Amateur Radio Station - k0DK .jpg)
Operator - Richard (Dick) Kiefer Background -Definition of the Amateur Radio service: from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) operating manual - A radio communication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigation carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
Historical description of Amateur Radio: from the Encyclopedia Britannica - Interest in amateur radio arose around the turn of the century, shortly after the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi successfully sent the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901. The interference of amateur broadcasts with commercial and military transmissions led to the institution of government control in 1911. After World War I, amateurs became active in radio experimentation, contributing to developments in long-distance broadcasting and becoming the first radio operators successfully to exploit the upper medium-frequency and lower high-frequency radio bands. Over the years, amateur radio operators have also provided emergency communications during forest fires, floods, hurricanes, and other disasters. They serve as an important link between stricken communities and the outside world until normal communications are reestablished.
Amateur radio operators in the United States are subject to international and federal regulations. There are five classes of licenses. Competence in the use of the International Morse Code and a knowledge of radio theory and regulation are required to obtain the advanced-level licenses. Amateur radio is allocated frequencies at the extreme high-frequency end of the medium-wave band, five groups of frequencies in the shortwave band, two groups in the veryhigh-frequency band, three in the ultrahigh-frequency band, and seven in the superhigh-frequency band for telegraphic and telephonic communication using amplitude and frequency modulation. There are restrictions on the power of the transmitters, and certain of the frequencies must be shared with due regard for the needs of other users. Regulatory basis and purpose: from Part 97 of the FCC regulations governing the Amateur Radio service - The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles: a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications. b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art. c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur radio service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art. d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts. e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill. My interest in Amateur Radio: I became fascinated with the magic of radio at an early age upon receiving a crystal radio kit one year for Christmas. Building the radio, figuring out how to hook up an antenna and listening to local Cincinnati broadcast stations was the beginning of a personal evolution. I progressed to become FCC licensed as an Amateur Radio operator in 1959 at age 13 in Detroit. My personal call-sign was K8BSP. Since then my interest in amateur radio experimentation and radio frequency design has become integral to my profession as a wireless design engineer. Those early amateur radio activities led to degrees in electrical engineering and a profession which has, I hope, "expanded the existing reservoir .... of electronics experts". With my Amateur Radio operations from Boulder, Colorado and in my travels abroad I have also endeavored to "enhance international goodwill". Projects -.jpg) HF installation at the home QTH - The HF radio equipment and antennas are used for world-wide communications via ionosphere radio wave propagation. The principle antennas are mounted on a 100 foot high rotating tower. They are a 3/3 Yagi stack on 20 meters, 4 element Yagi on 15 meters, 5 element Yagi on 10 meters. The booms of the 20 meter Yogis are used as dipole stack for 40 meters. The tower is used as a vertical antenna on the 75 and 160 meter bands, fed against slopers. A 600 foot beverage is also available for receiving on 75 and 160. (additional images) .jpg)
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UHF repeater with remote base station - The UHF (70 cm band) repeater is on 449.400 MHz (-5 MHz offset). It runs two watts output to a dual band gain antenna. Also attached to the antenna, with a diplexer, is a 2 meter transceiver which acts as a remote base station. Controlling both radio systems is a custom designed microprocessor controller. The software is written in Forth and provides all interface and controller functions for both the UHF repeater and the VHF transceiver. Identifications and tuning of the remote base radio are accomplished using touch tones and with voice synthesis annunciation for convenience. The entire system is battery powered and charged by a solar panel for installation in remote mountain top locations. The NEMA 4 enclosure is weather tight for protection against wind, snow, rain and critters. .jpg)
VHF Echolink repeater - The VHF (2 meter band) repeater is on 146.730 MHz (-600 KHz offset). It runs 12 watts output to an omni-directional gain antenna located at the top of the HF antenna tower. It is connected to a personal computer running the Echolink software as an interface to the Internet. Using voice over internet protocol (VOIP) technology the repeater can be connected to other repeater systems and conference servers around the world. The Echolink software also provides all control functions for the repeater itself including periodic station identification. The repeater has local coverage for a radius of approximately 20 miles. Articles -American Radio Relay League - The Future Mission: A proposed mission statement for the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) - To serve the public interest of the United States by fostering the art of wireless communications, in all its forms, is to ensure the future of Amateur Radio. The EMI Finder: An instrument for discovering sources of radio frequency interference. This article is reproduced with permission. Copyright ARRL, November/December 2003 all rights reserved. This material originally appeared in QEX: Forum for Communications Experimenters (www.arrl.org/qex). High-Efficiency Antennas for Hand-Held Radios - End-fed half-wave antennas provide better radiation efficiency for hand-held VHF/UHF radios than quarter-wave radiators or "rubber ducks". Copyright ARRL, March/April 2005 all rights reserved. This material originally appeared in QEX: Forum for Communications Experimenters (www.arrl.org/qex). Email -K0DK at ARRL dot NET | 
