Material for September of the University of Texas Amateur Radio Club (N5XU)

1. Room Reservation
 Room(s) reserved for this request: ETC 2.132 on
9/24 and 11/12 ETC 2.102 on 10/8

CONFIRMATION: Bring this e-mail confirmation
with you to your activity. A registered student
organization with an e-mail confirmation will
have priority if a conflict with activities occurs.

2. N5XU
UT Amateur Radio Club
Monthly Meeting
September 24, 2014
7:00 pm, ETC 2.132

3. Agenda
 Move Status
 Basics
 2014 Theme and Membership
 Amateur Radio Basics
 Picture tour – Old Station
 Officers
 Class/Certification
 Review of New Station
 Projects (?)
 Install station
 Web Site

4. Areas of Impact - MOVE
 ENS Roof
 ENS Cable raceways
 ENS Shack
 WRW (Old Shack)
 ETC New Shack
 Website

5. Challenges
 Timing
 Interface to Contractors/ENS/ETC mgrs.
 Man/Woman Power for move
 Storage
 ETC Access
 Junk
 ENS>ETC = No path
 Moving Equipment

6. ENS ROOF
 Tower Antennas + Rotor
 Cut cables (remove PL259’s)
 Remove/move switchboxes
 Wire Antennas – interim?
 Cables
 Junk

7. ENS Raceways
 Yank down from 4th floor
 Roll up on spools
 Store?
 Ladder?
 Note:
 3 RG253
 2 CAT 5
 1 8 conductor rotor

8. ENS Shack
 Radios (HF/VHF/PS/Gadgets)
 Computers
 Rack
 Operating Desk(s) + Workbench
 Extra Desk(s)
 Files + Documents
 Refridgerator
 Junk

9. WRW Shack
 Old Station Equipment
 Stuff
 Junk

10. ETC New Shack
 Access
 HVAC
 Electric, Phone, Ethernet
 Cabling
 Layout
 Junk

11. Website
 Gotta deal with anyway
 How about just point
 http://n5xu.ece.utexas.edu > hornslink site
 Scavenge old site from computer
 Update hornslink site
 Monitor n5xu.utarc@gmail.com
 FB, Twitter ?

12. UTARC 2014 Theme/Focus
 Participation
 Increase the club membership
 Get members to participate in the operation of
the club station
 Offer Opportunities for
 Learning about Amateur Radio
 Training for License exams
 Training for operating the N5XU station
 Operating N5XU station
 Do an amateur radio project
 FOCUS on digital modes on HF

13. How to become a member?
 Complete the form (Legibly!)
 Name
 Email address
 License status
 Interests
 Have FCC license – or become licensed
 Get Certified on the equipment
 Become involved

14. Why become a member?
 If not licensed
 Possible…..????? , 7 pm ENS116
 IF INTEREST !!
 License exams offered in Austin twice monthly
 If licensed
 Chance to operate a station at UT
 A good station at UT - when it is set up!!!
 Chance to meet/work with fellow Hams
 Chance to use shack for study
 Chance to participate in club projects
 Chance to volunteer

15. OFFICERS - From the Dean of
Students Website
 Representatives: (Name, Title)
Bob Ascott, President
Andre Loghin, Officer
Walt Fair, Officer
(note: Walt and Bob are planning graduation
THIS semester – opening lots of opportunities)

16. Officers & Website
 Meeting times ???? (let me know)
 Faculty Advisor – Prof Michael Becker, KW5F
 Club Trustee – Prof. Derek Wills, AA5BT
 Website: http://n5xu.ece.uetxas.edu (oops!)
 List Serve N5XU@UtLists.utexas.edu
 Alt Website: http://groupspaces.com/n5xu
 Hornslink: https://utexas.collegiatelink.net/organization/
universityoftexasamateurradioclub

17. What is Amateur Radio?
Amateur radio (also called ham radio)
Is the use of designated
Radio Frequency Spectrum
for purposes of:
private recreation,
non-commercial exchange of messages,
self training,
and emergency communications.
.

