robust.

If I connect to a Node, do I have to disconnect after I am done with a session?
        You don’t have to, but if you open a pathway to Dusseldorf Germany, and don’t  disconnect it, some of your fellow hams might be caught off guard if Hans responds to their request for a signal report in a heavy German accent.

Can someone else disconnect a link I established but forgot or purposely left open?
        Yes. Anyone can disconnect our repeater from any Node using *1 followed by the Node number sequence.

How can I tell which Node or Nodes the LARC repeater is connected to?
         This is where the bubble chart comes in handy. It will show any connections to the LARC repeater.

Can you recommend a hub?
         You might try Node 2577. This hub is located in Central Florida.

Yes, there is more to learn, but the best way to learn any new skill is to get some hands on experience. You now have enough information to get started, so go bananas! You'd be a chimp not to.

73,

Lucy

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