IOWA QRP JOURNALNEWSLETTER OF THE IOWA QRP CLUB

Welcome to the Winter 1999 - 2000issue of the Iowa QRP Journal. Westart this issue with sad news ofthe passing of Dale 'Ping' NewmanW0VMN. Ping was member #69 andbecame an SK in December 1999. Imet Ping at the Spring 1999 hamfestin Des Moines and he spent a halfhour with me talking about QRP andsome of his experiences. Jim(WA0NOV) told me that he alwayslooked forward to seeing Ping atthe hamfests because he usually hada project tucked away in hispocket. At the Des Moines hamfesthe had a 49'er tucked away which heproudly showed me and the others atthe table. Fred (W0FMS) alsoposted on the IAQRP list that Pingwas very active in MARS and healways enjoyed his contributionsthere. The IAQRP club sends itscondolences to his family and wededicate this issue of ournewsletter to him.

Doug Hendricks (KI6DS) of NorCaland IAQRP #49 is recovering from aheart attack and is doing verywell. This is great news for theQRP community as Doug is one ofQRP's biggest supporters (andpromoters). Doug and Dave Gaulding(NF0R) came up with the originalsuggestion of a multi-clubsponsored milliwatt event which ledto the Milliwatt Triple Crown(details later).

The last few months have been verybusy and rewarding for the QRPenthusiast. The club sponsored aREGEN rally operating event.Everyone who has built one over thepast few months had an opportunityto get on the air using theseclassic receivers. We may try itagain later this year so don't putoff soldering one of these beautiestogether. Mike (N0MF) pointed meto a QEX article by Charles Kitchen

for a REGEN design. I built itpunch pad (Manhattan) style and ithas provided many hours ofentertainment.

The Iowa QRP Club is also co-sponsoring the Milliwatt TripleCrown (which may be boasting a newname) along with the Knightlitesand the Ft. Smith QRP Club. Eachclub will host a milliwattoperating event with separatewinners. But the Milliwatt TripleCrown winner will be based on thecumulative score from the threeevents. The Knightlites HolidayMilliwatt Contest kicked off thiscompetition last December and theFt. Smith event will be held thisspring. Our leg will be heldsometime in the summer. Mark(KQ0I) and I activated the clubcall KQ0RP during the Knightliteevent. Conditions were not idealbut we did manage a few contactsand a lot of fun. It is amazingwhat milliwatt levels can achieve.

We were honored just beforeThanksgiving with a visit fromWayne Burdick (N6KR) IAQRP #100.Wayne was visiting family in thearea and was able to meet withseveral members of the club inAmes. Wayne is one of the co-designers of the K2 and he is alsoone of the principals at Elecraft.

Y2K commitments at work (was yoursas uneventful as mine) keptoperating at a minimum but I didmanage to squeeze in a couple ofoperating events. The Fractal WingLoop is performing very wellindeed! I snagged over 40countries during the CQWW CWcontest using my NC-20 and the FWL(spot operating). Highlights wereKH7, KL7, CN8, CX, and a JA. Notbad for 5 watts into anindoor/shortened loop.

Winter 1999 - 20002

The club is considering puttingtogether several kits for sale tomembers. There have been severalgreat projects in previous issuesof this newsletter. Let me knowyour thoughts and if there isenough interest then we willproceed.

As you know last year we had atheme of 'planting the seeds ofQRP'. This year I would like tocontinue this idea but direct ittowards attracting youth into thehobby as well as encouraging themto experience the joy of building(and QRP naturally). There havebeen related threads on QRP-L aswell as many comments from ourmembership.

Last fall I requested informationabout any middle or high school hamclubs. We have been working withFred Haberer (N0VXY) trustee of theWaco school club Station KB0SAL.IAQRP donated St. Louis Audio Ampkits to all the members. Boardsfor the kits were donated by DaveGaulding (NF0R) and the St. LouisQRP Society. Jeff Woods (W0ODS)and I donated all of the boardmounted parts.

Members of the Waco School Ham Clubdisplaying their St. Louis AudioAmp projects (in progess).

My goal is to get a simple receiverdesign that can be kitted anddonated to clubs (like the Waco

school club), young hams who havean interest (but not experience inbuilding), and children who have aninterest in the hobby. With yourhelp we can accomplish this but tostart we need a design. If you areinterested in helping a kid getstarted in ham radio or buildingplease let me know. The club isblessed with a wide pool of talentso I can't wait to see some of yourdesigns. After a design isselected then we will need sourcesfor parts and Elmers to help withconstruction of the projects.Larry (WB0RMT) already has a headstart with his Altoids Xcvr projectwhich he discusses elsewhere inthis issue.

As many of you know by now the FCChas announced it's long awaitedrestructuring plan. The number oflicense classes will shrink down tothree. The only CW requirementwill be 5 WPM. I have heard proand con arguments but will wait tosee what the real impact (if any)will be to the hobby.

Let's hope the winter stays mildbut don't let the warm weather keepyou away from the soldering iron.The building contest judging willbe in February and the contesteligibility period was extended tothe day of the judging. So anyproject completed after the January1999 judging but before theFebruary 2000 judging will beeligible for entry. The judgingwill be held at the upcomingFebruary meeting in Sioux City. Ihope to see you there!

