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The North Baldwin Amateur Radio Club meets every second Thursday 7 PM at the Senior Citizens hall in Bay Minette...............The hall is located just behind the city jail..................You may also join us for breakfast every third Saturday morning at Streets Resturant in Bay Minette.....The club repeater is on 145.43 mhz neg offset, 123 hz sub-tone..............

YOU ARE AT: North Baldwin Ham Radio .org (northbaldwinhamradio.org)
This is not an official club site.........any views, opinions or political ads are my own
Authored by: Brad Arnold KD4BA
mrbrad2u@mchsi.com

Club repeater: 145.43 mhz neg offset, tone 123 hz KD4HYG repeater
also check us out on 444.375 , 210.7 hz tone WB4TJO repeater

Some common 'Q' codes used on vhf and uhf:
Q codes are used to shorten communications which can be very helpful in times of urgent traffic
or emergencies where you need to be brief, especially on a repeater where others may be wanting
to get on the air and pass 'traffic'. Make sure you are familier with these common usages.

QTH: What is your location....or, my QTH is highway 59S
QSO: A two way conversation.....such as, 'meet me on 146.52 to continue this QSO'
QSY: To change frequency.....such as, 'Please QSY to 146.52 so we will be off the repeater'
QSL: To acknowledge.....It is proper to use 'QSL' in the form of a question, or to answer a
          request instead of saying, "Did you copy", or "Did you read", the station can say, "QSL?",
          and the responder can answer, "QSL".
QRZ: Or, Q R Zed, "Who is calling?".....If I didn't hear the call properly because I was busy, or
          it was noisy, I might grab the microphone and say, "This is AG4EB, QR-zed?"
QRP: Low power, or 'I am running on low power'
QRT: To stop sending.....such as, this is AG4EB, I am QRT. This alerts people listening that
          the station has to turn off his unit for some reason or emergency. This is very helpful
          in letting other hams know that you are not available at this time.

QRM and QRN are sometimes a little confusing for newcomers. Just remember that 'N' is for noise.

QRN: A noisy reception ..... such as background noise, static, lightning, buzzing, hum, etc.
          Usage: "I'm getting QRN on your signal"
QRM: Interference........This means that another station or signal is 'interfering' with your reception.
          Usage: "I'm getting QRM from a broadcast station nearby, standby while I relocate"

Tune in and check into the net on Tuesday nights 8 pm (20:00 hrs)

*Local Bluegrass Music!

Special ARRL article on Broadband
Over Power Line (BPL)

Club President: Dennis Goodwin K4JIE

Hi! Thanks for visiting!.
My name is Brad Arnold. I grew up here in beautiful
Baldwin County Alabama and am an active member
of the 'North Baldwin Amateur Radio Club'.
My 'ham' call is KD4BA and I have an
Extra Class rating.
This site is dedicated to presenting some of the
hams who are members of this club and also
local events that take place.  Training for the FCC
license exam will also be presented below.

The club is currently meeting every second Thursday
evening at 7PM at the Senior Citizens Center in 
Bay Minette, just behind the city jail. Our weekly net can
be heard on 145.43 mhz and 444.375 mhz each Tues 
evening at 8pm.

If you need more information, just send an email to:
mrbrad2u@mchsi.com and I will respond.

We encourage non-hams to come to our meetings and
look into the requirements for becoming a Ham.  As of
Feb 23, 2007, morse code is no longer a
requirement to obtain a ham radio license.
 In fact, code requirements are being
dropped for all Amateur Radio licenses.

It is now easier than ever to get your Technician class
'ticket', or your 'General' or 'Extra'.

Two of the most important things you can participate in
as a local ham licensee is that of search and rescue
and hurricane shelter support.  During hurricanes, ham
operators are posted at shelters around the County to
provide a communications network to emergency
coordinators to provide for the health and safety of
Baldwin County residents. This is a very important
function and volunteers are needed!  Also, I'm told
that the search and rescue branch of the Fire Department
is actively seeking ham operators to assist with their
efforts when thay arise.

