HRN 500🎇: From 300 to 2.8k In (only) 38 Years!

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Happy Episode 500, everybody!

And now back to work.

The FCC is about to release a Report and Order abolishing the antiquated 300 ‘baud’ limit on data rates on the HF bands, replacing it with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth cap instead . The draft R&O was released last week, and Gary K4AAQ picks it apart. It should be finalized at the Commission meeting on November 15, 10:30 am Eastern, with video available live (and on Memorex for later).

In the last half of the episode, Gary opens up the Discord and chats with Jeff N4POD, and a brief visit with David W0DHG

LINKS:

HRN 499: K1N Navassa — the YouTube Movie

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DXer and video producer Bob Allphin K4UEE released the K1N Navssa DXpedition documentary on DVD in 2015, a few months after the highly successful DXpedition itself. HamRadioNow’s Gary K4AAQ did the editing and voiceover for the production. DVD sales were good enough, but now it’s time to release the program to the world on YouTube, free to watch for everyone. Yep, that’s the link, right here.

In this episode, Bob and Gary chat about the show, and about some of the DXpeditions Bob has been on, particularly the Bouvet Island attempt he led that had to abort, and the subsequent attempt that was only partially successful. And Bob announces that he’ll be offering a clearance sale of his remaining DVDs - 3 for the price of 1 - coming soon to his web site.

Before that, though, NorCal Host Jim NO1PC gives us a short tour of this weekend’s Pacificon hamfest, which was reduced in size some from the recent past.

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HRN 498: The 60 Meter Q-File (Gary's Genius Plan)

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Gary’s Genius Plan for 60 Meters gets filed with the FCC. He reads it to you.

And Gary K4AAQ notices that ICOM has added FM to their 3rd Generation D-STAR Repeaters. He thought he saw that they were doing a D-Fuzion thing, with DV/Analog IN, Analog OUT, but no… as he reads it live, he discovered that it was an either/or thing… DV or FM, but no Fuzion. So close.

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Episode 498 Poster. Gary and the Episode title slide

HRN 497: Chicago Marathon... Keeps On Running🏃‍♀️

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The Chicago Marathon ran last weekend. It’s one of the Big Six marathons worldwide, and uses ham radio extensively for communications in support of the medical crews.

Rob Orr K9RST is the ham radio coordinator, and he’s one of our guests on this week’s show. And this time (because we’ve done this before, back in 2017), he’s joined by Jeff van Buren KD9IPG. Together they fill in hosts Jim NO1PC and Gary K4AAQ (with a cameo from David W0DHG) on this year’s events and updates.

HRN 496: Yo... 60... You're UP!

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Last spring, the FCC issued an ORDER and NPRM covering a lot of stuff that originated with the 2015 World Radio Conference (WRC 2015). Um… checking our calendar, we see that it’s 2023 and ¾. But who’s counting?

For hams, we care mostly about the part concerning 60 meters. And apparently not all that many of us care about that, but we’re pressing on anyway.

Back at the WRC, they officially approved a band plan for worldwide Secondary status for ham radio on a 15 kHz wide band between 5351.5 – 5366.5 MHz. With an effective power level of 9 Watts. Ugh.

In this NPRM, the FCC is asking if that’s what they should do. Or if they should thumb their nose at the world (as many other countries have done… especially Canada) and keep the existing 5 ‘channels’ and 100 Watt (EIRP) power level. Or some combination of the above.

That NPRM was issued last April. We’ve been waiting for ‘publication in the Federal Register’ to make it official, and begin the 60-day comment period. And waiting. And waiting. That shoe finally dropped on September 30. But even though the NPRM promised 60 days, the FCC says you have until October 30 to file comments. We did the math. That’s 30 days. We can handle that, but it is curious.

Meanwhile, it’s our chance to review East Coast Host Gary K4AAQ’s Genius Plan for 60 Meters once again (because we’ ve done like two shows about that just this year). And this is the first time West Coast Host David W0DHG gets to weigh in. David thinks it’s too complicated. You decide… and file your comments by October 30.

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Poster frame for HRN 496 with Gary and David and the episode title

PROMOre for HRN 496: Yo... 60... You're Up (But mostly a BPL Story)

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On the ‘Big Show’ we’ll talk about the 60 Meter NPRM from the FCC, but this is the ProMore, with East Coast Host Gary K4AAQ talking about his experience investigating and documenting BPL in the early aughts. Cameo appearances by David W0DHG and Marty NN1C (Marty apparently butt-texted the show group, so Gary called him on the phone).

