Slo-Polks CW NET

SLO-POLKS CW NET
Freq 7.043.000

Alternate 7.041.500
Every Sunday Evening
9:00pm
Starting Nov. 7, 2010
We will begin with check-ins and then take comments
in check-in order after announcements, and traffic.
Speed will be that of the slowest check-in rate.
Any questions call Gary 863-510-5649 or ks4ji@yahoo.com
NECOS KS4JI

Tour WTES With Don

Don Jerrings will be giving a tour of the WTES transmitter and downlink facility on Knights Station Road next Tuesday, October 19, 2010, approximate time 10:30 AM. Space is limited so please RSVP Don at djeerings@tampabay.rr.com . Don will give you directions, or if you wish, you can join the breakfast club for breakfast next Tuesday, 9:00 AM, at the Brunch Box, and Don will direct all interested parties to the site after the meal.

The Brunch Box735 East Memorial Boulevard
Lakeland, FL 33801-1847
863) 686-9786
Get directions

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Rust Remover For Morse Code

So you want to sharpen those rusty Morse code skills. Short of humming dits and dahs you might want to generate some sounds using a key. We all remember those buzzers we used as kids. They were basically door bells with the hammer removed, and didn't produce a very realistic sound. Today, by replacing the old door buzzer with a piezo buzzer we can utilize the same simple series circuit to produce a much more pleasant tone. Piezo buzzers are found in things like microwave ovens that signal when you coffee is warm, and can be purchased for as little as a dollar. If you have a HF radio, and don't mind being tied down to it, most of these allow you to send code to your speaker only, and make good code practice oscillators. Or, you might want to build a code oscillator utilizing one of the oldest, and still very popular integrated circuits the 555 timer.

Don Jeerings was kind enough to supply the following circuit and parts list. It is certainly a more complicated approach than an electro magnet or piezo buzzer in series with a key and battery, but if you are interested in learning more about the 555 timer, and dusting off those soldering skills the extra effort is justified.

Here is the parts list:

1, 9 volt battery connector
2. Resistor, 689 ohm (in stock
3, Resistor 1 K (in stock)
4. Resistor 10 K 5, pot
5. 25 K (pitch control)
6. pot 500 ohm (volume control)
7. Condenser 0.22 Mfd
8. Condenser 10 Mfd
9. Speaker 8 ohm $1.29 (Jameco)
10 IC chip 555 timer
11 8 pin dip socket
12 Key jack
13 Substrate of some sort to mount the above equipment

Another Tech To The Fold

Amateur radio has added yet another Tech to the fold. Danny is seen below being congratulated by fellow VE’s. Left to right are Bill KJ4IAI, Jim AI4LE, our new Tech Danny, and Ernie KG4YNI. Also present was VE and club photog Bill KI4ZMV.

It was obvious that Danny was well prepared for his Technician license test. Not only did he get nearly a perfect score, but he accomplished this in spite of the considerable QRM generated by a dozen or so XYL’s at the same QTH setting up for a quilting class.

:-)

New Hams From Far And Near

Ernie KG4YNI and Jim AI4LE congratulate Chad standing next to his mom, and Steven. Chad and mom are from Orchard Park NY, while Steven is from Lakeland. Also present, Bill KI4ZMV.

Tom KJ4WFS is Back

Hardly a month has gone by and Tom is back, this time getting his General License. Pictured left to right is Bill KJ4IAI, our new General Tom KJ4WFS, Jim AI4LE, and Ernie KG4YNI. Could there be something Extra in the near future for Tom? Standby one.

Kero and Pasta

Over spaghetti dinner last evening, Bob K2EUH shared some retro tech with Ed K9RWP and me KI4ZMV. Who knows, this information may come in handy on one of those occasions when the power lines are down, the cell towers and phone lines are dead, your back up batteries, the ones you meant to recharge are all dead, and worse still, those 9 volt batteries you harvested from the smoke alarms, and meant to replace, are all used up. You panic. How will you listen to radio? Then you remember your kero-radio, circa 1950. A quick trip to the attic and you are back on the air, at least to listen. :-)

So what’s become of this technology over the years? It turns out that others have asked the same question, namely K9ZW. Under the right conditions, thermo-electric makes sense. Here is a modern day adaptation of the technology. Note the remarkable similarity between the two designs.

For more information you can visit. K9ZW