These are just two examples of ham radio operations that
you could be a part of.  There are many other opportunities
that afford the licensed Amateur Radio Operator.  When
you hear of a bicycle run or March of Dimes walk, chances
are, there are ham radio operators helping out.

Just learn the basics of radio, the rules and requlations
that we have to live by, the radio frequencies available
and pass a test.  When your license arrives, get a radio
and get 'on-the-air'.

Baldwin County has several VHF and UHF repeaters
located around the County on tall towers.  These repeaters
make it possible to use a small 'walkie talkie' style radio
to communicate the entire length of Baldwin County and
over into Mobile and Pensacola with clear sound quality.
Our two most popular 'repeaters' in the North Baldwin area
are 145.43mhz and 444.375mhz.

QUESTIONS for training:

1.  Can I use ham radio for my business?      NO.
      It is important to remember that ham radio is for
      non-commercial use only.

3.  Is it possible to make a phone call on my radio.
     YES, if you have that privilege available on the
      repeater you are using. (no business calls).
      Calling an employer for any business reason is
      illegal.  Calling to report an emergency is ok.
      Calling a utility to report that your phone is out is
      ok.  Calling a recorded weather report is ok.
      Calling uncle Bob to have him meet you for coffee
      is ok.

4.  Can I carry on a normal conversation with
     other hams around the area?    YES.

5.   Can I help out in an emergency?  YES.

6.  Does ham radio still have means available to talk
    'around the world'?    
     YES.  In fact, we not only still have HF frequencies
     to use to navigate the globe, we now have satellites
    at our disposal and internet connections such as echolink.

5.  Is it possible to use a GPS system with ham radio?
     YES. With APRS options, your signal can be made
     to show up on a map on the internet. For example,
     you charter a fishing boat.  You could use your radio
    in conjunction with a gps and your location in the water
    would show up on the internet on a map.

6.  What is the difference between a repeater frequency
     set and a simplex frequency?
     Repeaters re-transmit the signal coming in from a
     remote station.  To do this, two frequencies are needed.
     One frequency is the input frequency the repeater 
     receives on, the other is the output frequency the
     repeater transmits on.  Our club repeater listens on
     144.83 and re-transmits on 145.430 mhz.  A simplex
     frequency is a direct 'line of site' signal.  A common
     simplex vhf frequency is 146.52 mhz.  There are no
     repeaters on this frequency so the communications
     is strickly from radio to radio.  Talking on a CB is
     also an example of a simplex operation. Repeaters
     are used by many other agencies too, such as the
     State Police.  You have probably heard the expression,
     " You can't out run a Motorola radio!"  Not only do 
     repeaters offer a large area coverage because they
    are usually mounted on a very high tower, they can also
    be linked together.  This linking can provide extremely
    wide coverage.

7.  What is 'Echolink' ?  Echolink (and IRLP) is a program 
    for computers that allow a ham operator to work other
    radios and repeaters all over the world using VOIP 
    (voice over internet protocol) 
    on the internet.  You must be a registered Amateur to 
    download the free program.  When a ham opens
    the program and goes active, their callsign is posted
    on a list and made available to anyone.  You simply
    select a callsign on the list and use your microphone
    to talk to another station or repeater.

8.  What is the difference between a vertical antenna,
     and a horizontal polarized antenna?
     The most common antenna is the vertically polarized
     such as a 'whip' antenna on a car.  A horizontally
     polarized antenna would be like a television 'beam'
     or any 'beam' style antenna, or even a wire antenna
     such as a 'dipole'.  A radio signal is a wave and it
     is primarily a vertical wave or a horizontal wave, but
     there are also 'circular' polarized waves such as one
     might realize from a TV station, or certain satellites.
     The best reception is when the antenna matches the
     'polarization' of the transmitting signal.

