This page provides a library of technical references, based on Kachina club meeting presentations and other topics. Topics are grouped into categories as shown below. Click on any of the tabs to view the topics.
Repeaters and Nets in the White Mountains
Presented by Jim Mortensen, W7AZY, Feb. 11, 2020
- Kachina Repeater Listing
- Eastern Arizona Amateur Radio Society (EAARS)
- AzRepeaters.Net includes Rimlink and Metrolink
Program Your Baofeng Radio for GMRS
Presented by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, March 10, 2020
References: Radio Documentation Project
To program your Baofeng radio for a GMRS Repeater, please refer to the following linked document. This information was provided courtesy of the Rim Country ARC.
Program Your Baofeng Radio without a Computer
Provided by Mike Abernathy, NM3S, October 21, 2022
If you own a Baofang UV5R radio, this is for you.
While we mostly use Chirp or some other computer software to program our radios, there are times when one may need to program a radio in the field withOUT the use of Chirp and a computer.
I’ve included a PDF file with instructions on how to program a Baofang UV5R from the keypad. I modified the original file to make it narrower so you should be able to enlarge the print to make it readable without having to scroll side-to-side as you often have to do with PDF files on a phone. The instructions include programming both SIMPLEX and REPEATER (with shift and PL tone or DCS) frequencies into your Baofang UV5R. The process for a repeater is a bit complicated, but I’ve tried it and it works.
Lest anybody think I’m a genius who could come up with this, I did NOT write this article. I found the original article on the web site below, and I suggest you read it if you’re interested in Baofang radios.
DTMF Tones and How to Use Them
Presented by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, April 9, 2020
- About DTMF
- Introducing Echolink: http://www.echolink.org
- IRLP: http://www.irlp.net/guidelines.html
Header text
Getting Started with LoTW
Provided by Vince Cattolica, KA7JOI, April 2020
Logbook Of The World (LoTW) is a computer based logging program created and maintained by ARRL. The following links provide a 2-part presentation describing how to use LoTW.
Emergency Operations
Presented by Jim Mortensen, W7AZY, Jan. 12, 2021
All emergencies are different so there isn’t a real step by step procedure to follow. Responding to an emergency requires monitoring your radio 24/7 and being willing to assist distress and emergency calls. The attached paper provides some additional ideas and recommendations.
GMRS
Presented by Matt Lunati, N7OEI, May 10, 2022
The following slides summarize Matt’s presentation on GMRS.
Winlink
Presented by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, March 9, 2021
Winlink is a worldwide radio email service that uses radio pathways where the internet is not present. It is also capable of operating completely without the internet‐‐automatically‐‐using smart‐network radio relays.
Winlink had its origins with the sailing community with email, position reporting and weather information. It now has a substantially broader role supporting emergency and disaster relief communications.
Click on the link below to view the full presentation.
Off-Grid Power for Portable Operations
Presented by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, July 9, 2020
There are a few considerations to make when operating portable and off grid. The attached presentation explores some of these things and hopefully will help you to understand some of the thoughts that go into the decision of choosing a way to power your portable station.
Setting Up a Battery Maintenance System with a Lithium Battery
Provided by Vince Cattolica, KA7JOI, June 2022
This article provides information on how to set up a solar “battery maintenance” system for your lithium battery.
Power Wiring for Mobile Radios
Provided by Vince Cattolica, KA7JOI, Sept. 1, 2020
Some time ago I was asked by a new ham about how to install a mobile radio in his vehicle. My response to him was something like, do not use the cigarette lighter because the wiring and fuse to the cigarette lighter are, most likely, not designed to carry the load his transceiver will put on the circuit. I then suggested he run a separate circuit directly off the battery to avoid the problems that might arise by using the cigarette lighter socket. I suggested using a separate circuit for two good reasons. The first reason for powering his radio directly from the battery is that he can install and fuse a circuit designed to handle the current he will need for his radio. The other reason for running a separate circuit is that he can operate the radio without having to have the engine running.
Power Wiring for Mobile Radio Installations
The above article discusses the installation of a fuse in the “+” positive cable but doesn’t discuss putting one in the “-” negative cable. Here is some additional discussion of this topic.
Blade Fuse Color Codes
Provided by Vince Cattolica, KA7JOI, May 24, 2022
Have you every tried to read the size or “rating” of a blade fuse? And have you ever wondered why some are one color and others another color? Click on this link for some good information on the subject.
Grounding and Bonding
Presented by Bill Turley, KJ7GYH, Feb. 9, 2021
Bill’s presentation was based on “Grounding and Bonding for the Little Pistol & Medium Gun” by Ward Silver, N0AX. See the following links:
Basics of Lightning Protection
Presented by Kevin Parmenter, KG5Q, Oct. 12, 2021
Please click on the link below to view the presentation, “Basics of Lightning Protection for Communications Towers”.
Copper and Aluminum Wire Differences
Provided by Vince Cattolica, KA7JOI, April 5, 2021
This article describes the differences between copper and aluminum wiring and the limitations and characteristics of each material for use in electrical wiring. Click on the link below for access.