18. What do Hams DO?
 Talk long distance
 Chase countries
 Contests
 Local ‘rag chew’
 Experiment
 Build stuff
 Emergency work
 Digital modes
 Television
 EME
 Meteor bounce
 Public service
 VHF, UHF,
Microwave
 Learn technologies
 Propagation study
 Club activities
 Transmitter hunts

19. Remote Base Station
Did you know your station can be controlled over the internet? Learn More
Message Forwarding
Message forwarding to other BBSs transfers mail automatically and according
to a predetermined list.
Mobile/Portable
Why transmit from a fixed location? Why not take it on the road! Learn More
Spread Spectrum
Check out what the ARRL has on Spread Spectrum Learn More
Digital Modes
There are multiple digital modes that can be used to communicate. Learn
More
ARDF
How about getting involved in a fox hunt? Can you find that lower power
transmitter?Learn More
Radio Control
Have a device you need to control from a ways off? Why not use your Radio
to do it. Learn More
VOIP
Combining amateur radio and cyberspace, new global gateways have been
created. Learn More

20. APRS
Add your location to packet radio.Learn More
PSK-31
The popular new digital mode that works when
conditions are tough! Learn More
JT65 on HF
JT65 is an excellent digital mode for use on HF with
very low power. Download and view this PowerPoint
presentation by WB8IMY. Learn More
RTTY
Let AA5AU show you how to get started with one of the
most popular digital modes for contesting and
DXing.Learn More

21. What is this ‘License’ stuff?
 Transmitting on the ‘designated spectrum’
and with ‘reasonable’ power requires a
License.
 FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
 3 Levels of License (complexity=privilege)
 Technician
 General
 Extra
 Tests administered 2x monthly in Austin
 No Morse code requirement
 Classes here?

22. Amateur Radio Frequencies

23. The Door
to the Shack
-- ENS 420

24. Derek at the HF station

25. The patch panel
connecting the
rigs to the
antennas

26. N5XU Antennas from the ENS
roof

27. Antenna Patch Panel

28. HF side of the station

29. HF External Antenna Tuner

30. Morse Code Key + Keyer

31. Antenna Rotor + Switch

32. VHF side of the station

33. VHF Antenna switch

34. Work/study area

35. Awards from past years

36. Plans for License/Certification
 Any interest in a licensing class?????
 License study –(Bob Ascott)
 Technician Question pool
 General Question pool
 Certification – ENS420/Shack (Derek Wills)
 Please let us know if you are planning to
attend and your preferences
 On the sign up sheet
 Email Bob_Ascott (wb2fhr@arrl.net)

37. More Resources
 ARRL (National Organization)
 www.ARRL.org
 Local Austin Amateur Radio Club (ARC)
 www.AustinHams.org
 Tests
 www.QRZ.com
 Instructor material
 www.hamradioinstructor.com/powerpoint.html

38. Monthly Meetings
 September 24, 2014
 October 8, 2014
 November 12, 2014
 December (?)

39. EchoLink – Did anyone try it?
 Combination of Internet and Amateur Radio
 Available to LICENSED amateur radio
operators (Validation required)
 Technician licenses are all that is required
 Windows software
 Single software installation – Two modes
 Operator
 SysOp
 Note this is NOT a “digital mode”

40. Example

41. How does it work?
 Repeaters or ‘SysOps’ with a VHF radio use
the ‘SysOp version’ of EchoLink software to
create nodes.
 Operators use
 Radio
 Internet
 Cell phone w/ Data
 To connect to nodes and talk with other
hams.

42. ScreenShot

43. Logins

45. HSMM-MESH
 High speed, self discovering, self configuring,
fault tolerant, wireless computer network
 Built using the Linksys WRT54GL wireless router
 Channels 1-6 of the 2.4GHz ISM band, which
overlaps with the upper portion of the 13cm
amateur radio band.
 HSMM-MESH™ is currently being designed,
developed and deployed as an amateur
radio broadband communications system
and being used in and around Austin, Tx

46. HSMM-Mesh map - Austin

47. Station Tour?