9.  What is SWR anyway?
     SWR is short for Standing Wave Ratio.  SWR is 
     the measurement of the degree of mismatch
     between the transmission line (Coax) and an
     antenna, or load, of a transmitter.  It can be
     calculated, or read from a meter and the value
     is generally between 1.00 and 2.00.  A high
    SWR can damage your equipment or degrade
    your transmitted signal.  Another way of saying
    it, is the SWR is a ratio between the forward
    power going out, and the reflected power
    coming back from the load. A perfect 'SWR'
    would be 1:1      A poor reading would be 4:1.
     Losses in an antenna coax feed line are 
     converted to heat.

10. What amateur radio organizations handle
       emergency communications during storms
       and disasters?
       RACES and ARES

11.  How many Amateur radio licenses are there?
       Currently, there are three licenses for hams;
       Technician, General, Extra class. These correspond
        to elements 2, 3 and 4 respectively of the FCC exam.
        The FCC issues call letters for ham operators.
         These calls are issued in sequencial order.
         A ham's call must be in the FCC  ULS data base
         before he/she can go 'on the air' with the new call.

12.  What is 'Broadband Over Power Line' and what
        does it have to do with Amateur Radio?
        BPL is an experiment that is being conducted
        in which internet is made available through 
        the utility power line.  The goal is to have the
        internet riding on the power line so you can
        just plug in to a power outlet to get access.
        BPL  is basically an rf signal on the power
        line and it has been shown to put lots of 
        noise on the ham, cb, shortwave bands.
        ARRL is currently sueing the FCC over this.

13.  What is the ionosphere and how does it affect
        ham radio?
        Radio signals radiate up into the atmosphere.
        At the top of our atmosphere is a series of layers
        which contain electrically charged particles that
        tend to reflect radio signals back to Earth.  At night,
        with the absense of the Sun, these layers  combine
        into one layer called the E layer.  This layer is very
        high and will bounce HF signals easily. This is why
        it is very easy for Hams to communicate over 
        thousands of miles on HF frequencies (3-30mhz).
        VHF frequencies (30-300mhz),and UHF frequencies 
        (300-3,000mhz) on the other hand, tend to penetrate 
        this layer and radiate into space. This would also
        include microwave frequencies (3,000-300,000mhz).
        The Space Station and Satellites use these higher
        frequencies as well.

14.  What is a dipole antenna and how is the length 
        of the wires calculated?
        A dipole is 'Two Poles'.  In the radio world, we 
       make a dipole antenna with two wires and some
       insulators.  This is an easy antenna to build from
       scratch.  <----------------------<>------------------------>
       The drawing above is a dipole antenna. The lines
       are wires, and the arrows are insulators. A coax
       cable may be connected to the center with the shield
       or braid connected to one wire, and the center of
       the cable connected to the other. The ends would
       be held up in the air with rope.  The radiation 
       direction is across the center in a figure 8 pattern
       perpendicular to the wires. If you raise the center
       and pull the ends down toward the ground, the
       antenna is then said to be an inverted V.  This 
       antenna works well on HF but can be used on any
       radio frequency. The total length in feet from end to 
       end is calculated by using the formula: 468 divided by
       the frequency in mhz (468/f). This antenna is said
       to be horizontally polarized.

15.  What is 'Third Party Traffic'?
       Third party traffic occurs when an Amateur operator
        sends a message that was generated by another
        person, or hands his mic over  to  another person.
        However, it is against the fcc rules for a person
        without a license to generate a call and control
        an amateur transmission.