72, de John NU0Vburnleyia@home.com

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Member ProfileBy Mabel Huldeen N0EUM

Amateur radio has been a constantin the lives of my husband and Isince 1980 (when we attended Noviceclasses in Sioux City, Iowa). We

Winter 1999 - 20003

tried to learn with a book from thelibrary about 10 years before that,but gave up. Local hams in theSiouxland Amateur Radio Associationare so helpful to new members, andwe soon progressed to General aftera trip to Minneapolis for the test.Our youngest son went with us andgot his Tech plus license. Hecommunicated with us in code whilehe attended the University of Iowaby using a fine wire antennaattached to a tree near his window;fine so that the landlord wouldn'tnotice it. We have 2 sons and adaughter who are grown and gone. Weare retired instrumental musicteachers who met while attendingMorningside College here, and neverdreamed we would move back to SiouxCity someday. One of our localrepeaters is installed in theScience bldg. at MorningsideCollege, so we still have collegeties! We spent happy yearsteaching students grades 5-12 inBand in IA. I still play clarinetin a local community band, theSiouxland All-America Band of 65adult members; and do pianoaccompanying for students forrecitals at Morningside College.

For 3 years, I helped Jerry managethe slow code portion of the 3900Club Sunday morning net. I am alsoa member of the ARRL, IA QRP, andserve as secretary for theSiouxland Amateur RadioAssociation. For the Hamboree XXIInext June here at South Sioux City,NE, I will serve as treasurer.Jerry and I have taught code toNovices and any hams who wished toprogress to 13 wpm or 20 wpm, whichwill no longer be a requirement asof Dec. 30, 1999.

My interest in ham radio lies inmaking contacts and being ofservice to help, but I have notbeen actively doing it enough. Hopeto pass the test for Extra beforeApril 15 as my Advanced licensedoes not exist as of Dec. 30, 1999,either. Low power and code is joy,and to be able to serve in an

emergency or disaster is aprivilege. That's all from herefor now.

72, de Mabel N0EUM

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Classic QRP Transmitter TT2By Walt Holling N9MZP

Being new to HF radio and CW andhaving just received my GeneralClass License in September 99, Idecided to get involved with QRPradio operations.

Background: I received my Tech +license in April 99 and wanted tocontinue practicing CW. Code tapesand W1AW code practice were goodlearning tools for CW, but I wantedto start trying on-the-air QSO'sfor additional practice--in myopinion, much more exciting andchallenging than tapes.

My first HF rig was a Mark II XCRVto which I added the Freq Mite.This was my first venture into HFradio, CW operating, and QRPoperation all at the same time. Iput this rig on the air in July 99and quickly learned that copying100% from a code tape at 5 wpm isquite different from on-the-aircopying. From July to September, Iworked with this rig whenever I hada free moment in the 40-meternovice band. Then in September, Ipassed the 13-wpm test on my firstattempt and received my generalclass license.

My confidence in CW was increasingand I wanted to try a CW contest.I had been following the details ofthe zombie shuffle on the QRP-Lpostings and also read about theBlack Cat special event on 30-31October sponsored by the ARRL whichfeatured WIAW operating the TunaTin 2 on the air.

After researching the history ofthe TT2, I thought this would makea great project. Doug DeMaw, W1FB,

Winter 1999 - 20004

Fig 1: Original TT2

originally designed the Tuna Tin 2in 1976 from locally obtainablecomponents. The original TT2design appeared in QST and has beenbuilt by hundreds (maybe thousands)of QRPers because of its designsimplicity. W1FB was one of thefounding fathers of QRP buildingand design, and I have several ofhis books on radio project design.The TT2 is a two-transistor crystalcontrolled 40-meter milliwatttransmitter built in a tuna fishcan and has truly achieved QRPclassic status. Having a freeweekend before Halloween, I thoughtit would be exciting to constructthe TT2 and bring its design backto life amongst the zombies on theHalloween weekend contest.

Design Goals: My first goal was tobuild a classic QRP transmitter formy QRP collection. Another goal ofthis project was to build with onlyreadily available parts, preferablyparts already in my shop, therebykeeping with the original theme ofthe TT2's simplity.

Construction: A web search of theTT2 led me to an updated version ofthe W1FB TT2 by Dave Meachan,

W6EMD, at the following website:http://www.fix.net/~jparker/norcal/tunatin2/tunatin.htm This site alsodetails constructing a circuitboard layout and gives a partslist. Far Radio also sells acircuit board for this project.

The metal chassis of the originalTT2, as its name implies, wasconstructed from a round tuna can.However, not having a tuna canavailable and not wanting to run tothe store, feed the tuna to the catand then clean the can, I lookedfor other alternatives within myworkshop. I remembered someonegiving me a box of round metal filmcans to use as storage containers.These containers are approximately4 inches in diameter and would workperfectly for this project. Thefilm container diameter is slightlylarger than the tuna tin cans andthe commercially available circuitboards for the TT2.

The next step was getting a boardto lay out the components. SinceHalloween weekend was only one weekaway when I started this project, Ididn't have time to order acommercially constructed TT2circuit board. A perf-board wouldhave worked, but I didn't like thatappearance for this project.Again, another search of myworkshop turned up an old plasticAM broadcast radio that was in thetrash. I removed the chassis andcut a 4-inch-diameter circle fromthe top of the case. I used abandsaw for the initial cutting,and then touched up the edges witha disk sander and hand filed/sandedthe edge for a better finish.

I used the layout drawing from thewebsite to drill the holes in theplastic board. I adjusted the sizeof the layout in a computergraphics editor to enlarge thedrawing to fit the film container.A printout of the drawing can bechecked against the enclosure toensure that the drawing is theproper size, then adjust the

Winter 1999 - 20005

drawing until the size matches.The printout now became thedrilling template for the plasticboard. All the components wereplaced on the boards via the layoutdrawing, without trimming theirleads. Next, all that was requiredwas bending each of the componentleads over to the next componentbased on the schematic diagram.These leads then formed theconnections in similar design, aswould the printed circuit traces ofthe PCB.