HRN 495: ConFuzin' After All These Years (Yaesu FT5D Review)

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Back in 2014, East Coast Host Gary K4AAQ did a HamRadioNow show titled System Confusion, with a look at Yaesu’s new C4FM mobile and handheld radios that he had just reviewed for QST. In that show, Gary and some friends from the Charlotte Digital Radio Group did a comparison of DV modes using handheld radios on D-STAR, DMR, P25, and those new C4FM Fusion handheld radio. The episode is our most-watched HamRadioNow show, with nearly 48,000 views (one TAPR DCC show in our catelog has more views). And although the show was a fair look at all the radios, the title alone seems to have cememted Gary’s place on Yaesu’s black list.

Fast-forward to 2023, and Gary has finally added some Fusion radios to his arsonal of mobile, base and handheld radios, with a pair of FTM300s (mobile, base), and an FT5D handheld. In this episode, he reviews the FT5D, with help from hosts David W0DHG and Jim NO1PC, neither of whom see themselves signing on to System Fusion anytime soon.

The fun begins with a look at the Yaesu FT5D Facebook Group, where Gary posted what he considered to be some innocent questions about his new radio (search the group for ‘Gary Pearce’ to find his posts). That led to some snarky replies from a few members of the group, and the ‘discovery’ that he was that Gary Pearce, of System Confusion fame. You be the judge.

And bottom line: Gary likes the radio just fine (and the FTM300s). There are a few things he’d do different, and a thing or two he considers a bug or an oversight in design, but no dealbreakers. And at this point he doesn’t expect Yaesu to take any of his suggestions into consideration because… well, he’s the Confusion guy. And damn proud of it!

HRN 495 PROMO: ConFuzin' Vacation

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One show… two episide entries.

Gary K4AAQ did a long ‘Promo’ for HRN 495 ConFuzin’ After All These Years that was really a slide show of the vacation he just took to Utah and a Rocky Mountaineer train ride. Our web host, Squarespace, only lets us put one audio file in an episode, and we want to publish this one separately, so… two Episode entries for one… OK, we did say it was Confuzin’. All the way around.

HRN 495 PROMO Poster - Gary with show title

HRN 493: Obsessive Public Service

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East Coast Host Gary K4AAQ here (the 👑 of HAM)…

You can operate public service effectively with a single mobile radio (I recommend a dual-band, dual-display radio, though), and probably a dual-band HT. So that's why I have 5 mobile radios and a scanner, and 10 or so handhelds, all programmed and ready to go. Obsessive. Borderline compulsive.

A short, live ‘broadcast’ from Sunday - audio’s ok, video’s pretty bad.

This episode is a mini-doc of my prep and some operation during my big annual Public Service event, BikeMS New Bern. I was just going to shoot a few snippits on my phone (Goole Pixel 6 Pro). I ended up with lots more than I expected - enough to make a show! And look 👀 it’s less than 30 minutes long!

HRN 493 Episode Poster - the WARNING light on top of the Q-Mobile

HRN 492: When, Jessica?

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It’s fun to see Ham Radio bantered about in the halls of Congress. At the end of a 3-hour hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Communications and Technology last June, Arizona Congresswoman (and friend of Ham Radio) Debbie Lesko ‘grilled’ FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel about the status of the proposal to replace the long-obsolete rules on HF data rates in Amateur Radio with something more modern… perhaps a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit, and anything you can stuff into it. When’s that gonna happen, Jessica?

Rosenworcel acknowledged the need, but noted that the FCC’s inquiry, back in 2017, is now ‘stale’. This seems to imply a renewed proposal (NPRM?), another round of comments, and finally maybe some action? In other words, don’t hold your breath.

Anyway, we’ve got the clip from the end of the meeting. Again, fun to hear us mentioned.

This show is a solo anchor effort by East Coast Host Gary Pearce K4AAQ. David W0DHG and Jim NO1PC had family obligations. So after taking care of business, Gary brought in the HRN Discord Server’s Studio 73… an audio/video room for our viewers to come chat.

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HRN 491: Hurricane Idalia Update

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As Hurricane Idalia worked it’s way across the Southeast on Wednesday afternoon, HamRadioNow East Coast Host Gary K4AAQ (on the edge of the outer rain bands near Charlotte NC) talked to two of his South Carolina neighbors about Emcomm operations. John Gendron NJ4Z is the South Carolina Section Manager, and Gordon Mooneyhan W4EGM is the SC Public Information Officer.

Things were a little busier in Georgia and Florida, so our guests from those states weren’t able to make the broadcast. We’ll see about following up later.