16.  If an electrical circuit powered from a 12 volt DC
        battery is drawing 2 amps of current, how much
        power in watts is it consuming?
        24 watts;   P=E x I  power = voltage x current.
        so, P= 12 x 2  or  24w

17.  Who was Samuel F.B. Morse?
        Samuel Morse invented a way of sending electrical
        signals over a wire using a switch called a 'key' and
        an electromechanical device to hear responces 
        called a 'sounder'.  He came up with coded, timed
        'clicks' which became known as Morse Code.
        Morse code made telegraph possible and later
        was used in wireless transmissions by interrupting
        a spark which was connected to an antenna wire.
        Afterwards came radio or carrier transmissions and
        Morse code was used to interrupt the carrier in coded
        sequences to deliver a messge. This resulted in 
        a series of tones coming from the speaker or headset
        of a receiver which was decoded into a message.
        Morse code has been in use for about 200 years but
        is loosing ground in favor of voice and data transmissions.
        However, many Amateur radio operators still use it.
        A benefit of CW transmission is that the signal will cut
        through distance and noise better than any other known
        type of signal transmission.

18.  What is a 'Volunteer Examiner'(VE)?
        A volunteer examiner is a licensed amateur radio
        operator who is certified by a VEC to administer
        the FCC tests to become an amateur radio operator.
        You must be at least a General class to become a VE.
        A General can administer a Technician test.  An Extra
        class ham can administer the Extra and General class
        exams.

19.  Why do hams say "73" at the end of a 'QSO' ?
        73 is short-hand for 'have a good day'

20.  An amateur radio operator's license has expired.
       How long does the operator have to get his/her
       license renewed without re-testing?
       Two years.

21.  During the 2yr grace period, can an amateur 
        operate his/her radio or any other ham radio?
        No.

22.  A radio wave, much like an ocean wave, 
       has an upward peak and a downward
       valley. What do we call this complete cycle?
       Wavelength.

23.  An amateur operator needs to make some tests
       on the radio he just installed to check the power
       output.  Not wishing to interfere with the local
       repeater, what device would he use to prevent
       his signal from getting on the repeater?
       A dummy load.

24.  What is the formula for ohms law?
        E = I x R,    voltage = current x resistance

25.  If a licensed amateur operator is running late for
       work one morning, would it be permissible to use
       a repeater auto-patch to dial up his place of 
       employment and let them know he'll be late?
       NO, this is commercial use.

26.  How often must a licensed amateur radio operator
        identify his/her station.
        Every ten minutes and at the end of the QSO.

27.  What formula is used to calculate the power 
        consumed by an electrical dc circuit?
        P = E x I    power = voltage x current

Some formulas to remember:
        P power = E voltage  x  I current
   
        E voltage =  I current  x  R resistance

I  current  =  E voltage divided by  R resistance (E/R)
        
         Length of halfwave dipole =  468 divided by frequency (mhz)

28.   Many hams today use a hand-held radio, or talkie.
         This use is considered 'local' control.  
         
29.   Always, before transmitting on any frequency, listen first to
        see if the frequency is busy.   If there is a 'NET' in progress,
        follow the directions of the Net Control Operator (NCO) and
        only transmit when requested.  If there is any type of emergency
        in progress  be helpful and do not interfere.

30.  No station has exclusive use of any amateur radio frequency.
        However, it is possible, under certain circumstances, to hear
       someone say , "This frequency is in use".   Usually this occurs
       on HF when someone may not hear the station on the other end
       and thinks the frequency is clear and sends a CQ call.  If that
       happens, just politely move off that frequency to send your call.

31.  There are two types of currents that flow in electrical circuits,
        1. Direct current (flows in one direction)
        2. Alternating current (changes direction many times per second).
        You might be familiar with AC house current that changes direction
         60 times per second (60hz) or sixty hertz.  Radio frequency (RF)
         current changes direction based on the frequency.  For example
         a frequency of 440 mhz means the current is changing direction
         440 mega hertz, or 440 million times per second!  It is not uncommon
          for rf current to cause serious burns when touched!

32.   One complete cycle or hertz is a wave.  When radiated from an
         antenna, a complete cycle is referred to as a 'wavelength.'
         Antennas are usually a fraction of a wavelength, such as a 
        'half-wave' or a 'quarter-wave' or 5/8 wave.