Fig 2: Inside Wiring of TT2

I decided to utilize an FT-243crystal holder like the originaldesign. The only crystal I had inmy shop at this time was a 7.110MHz crystal in an HC-49U Case.Having several blank FT-243holders, I milled out the inside ofthe FT-243 holder to allow placingthe HC-49U crystal inside. Once Ihad connected all the components onthe plastic board, the metalchassis needed to be constructed.I opted to mount the power and

antenna connectors on the back ofthe metal container and the antennaswitch on the front, as did W6EMD.Also, I added an additional phonojack on the back for a receivingmute connection. By changing theSPDT antenna switch to a DPDT, youcan accommodate the muting circuit.The updated design for the TT2 byDave Meacham, W6EMD, provides forsubstituting the choke coils withT37-6 and FT37-43 cores. The laststep is to mount the plasticcomponent board to the chassis withstand offs. Once everything isassembled, the transmitter is readyfor testing.

Testing: I connected the TT2 to adummy load and power to the antennajack meter for testing. Then Iadded the power and straight key.The TT2 came to life on the firstpower up and was transmitting justover 300 milliwatts. The waveshape on the oscilloscope showed avery clean sine wave.

Special Note: I must mention oneitem of caution. Since thecomplete power supply voltage goesthrough the key connections, Irecommend using the relay output oradding a relay to key thistransmitter if using a keyer.

Summary: The only disappointment Ihad in building the TT2 was thatduring the zombie contest an SWbroadcast station was sitting ontop of 7.110 MHz and I was not ableto transmit using the TT2 duringthis contest. I plan to procureadditional 40-meter crystalsincluding 7.040 MHz for next year'sevent. Then next Halloween I willbe among the zombies once again fora night of ghostly fun calling CQBoo from my Tuna Tin 2.

The weekend was not a totaldisappointment; I was able to workW1AW during the Black Cat specialevent who was using the TT2 on 20meters. Also, besides having a lotof QRP fun, I received enoughzombies, grand zombies, and Elviis

Winter 1999 - 20006

to qualify for a zombie certificateand pin.

Fig 3: Completed TT2

Summary: The TT2 can be a greathomebrewing learning experience.It is also fun to be able toconstruct a nostalgic and classictransmitter for all QRPers to use.Whether it is built from point-to-point wiring or utilizing a printedcircuit board or kit, it is fun tobuild and use. For additionaldetails on the TT2 kit, contact theNJ QRP Club at their website:www.njqrp.org/tuna/tuna.html . Alsoa website that features acollection of TT2 photos can befound athttp://electronicsusa.com/tunatin2.html .

72, de Walt N9MZPhollingw@geneseo.net

MFJ-9420 Travel Radioby Ray Dennis W0DQ

Back in October, I attended HamfestIowa at the Iowa State Fairgroundsand the MFJ Travel Radio caught myeye. The rig comes in a 20 or 40meter version and runs about 10watts PEP output SSB. The puristwould consider this power slightlyout of the QRP range, at least forCW, but for 20 meter SSB purposes,I consider it QRP. A CW adapter isalso offered, which I purchasedalong with the 20 meter version ofthe rig at the hamfest from SteveZahos, of Amateur Accessories,Kansas City.

I purchased the rig for portableoperation, but couldn’t wait to putit on the air at my home station.I plugged it into my 12 volt gelcell pack, hooked it up to the beamand was immediately working astation in California. I proceededto work a half dozen stations inthe first sitting and DX in Europeand Africa during the next fewdays. Two common comments were "Ican’t believe that’s only 10 watts"and "Your audio is superb." Theaudio chain has built-in processing(not adjustable) that gives thesignal a full, crisp sound. Theonly operating inconvenience I haveencountered is the lack of RIT.I’ve had stations comment about meshifting frequency, cause by metrying to clarify their signals.

The next weekend I took the rigwith me to Wichita, Kansas. For anantenna, I used a random wirestrung up to the rain gutter from adeck, tuned with my little homebrew L-network and a 16 footcounterpoise for a ground, strungalong the floor. I worked severalstations on the east coast, Texasand the Rockwell/Collins radio clubstation in Cedar Rapids. Most ofthem commented on the excellentaudio.

I’ve since installed the CW module.It is a very easy installation,

Winter 1999 - 20007

requiring no solder, but it’snecessary to do some minoralignment of the VFO as the CWmodule causes some straycapacitance. A minor complaint.When I attempted to remove thecover to install the CW module, Ifound the screws very tight. Onerefused to budge. I stripped thePhillips head and ended updrilling it out. This didn’t makeme very happy! Fortunately, mydrilling didn’t harm the machinethreads on the case and I was ableto replace the screw. To date,I’ve only tried the rig on CW once,but made an instant contact.Switching in the CW adapter changesthe mode and shifts the frequency.A CW scale is provided for theanalog dial.

A word of caution. Don’t leave amicrophone plugged in while runningCW if the push to talk switch onyour mike doesn’t kill the audio.If you do that, you may transmitroom noise or worse along with yourCW. The unit I purchased came witha mike and it works properly.

For a power supply, I am using a"Power Source" unit purchased atTarget. It is a neat little gelcell pack. I also tried a laptopcomputer switching power supply(smaller and lighter weight), andit worked fine while on the beam athome, but during portableoperation, I had noise all over theband emanating from the powersupply.