RF Exposure Calculation
Presented by Rick Paquette, W7RAP, November 9, 2021
Here are the web pages for the ARRL Calculator Rick spoke of in his presentation.
http://arrl.org/rf-exposure-calculator
http://arrl.org/rf-exposure-calc-instructions
Construction of a J-Pole Antenna for 2m
Provided by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, February 2021
If you like building good antennas, this one is for you. The J-pole is a slim, omnidirectional, half-wave antenna fed at the end through a quarter-wave shorted transmission line. Its predecessor is the famous “Zepp” antenna developed for the Zeppelin airship. Both antennas have served many hams around the globe well. While the Zepp is easy to calculate, the J- pole is not; in fact, a one-percent error can throw you out of the band. However, when calculated properly, the J is an excellent candidate for a base station on the popular 144 to 148 MHz band, with a 1:1 VSWR and good efficiency.
McBride J-Pole Ladder Line Antenna
Provided by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, April 2020
How to Make a Tiger Tail Antenna
Provided by Mike Abernathy, NM3S, August 7, 2023
A tiger tail is a 1⁄4 wavelength antenna wire that “completes the dipole” for HTs, giving them a vertical dipole antenna that works much better than the 1⁄4 wavelength vertical “rubber duck” antenna (without a ground plane) that generally comes with HTs.
Field Day Antennas
Presented by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, June 11, 2020
The attachment linked below provides Pros and Cons to help you choose what you want to use. This is by no means all that there is to know about these different types of antennas, but it is a starting point to help you decide what would work best for you. I would invite all of the members to search the Internet and You Tube to gain more in depth information on each type of antenna.
Directional Antennas
Presented by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, August 13, 2020
Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club, Youtube channel – Fox hunting antenna attenuator:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rgm514AV2w&t=28s
RASA, Youtube channel – DF loop construction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcHxwxd8Sd4&t=25s
Tracking interference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkCvjyjKtpc&t=910s
NT1K – VHF 3 Element Tape Measure Yagi Antenna
https://nt1k.com/vhf-3el-tape-measure-yagi/
Step by Step How to Build a 2 Meter Three Element Tape Measure Yagi
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1QZsWPJPnM&t=208s
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPatJWMVzos
Pictures of tape measure antenna and plans from Dennis, W7DRW:
Using Antenna Analyzers
Presented by Randy Beecroft, W7RJB, March 12, 2024
PL259 Connector Installation
Prepared by Vince Cattolica, KA7JOI, April 2020
This section summarizes blog posts that cover technical topics not covered under one of the other categories. Click on the title or “Continue reading” to view the complete article.
- MeshtasticMeshtastic is an open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh network built to run on affordable, low-power devices using LoRa technology. At the July 2024 KARC meeting, we had a presentation by … Continue reading Meshtastic
- Emergency PreparednessThe presentations at the monthly meeting held on June 11, 2024 provided interesting and useful information on emergency preparedness. The presentation material is provided here: Ready – Set – Go … Continue reading Emergency Preparedness
- July 2021 Meeting Presentation – Starlink InternetAt the July 2021 meeting, Kevin Parmenter KG5Q, Dennis Mills WA7ZZT, and Guy Walters K7KGW made a presentation on the Starlink satellite-based internet service. This new service is coming out … Continue reading July 2021 Meeting Presentation – Starlink Internet
- June 2021 Meeting Presentation – ARRL StatusAt the June 2021 monthly meeting, Rick Paquette W7RAP, the ARRL Arizona Section Manager, made a presentation on the status of ham radio and ARRL activities. Click here to view … Continue reading June 2021 Meeting Presentation – ARRL Status
- Horse Fence Dipole ProjectOn 2/24/21 Bill Turley KJ7GYH and and Mike Lackey KB7VMG came over and helped Jim Mortensen W7AZY put up a 35’ pole for a horse fence inverted V dipole antenna. … Continue reading Horse Fence Dipole Project
- KF7UBT Go BoxAt the November 2020 meeting, LeDair Dixon, KF7UBT, made a nice presentation on his go box, solar panel, and antenna. Here are a few pictures from the meeting.
- Soldering Class PicturesHere are a few pictures from the soldering class held on March 14, 2020. The class took place at Randy Beecroft’s “Hangout” in Linden. Dennis Wilkes was the instructor and … Continue reading Soldering Class Pictures
- Soldering Class – March 14We are pleased to announce our 2020 Amateur Radio Education Series. This will be a collection of seminars aimed at individuals having an interest in amateur radio and/or electronic experimentation and construction. The first class in the series will be “How to Solder” and will begin at 1:00 pm, Saturday, March 14 in Linden, AZ.
- Arizona QSO PartyThe 11th running of the Arizona QSO Party is October 12 & 13, 2019. A record number of logs were received last year. Plaques will be presented to all category winners. … Continue reading Arizona QSO Party
- Randy’s Go Bag as Presented at Meeting.Randy s go bag inventory. 1. Good sturdy pack large enough for all items. 2. Icom IC7000 all band all mode radio. 3. 66 foot RG8X coaxial cable 4. 20 … Continue reading Randy’s Go Bag as Presented at Meeting.
- R.A.C.E.S. Tip of the WeekIt is always good to have a work space to take notes on, paper, and a pencil. You may use a pen, but a pencil will make it easier to … Continue reading R.A.C.E.S. Tip of the Week