33.   There are many types of 'modulation' modes.  The most
         common used on vhf and uhf repeaters is FM or Frequency
         modulation.  An interrupted carrier wave is CW.  The most
         common mode on HF today is SSB (Single Sideband) which
         takes up the least amount of 'bandwidth' since it only uses
         one side of the carrier frequency for modulation.

34.   Amateur radio operators are required to identify their station
        every ten minutes and when leaving the air.  However, a 
        'Special Event' station is only required to 'ID' once per hour.
        A station used for radio control of a model aircraft is not 
        required to ID but must have a label on the transmitter
        clearly showing the station license.

35.   ARES is an amateur radio emergency organization which
        offers supporting services to the Red Cross, Salvation Army
        and National Weather Service.

36.   What is the length of a quarter wave vertical element for
         an antenna on 146 mhz?   19 inches
         (468/ F  x .5)

37.   Electrical current flowing through a human body can
         cause injury and death.   It has been shown that a
         current of  100 milliamps or higher can kill.

38.   There are several types of radiation such as,  
          ionizing, non-ionizing,  alpha, beta, and gamma.
          HF, VHF and UHF radio signals are  NON-IONIZING
          radiation.  Xray, on the other hand, is a form of ionizing
          radiation.
39.    What Amateur band are you operating on if the frequency
          dial shows 443.000 mhz?
          70 cm band.
40.    What Amateur band are you operating on if the frequency
          dial shows 223.50 mhz?
          1.23 meter band.
41.    What Amateur band are you operating on if the frequency
          dial shows 146.450 mhz?
          2 meter band.
42.    What letters must be used for the first letter in a US Amateur
          callsign?    K,N,U,W
                                A,C,D,B
                                A,K,N,W
                                A,N,V,W
          answer: A,K,N,W followed by a number which usually 
          represents the call area.

Here's the tough one:

43.    How can you determine how many watts your transmitter draws
          when transmitting?
          A.  Measure the DC voltage and divide by 60
          B.  Check the powerfuse to see what size it is.
          C.  Look it up in the Amateur Radio Handbook.
          D.  Measure the DC volts at the transmitter and multiply
                by the current drawn indicated on an amp meter.

The correct answer is  D.   P=ExI  (power = volts x amp)

44.   What type of amateur radio transmitter is it that also has
         a receiver?             transceiver.

45.   What type of amateur radio transmitter is it that transmits
         automatically at regular intervals?        beacon.

46.   The needle on your SWR meter is bouncing to mid-scale
         and back at random.  Normally this needle sits around
         1.2 during transmit.  What is going on?
  
         This indicates a problem either in the antenna, the connectors,
         the transmission line or coax.   Look for something hanging
         on the antenna such as a piece of wire, a broken element,
         a faulty connection, or a cut in the cable to the antenna.

47.   When talking on the local club repeater, Jim will sometimes
         release the transmit button on his mic and then re-key
         and continue his communication.   Several other hams
         also do this especially when envolved in a lengthy discussion.
         What's up with that?!

Jim is doing this deliberatly to reset the call timer on the
          repeater system.  A repeater will time out if a conversation
          is too long for the timer.  Also, it is a great idea to occasionally
          take a pause between transmissions and let the repeater
          drop out, then key it back up to continue.  This lets another
          timer on the repeater reset which also protects the transmitter
          from being continously keyed up.  It also allows otheres to
          jump in who may be wanting to call in.
  
Check back as I will add more questions over time.
Please go to www.arrl.org , qrz.com and hamuniversity.com
to learn more about ham radio.     73s,

*please note....The questions used here are not word-
  for-word, but are gleaned from the FCC question pool.

Brad Arnold
KD4BA

Baldwin County Radio Frequency Reference

ARRL Volunteer Examiner Information Link

Ham Shack .com-Al repeaters

North Baldwin Amateur Radio Club via KI4GTW

South Baldwin Amateur Radio Club

Mobile Amateur Radio Club

Regional Area Ham Nets

National Skywarn Site

Local Area Repeaters

State wide repeater listing

Alabama D-Star

Fair Tax Statement (click here)