All in all, I think it’s a greatlittle portable rig. Now, I need toget that Emtech 30 meter kit builtthat has been sitting here foralmost 2 years.

72, de Ray W0DQRealtor@RayDennis.com

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The Iowa QRP Club celebrates itssecond anniversary in February2000.

Altoids Superhet Tranceiver UpdateBy Larry Stambaugh WB0RMT

Photo 1. The Prototype CSS Receiver

After kicking around ideas forabout 6 months a prototype receiverwas built using punch padconstruction. I called thisprototype the CSS (Curiously StrongSuperhet). This type ofconstruction did not allow enoughroom to build the transmitter aswell so that it could be atransceiver. However it proves outthe design and a circuit boardlayout is being done so that atransmit mixer, amplifier, low passfilter, and receiver muting can beincluded. The power output will beonly several hundred miliwatts.The prototype used all conventionalparts, however if room becomes aproblem, surface mount parts willbe considered.

The other alternative is to stackboards and I am not fond of that.The superhet receiver has avaractor tuned 11 MHz. vxo with a 4MHz i.f. frequency. A 10.7 MHzminiture i.f. can as a front endtuned circuit gives the front end abandpass filter. NE602s are used as

Winter 1999 - 20008

a mixer and then as a productdetecter. A 3 pole ladder filter isused at the i.f. for selectivity .A LM386 is used in its high gainmode for the audio amplifier with afeedback network to cut highfrequency noise down. The design isnot anything special or original.The receiver tunes +- about 5 khzfrom 7.040 and can detect a .2microvolt signal. Granted thatsignal is barely there and requiresgood hearing. Selectivity is goodbut not great. Very strong signalscan be heard very weekly on theoposite side of zero beat. No audiogain control is used just a r.f.gain control. I am hoping that theprototype transceiver will haveroom for the 9v battery inside thealtoids tin. The punch pad receiverdoes not have the room though. Ifthe prototype transceiver works outthere is a possibility of boardsand or parts kits being offeredsometime in the future. Look forfuture updates on the subject.

72,de Larry WB0RMTlstamba@attglobal.net

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The 1999 CQ WW DX Test, A LearningExperience

By Peter E. Beedlow, NN9K

After operating in the 1999 CQ WWDX contest (CW) and posting myscore to the Iowa QRP reflector Ireceived a number of congratulatorymessages. One from John Burnley,NU0V, asked if I would writesomething for the next newsletter.So here is my response to John'srequest, it's not so much achronology of the contest but morethe why, the how and the results.

I haven't seriously operated a CQWW DX contest for several years. In1996 I operated as LU4FM in thesingle operator, single band, highpower class, thanks to thegenerosity of the Radio Club deRosario. They gave me free run oftheir contest station site located

on the outskirts of Rosario. Sinceall I had with me was an MFJ 9020,and portable antenna they loaned mea Kenwood TS-850S and Drake L4B. A5 element 15 meter monobander on a22 meter tower completed my needs.

That contest was truly an eye-opening experience for me. Eventhough I had to leave the contestearly to catch a flight back to theStates, it was a personal best fornumber of QSO's and if I remembercorrectly I placed 13th in theworld in my class. But worth evenmore than the satisfaction I gotfrom my score was the knowledge Igained about myself during thecontest. I can still remember beingtotally exhausted, both mentallyand physically on Saturday nightand Sunday afternoon. Totalconcentration was required from thefirst CQ until I turned off theradio. There was always someone towork and usually several stationsto sort out, definitely a differentsituation than operating from homewith a tri-bander and 5 or even 100watts. The mental effort was muchmore rigorous than I had realizedand that alone opened my eyes to myabilities and liabilities.

I was also physically drained. Eventhough I had used a laptop forlogging which would allow me tostand up occasionally, my body wasstill stiff and sore. I usuallydon't sleep very well on airplanesbut this time on the flight home Idid. All in all a tremendouslearning experience.

In October 1998 for the SSB portionof the CQ WW contest I had the goodfortune to be in China andparticipate as part of a multi-operator, low power effort fromBY2HIT. I had first visited theBY2HIT station a few years earlier,in fact I was the first American tovisit and operate the station.BY2HIT is a club station at theHarben Institute of Technology andis an organization of students thatare very interested in, and excited

Winter 1999 - 20009

about amateur radio and contesting.When I realized I could easilyarrange my China itinerary to be inHarben for the contest I contactedthe club and asked if I could bepart of their effort and of coursethe answer was "yes".

Operating as part of a multi-opgroup is obviously not as strenuousas a single-op effort and thiscontest was even less demandingsince BY2HIT only has onetransmitter. Although I did spendsome time operating, I spent moretime mentoring, either with theoperator or with a group in aclassroom just outside the stationarea. I don't even remember whereBY2HIT placed in 1998, however forme it was a very rewardingexperience to be able to watch andlisten, coach , and then see theresults of my suggestions.

So back to the present--I hadseveral goals in mind for the 1999CQ WW (CW) contest even though Iwasn't planning a really seriouseffort:

* I have a relatively new Icom IC-746 that was untested in a CWcontest environment. I had used the746 during the 1999 Field Day butonly on 6 meters and it's difficultto find much CW on 6 meters duringField Day to easily evaluate rigperformance.* I wanted to use the contest toget a feel for what 10 meterpropagation might be like for theARRL 10 Meter contest. It has beenseveral years since I had operatedfrom home in that contest and thisyear I want to put forth a seriousQRP effort.* I also wanted reevaluate mysingle-op skills. Lately all of myserious contesting efforts havebeen as part of a club multi-opteam and I hadn't done any serioussingle-op contesting. Have myskills suffered and what was myphysical condition?