HRN Special: The Martin & Gary Show - GMRS

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East Coast Host Gary K4AAQ had a guest spot on his friend Martin Brossman KI4CFS’s YouTube show, talking about GMRS for HAMS. Here’s how Martin described the show:

Relating GMRS to FRS and Amateur Radio.

Thanks to Gary Pearce for joining me today to discuss GMRS for Ham Radio operators and people considering getting into it. Gary's website Ham Radio Now TV https://www.hamradionow.tv/ and YouTube channel    / hamradionow  

The list of GMRS frequencies https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

For people in the NC area, the GMRS Facebook group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/60762...

The GRMS resources site mentioned is https://mygmrs.com/ https://mygmrs.com/repeaters

FCC regulations https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-d...

The frequencies and power levels of the GMRS channels https://www.rightchannelradios.com/bl...

The GMRS radio I show in the video https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?p...

Check out my NC Ham Radio Group on Facebook North Carolina Amateur Radio Operators https://www.facebook.com/groups/86393...

The MEWE group for NC Ham Radio https://mewe.com/group/5fad98dc9cd239...

Our Group.io listserve https://groups.io/g/NCAmateurRadioOpe...

My Ham Radio Website HTTP://KI4CFS.com and FB page https://www.facebook.com/KI4CFS/ - Martin Brossman - KI4CFS

HRN 490: A Little Hole in the Sky (RERUN of HRN 343)

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My Facebook feed reminded me that 6 years ago, I was headed out to Wyoming to view my first ever Total Eclipse, along with Jeff AC4ZO (SK) and Bobbie KD4ZVW (Cyndi KD4ACW took her dad, Mac W4PVT (SK) down to the Columbia SC area, also along the path, but 'iffy' for clear WX. We all got lucky with clear skies).

Later that month, we did a show to review the experience - HRN 343 "Totaled". So as David W0DHG battens down the hatches in preparation for Tropical Storm Hilary in Los Angeles, we did a short intro, and then we present a rerun of that show from 2017. Cyndi and I are planning (and have reservations) for the next Total, in April 2024. - Gary K4AAQ

HRN 489: Radio Trader

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Gary K4AAQ begins reviewing the ARRL comments on RM 11953, the request to modify the HF side of Part 90 (commercial radio regs) to allow high power, wider bandwidth data to be used for “High Frequency Trading” on the various stock exchanges. The ARRL says this has a clear potential to create significant interference in the ham radio bands and for other HF users.

After a bit, Ria N2RJ joins the show and, well, makes it more interesting. David W0DHG and Jim NO1PC have the week off. So we modify the name of the channel to Ria’s HamRadioNow Shack just for this episode.

Here’s a link to download the PDF of the ARRL’s comments on RM 11953 with my ‘marginal notes’: K4AAQ’s PDF

HRN 488: DUE$ Ya Think I'm Sexy💰

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The ARRL has increased dues… no surprise considering inflation. The shocker is that they also divorced the printed magazine from basic dues, and made it a fairly expensive add-on. We review the changes.

Gary K4AAQ has a short slide show of his trip to DC (not much ham radio in it). And in the post-show, Jim NO1PC explains that he is the ‘mystery’ Redditor who created a HamRadioNow sub-Reddit. Meanwhile, David W0DHG tries not to melt in his non-air-conditioned studio, as he waits for winter.

HRN 485: You Do You Pronounce TYT?

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It started with Wouxun, one of the first brands of inexpensive Chinese radios to hit the VHF/UHF FM ham radio market in the US and around the world. We pronounced it like we saw it: Whax-on. Until somebody checked and learned it was more like ‘Ocean’, sort of.

Some of the brands that followed seemed more anglicized: Baofeng… we came close. BAY-oh-fang. Gary K4AAQ favored BO-fung. Then recently, his YouTube surfaced an eight-year-old video with a guy pronouncing many of the Chinese names, including TYT. Watch… listen… there will be a quiz. It will probably be on the final (or the next update of the Tech question pool).

It’s a ProMORE! (just barely)

Then we all take a trip through Troubleshooting-land in a segment Gary called “The Trouble With Shooting”. Jim NO1PC and David W0DHG help Gary second and third-guess the problem with an antique Kenwood TH-F6 radio that refuses to accept manual programming on just one of its 400 memory channels… or did it? It’s misdirection and confirmation bias run amok. It could happen to you.

Finally, Jim tells us where he’s been lo these past few weeks, on vacation in a silver hot dog.

And next week, we have a guest lined up: A new YouTuber and relatively new ham, Junie N1DUC has a thing for our web-footed friends, so duck and cover (probably the show title) and check out https://www.hamandquackers.com/

And c’mon and join our Discord: http://discord.gg/FDP3JnyDun