Those were the goals, butpreparation for the contest took alittle longer than determining thegoals. The operating area had to berearranged , the latest version ofNA had to be downloaded, installedand configured and the 746interfaced to the computer. Theprimary antenna would be a MosleyWARC-JR installed at 50 feet on onetower. A second antenna, a vintage3 element Cushcraft was installedat about 30 feet on a second tower.No standoff, rotor, or anythingfancy, just bolt the antenna to thetower pointed at about 150 degreesand run the coax.

If you are familiar with the olderCushcraft designs you'll rememberthat staggered spacing was almostunheard of, so the three elementswere evenly spaced on the boom. Notan optimum design but I wantedsomething fixed to the Southeastfor all the Caribbean and SouthAmerican stations that should beactive for the contest. The 746does have two HF coax connectorsand a built-in antenna switch so noextra hardware was required forantenna switching, just add a Birdwattmeter and adjust the poweroutput to 4.5 watts and I was setto go.

At 0000 UTC on Friday I started thecontest. JA's were all that I washearing so I worked them until theycouldn't hear my QRP signal. OnSaturday morning the 10 meter bandwas filled from 28.0 to 28.2 withsignals, mostly Europeans and somebig-gun US East coast stations.Search and pounce time was the modeof operation. Occasionally I wouldfind clear spot and call CQ but ifI didn't have any response after afew tries it was back to S & P.Conditions were excellent bothSaturday and Sunday so the MUF musthave stayed above 200 both days.One highlight was being called by aKL7 after I had found a clear spotand was calling CQ. After thedifficulties I had years ago ingetting a KL7 QRP contact for my

Winter 1999 - 200010

QRP WAS, it was fun to be called byan Alaskan station.

Results of my endeavors: 302 QSO's,70 countries and 24 zones, but whatdid I learn?

* My QSO goal was 300 Q's which Imet, however I felt I should havemade more contacts.* My S & P skills need working on.* I need to become more familiarwith the DX countries callstructures, 4M for Venezuela? 3E1for Panama?* I need more contesting practice!In the past year I have notoperated as many contests as usualand it shows.* I need to work harder on keepingin good physical condition. Evenwith the much longer off times dueto 10 meter propagation I found Ineed to be in better physicalcondition.* But I did have fun!Since there are only two weeksbetween the CQ WW DX contest andthe ARRL 10 Meter contest, I doubtthat I'll be able to make a lot ofprogress in improving the areas ofconcern. But now I have a set ofgoals for the year 2000.

Good luck, and I hope to see you ina contest.

72, de Pete NN9Knn9k@worldnet.att.net

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IAQRP Next Meeting in Sioux CityBy Jerry Huldeen WB0T

(Editors note: The following wasoriginally posted to IAQRP-L.)

Hi Gang-

We are planning a meeting of IA QRPClub in Sioux City, IA on Feb. 26at the American Red Cross,beginning at 1:00 pm CST.

The builder's contest (judging)will be held at that time. If you

have any piece of gear built sincethe last contest, please bring italong. You may win a prize! And,we all like to see any projectsthat are homebuilt. This includeskits, homebrew projects, surfacemount, etc.

If any of you feel inadequate inthis area (as I do!), bring itanyway. You will get lots of ideasfor improvement, and lots ofanswers to those "How do I . . . ."questions we all have.

We're hoping for a big turnout, andsincerely hope you are one of thosewho can make it.

The American Red Cross hasrelocated to 4200 War Eagle Drivein Sioux City. Driving directionsare: If you are arriving onInterstate 29, go to exit 151,Riverside Blvd - IA Hwy 12 Northand proceed north for one block toWar Eagle Dr. Turn right (east) fora short distance, and you will seeAmerican Red Cross building on yourright. This exit is almost all ofthe way through Sioux City , sodon't get anxious!! If you see asign that welcomes you to SouthDakota, you went one exit too far,just exit at first opportunity andcome back. Besides, you can workcw qrp mobile from SD that way HiHi.

If you are coming from the east onUS 20, take the IA HWY 12 Northexit, and you will wind up on I -29 going North and take the 151exit. (See above). Or you cancontinue on US 20 until you come toI-29 North and go that way, samedirections. A little farther, butlots less stop and go traffic.Let me know if you needclarification. See you on the IAQRP CW net Wednesdays at 7:00 pmCST (Thursday at 0100 UTC). Thefrequency at or near 7.110 mHz andlater (7:20 or so) at 3.715 mHz, onor near depending on QRM.

Winter 1999 - 200011

Don't forget to mark your calendarsfor IA QRP State Convention June 2& 3, 2000 at the Marina Inn inconjunction with Hamboree XXII, andpossiblya dual division (Midwest & Dakota)meet.

72, de Jerry WB0T

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Worked All Continents (and thensome) with 0.1 Watt

By John Stanford (NN0F)

After an earlier 12 meter CW QSO toEurope using 0.1 W, I decided totry the November 1999 CW DXContest, and the December 1999 10Meter DX Contest with this power,to see what I could do. It turnedout to be very interesting!

I eventually worked 40 countries!The bands were in good condition,obviously. I found that I couldraise most stations that were S8 orstronger here (by my ear, since myS-meter is not very accurate!). Ialso worked LU8EE (who was QRP and579 here in Iowa) from Argentina,on 10 m.

At one point I realized that I hadworked all continents exceptOceania and Asia, using 0.1 W. Ithen aimed for those regions. Iworked Hawaii and after sometrying, was able to work JH7XGN inJapan on 10 m, to complete my 0.1Watt WAC!

All of my contacts used my Ten TecOmni 6+ turned all the way down to(almost) zilch. With the powercontrol all the way down, Imeasured 0.1 Watt output. Mymighty DX-zapper antenna is an 80meter wire dipole, 25-30 feet high,fed with ladder line and using ahomemade link tuner from the ARRLHandbook.

My 0.1 W contacts included:

**On 20 meters:SP2FAX PolandCN8WW Morocco

**On 15 meters:NH7A HawaiiZP6T Paraguay9G5AA Ghana

**On 10 meters:EA8EA Canary IslandsG3ZEM EnglandS53R SlovaniaEI5DI IrelandOT9T BelgiumIK4MTF ItalyPI4COM NetherlandsKH7R HawaiiJH7XGN Japan (for WAC!)JF1SQC JapanVK4EMM Australia (!)CE8SFG southern-most ChileVK4UC Australia again (!)V73CW Marshall Islands (Pacific)VK5GN a bit farther than VK4s.CE3BFG Chile again

Plus others, to total 40 DX countryentries.

The most thrilling to me were thetwo Japanese and three AustralianQSOs. The latter are in the rangeof 80,000 or 90,000 miles per watt.

Overview: My experience these twoweekends (a few hours at most) wasunder excellent band conditions andworking superb operators who wereusing high quality equipment andantennas. I do not expect this tohappen all the time. Nevertheless,I do not have a rotary beam, and Iwas using 0.1 W output. Later whenI used 5W, it seemed like QRO!Perhaps my experience willencourage others to trymilliwatting.

72, de John NN0Fstanford@iastate.edu

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The Milliwatt Triple CrownJoin in the fun!

Winter 1999 - 200012

The Knightlites, Ft. Smith QRPClub, and the Iowa QRP Club aresponsoring the great MilliwattTriple Crown. Earlier this fallthe noble Knights announced theirHoliday Milliwatt contest. At thesame time the Ft. Smith QRP Cluband the Iowa QRP Club were planningsimilar contests. It just seemednatural to get the three togetherin yet another contest! Here aresome of the details.

Each individual contest isindependent and run by therespective club. Each individualcontest will have a winner and theresults will be posted to QRP-L.The Milliwatt Triple Crown winnerwill be determined by combiningscores from all three events (thesame scoring methods will be usedfor each independent contest). Thecumulative score should prove to bea lot of fun and establish seriousbragging rights on just how low youcan go.

The first leg of the MilliwattTriple Crown was in December withthe Knightlites Holiday MilliwattContest. The Ft. Smith event willbe in the March/April timeframe andthe Iowa QRP event will follow inthe July/August timeframe.

72, de Bob Kellogg AE4IC(Knightlite QRP Association)

Jay Bromley W5JAY (Ft. SmithQRP Club)

John Burnley NU0V (Iowa QRPClub)

********************************

N6KR's Trip to IowaBy Wayne Burdick N6KR

(The following is a combination oftwo posts to QRP-L and is reprintedwith permission).

We were on the 7th floor of theHoliday Inn for our trip to Iowathis year, and this elevation

seemed to help when I rigged for"stealth" operation (i.e., Lillianand baby were off visitinggrandma). We were so loaded downwith baby-related gear, I was onlyable to bring a K2, mic, and a verytiny 15-meter Mizuho telescopingwhip. I'll have to try VernWright's neat little sliding-coilwhip antenna on the Christmas tripto San Diego.

I had no way to get the whipoutside, so I simply connected itto the back of the rig and hopedfor the best. Since I had aninternal auto-tuner, getting a 1:1match was painless. However, Iexperimented with several differentground radial configurations, andconfirmed what I'd learned fromprevious field operations: with apoor antenna, the ground system isthe deciding factor! Here are theconfigurations I tried:

(1) No radials: forget it! Poormatch, and you can feel RF on themic.(2) One 25' (untuned) radial:better match, but still some RFtingle.(3) Two tuned (11') radials: greatmatch, no RF problems.

In case (3), the radials weredeployed at 90-degree angles alongtwo walls, with the operatingposition in one corner.

Fortunately, an "RF tingle" at 5watts is unlikely to be fatal,except for the microscopic dust-mites hitch-hiking on your lip. Butit *is* disconcerting and should beavoided. It probably indicates thatthe rig is part of the antenna, asituation that could lead to RFfeedback into the mic or othercircuitry. I think this issue hasreceived too little attention, butthat is likely to change as QRP SSBoperation becomes more popular. (Amic is much more sensitive to RFproblems than a key!)

Winter 1999 - 200013

To eliminate the RF on the chassisand mic in case (2) above, Iinserted an RF isolation chokebetween the rig and theantenna/ground system. Thiscompletely cured the RF problem,and as a bonus allowed me to matchthe whip on 40-10 meters despitethe radial being nonresonant onevery band. The RF isolation chokewas made using a binocular corewith a few turns of #24 enamel wire(twisted pair), although this couldbe improved upon by using RG174coax and a larger core. (I'mworking on an isolation choke ofthis type and will post completeconstruction details.)

Of course the whip had less thanexciting performance on the lowerbands, but on 15 meters I managedto bag Argentina and Uraguay, eachon one call using 5 watts. Not badfor an indoor whip!

One last comment on operating:Connecting a whip directly to theback of the rig should only be donein a pinch. (Exception: EricSwartz, WA6HHQ does most of hisoperating from Chinese restauranttables and has no choice ;) Theweight of the whip puts excessivestress on the BNC connector,especially if the tilt-stand isused.

Photo 1. The QRPizza in Ames.

(Shown are Wayne (N6KR)demonstrating use of the K2 to John

NN0F with Mike N0MF in thebackground.)

My annual trip to Iowa to see theYL's family included the usualgreat home cooking, etc. But it waseven better this year because I gota chance to hang out with the IowaQRP Club folks.

We had a nice turnout for a NorCal-style Pizza/homebrew event in Ames,organized by Dan Case KB0JUL andJohn Burnley, NU0V. Dan has puttogether a websitewww1.iastate.edu/~drcase/iowaqrp.html and John edits thenewsletter for the club. The Fall1999 newsletter has a greatcollection of well-writtenarticles, including a DDS primer byJeff Woods, W0ODS, and John's ownexperimental results with "fractal"antennas (!). The 32-page, 8.5x11"effort is impressive given theclub's small size--just over 100members. (Somehow I stumbled intoIAQRP #100. Good timing, I guess.

Among the interesting homebrew gearto be seen was perhaps the world'sonly 10-meter SST, built by MikeFitzgibbon, N0MF(mjfitz@uswest.net). Mike's SST isbased on the Wilderness Radiodesign but uses several small"alternative construction" PCboards and some extra RF stages toboost sensitivity. A full write-upon this rig appears in the sameIAQRP newsletter.The highlight of the evening wasour visit to the Iowa State radioclub station. We even had one ISUstudent with us, adding a certainamount of legitimacy to theoperation. Having struck out intrying to make contacts from thebasement of the Pizza Hut using the15 m whip, we were now able toconnect my K2 to a serious antenna(a three-element beam on the roofof the hall--so what if it wasstuck pointing NW?). This gave theyounger members of the QRP club achance to try their hand at QRPSSB. We also worked ZD8Z off the

Winter 1999 - 200014

back of the beam using CW/split.All contacts were made usinginternal battery.

If you find yourself in theheartland, do stop by for someIAQRP hospitality!

72, de Wayne N6KRn6kr@elecraft.com

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An Antenna for All OccasionsBy Jeff Woods W0ODS

This article describes an easy toconstruct multiband antennaoffering good performance on allbands 160 though 6 meters. Thistype of antenna has been in use atthe W0ODS QTH for two years now andhas proven to be the best all-around antenna in the farm. Thebasic design has been published foryears in the ARRL handbook, andseveral well-known HF radiocompanies have produced designssimilar to mine. It is unfortunatethat the broadband antenna has beengiven a poor reputation in somecircles, as its performance isquite good in comparison to other

antennas of similar size.

The Sloping V

The 16th edition of the ARRLAntenna Book describes this antennaon page 13-9. Regrettably, theAntenna Book attempts to classifythis antenna as a directionalantenna suitable only for point-topoint links. While it is true thatthis antenna can be installed in adirectional configuration, it isequally useful when installed inand omnidirectional configuration.

An apex height of 60 feet and sidelength of 100 feet each isrecommended for 14-30 MHz optimalperformance. The terminatingresistors are 300 ohms.

The Kachina Communications AT-250uses this basic design,substituting a balancedtransmission line transformer atthe feedpoint for the 600 Ohmfeedline. This antenna is quitepopular in the commercial marketfor several reasons:

* It provides a constant match forany HF transceiver

Winter 1999 - 200015

* Eliminates the need for anexpensive Autotuner or multipledipoles* It is tolerant of changes to leglength or other geometry changes* Reduces damage to equipmentcaused by improper antennaselection

The chief disadvantage of the AT-250 is it's selling cost:approximately $250. The cost isdriven primarily by thetransmission-line transformerbalun. I wanted to use thisantenna, but could not afford themarket price. I did what anyenterprising ham would do: Ireverse-engineered the thing.

The W0ODS/W0FMS design uses aconventional binocular ferrite coreas the transformer. Using aconventional transformer vs. atransmission line transformergreatly reduces the cost andcomplexity of the design. Ofcourse, one doesn't get somethingfor nothing. This design matchesto an 800-ohm feedpoint impedance,not the optimal 600 ohm. Themismatch is not significant tocause any problems thus far. Inaddition, there is a slight

unbalance in the output of thisdesign. This will skew the antennapattern slightly. It is of thesame significance as using a dipolewithout a center balun.

The Transformer

A sketch of the matchingtransformer is given below. Theprimary consists of one turn,formed by 1/4" brass tubing throughthe holes and PC board material onthe ends. The secondary is 4 turnsof 20 gauge Teflon insulated wire.This configuration is often used inthe final stage of an HF transistoramplifier to match the collectorimpedance to 50 Ohms. Should youhave a discarded HF PA floatingaround your junk box, most of yourwork is already done. Simply re-wind the secondary to the properturns ratio and you have it.

The brass tubing is soldered to PCboard material at the far end tocomplete the one turn primarywinding. Note the cut in the boardon the near end. This prevents adirect short across the co-ax.That's really all there is to it.Solder the brass tubing to the PCboard, wind the secondary and

Winter 1999 - 200016

solder the co-ax to the primaryside. I usually wind the secondarysuch that the end wires come outthe opposite side as the co-ax.This makes for easier use, but it'seasier to see the detail when drawnas in figure 2.

Mount the transformer inside two 3"PVC endcaps. You'll have to add 3eye-hooks, one for each leg plus atop support to hang the antennafrom. Use a standard SO-239connector on the bottom, attachedto the co-ax from the transformer.Seal tightly with PVC cement.

SO-239 Connector

PVC PipeCap

Figure 3 - Transformer Mounting

The Amidon BN43-7051 ferrite coreis available from Bytemark.com forabout $3. Ready made transformerscan be purchased from CommunicationConcepts (http://www.communication-concepts.com/hf.htm) part numberRF800-16 at $4.35 each. For one ortwo, purchase of the assembledtransformer is recommended. It maybe necessary to extend the leadlength of the purchased transformerfor connection to the eye bolts inthe transformer enclosure.Either of the above transformerswill safely handle a 100 watt HFtransceiver. For QRP, smallercores may be chosen. For the 2w orlower power levels, a T-50-43torroid should prove satisfactory.There are two factors to considerwhen designing a transformer:Inductance at minimum frequency andsaturation flux density. Fluxdensities are high for a step-uptransformer of this nature, andwill limit maximum power handling.

Smaller cores tend to have lessinductance per turn, limiting thelow-frequency response. By windingmore turns (say 2:8), the lowfrequency response is extended atthe expense of power handlingcapability. More information isavailable in several transmissionline transformer books availablefrom Jerry Sevik or the ARRL.Remember, it doesn't hurt toexperiment. Try it out. Theresults may be surprising.

The Terminations

Call up Arnold-- We needTerminators! The Antenna Booksuggests using 300 ohms as aterminating value for this antenna.Experimentation has shown that theoptimum value for my particularinstallation is slightly less thanthis, around 270 ohms, but thedifference is so slight that Iwould not be able to detect itwithout a spectrum analyzer andsweep generator. The terminationmust be able to handle half thetransmitter's power output. ForQRP this is quite easily done. Atthe 100w level, some care must betaken.

An array of resistors is the bestway to distribute the load withoutusing a large non-inductiveresistor. 25 7.5k resistors inparallel will get you a nice 300ohm load. I use 2w Carbon Filmresistors from Allied (SKU 840-8498). A pack of 200 of thesesells for $14.75 and will build 4antennas. These resistors aren'tquite "non-inductive" but theywork. More on this in the"Testing" section.

The array can be assembled usingperfboard ends or by using braid.The latter method has worked thebest for me. Cut two lengths ofbraid or stranded wire, about 18inches long, and lay them outparallel to each other, about 1-1/2inches apart. Lay the resistorsacross the two braids to form

Winter 1999 - 200017

something that looks like a ladder,with the resistors as rungs.Solder 25 resistors to the braid,spaced about 1/4 inch apart. byrolling up the ladder into acylinder, the termination can bemade to fit into a standard 2 inchPVC pipe or cap. Use eye hooksthrough the end caps to make theelectrical connection.

Testing

The antenna can be tested beforeinstallation to ensure that all iswell before it's up in the tree andrather inaccessible. Connect yourequipment as shown in figure 5.

You should have good VSWR (lessthan 1.5:1) from about 1.6 to 12MHz. The low end is limited by themaximum inductance available in thetransformer. The upper end islimited by the inductance of theterminations. When the antenna isactually installed, this parasiticinductance becomes part of theantenna leg length and has

virtually no effect! For once theimperfections in real parts is nota disadvantage.

Installation

Install as shown in Figure 6.

Note that the ground connectionshave been replaced with simpleradials extending from theterminations back toward thefeedpoint. These ground radialsshould be at least as long as theantenna legs. Use of additionalground radials is recommended. Iuse two per leg, extending the wireas far as my lot will allow.

You'll note the absence ofspecified lengths for the legs.This antenna is tolerant of quite abit of variation. My antenna usesabout 60 feet on one leg and 85feet on the other. You see, thisis really no more than a leaky,terminated transmission line. Solong as the impedance balance iskept, the length is of littleconsequence to the impedance. Somy apparently unbalanced setup runsjust fine.

The efficiency of this antenna isdependent on the leg length.Ideally, you should have about halfa wavelength per leg for bestresults. Good results can beobtained with shorter lengths,though. My smallish antenna works

Winter 1999 - 200018

Figure 6 - Test Setup

on 160m with reduced efficiency.That's the trade off - Length forlow end inefficiency.

This antenna is ideally suited forField Day or portable operations,as installation is a virtual "no-brainer." It has proven itself tobe the most versatile antenna at mydisposal, and a good all-aroundperformer.

72, de Jeff W0ODSmycrocomm@plutonium.net

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Kit Review: Small Wonder Labs DSWxxBy Larry Stambauch WB0RMT

Small Wonder Labs has produced avery special blend of high tech andsimplicity in the DSW series QRPtransceivers. The use of a PIC andDDS (Direct Digital Synthesis) hasmade available to the QRP communitya CW transceiver that covers thewhole band, is full featured andstill retains small size andsimplicity. The receiver is elegantin performance while uncluteredwith unnecessary items. Sensitivityand selectivity are quite good asare the QSK and transmitter keying.

Power requirements are low for aDDS design due to the use of lowpower consumption voltageregulators and running the DDS on 4V.D.C. rather than 5. This can be atrue battery operated rig with its2 watt transmitter and compactsize. The DSW I built is in a 3 X 5X 2 inch cabinet with a sloppingfront panel. Finally it alsoincldes R.I.T., morse frequencyaudible readout and built in keyerthat operates similar to a TICkeyer. For those who want it apremade cabinet is also available.

Assembly is in stages with nospecial test equipment required.Only 2 lager surface mountinductors are required to bemounted. So don't worry about thesurface mount DDs section. It isalready done and tested by SmallWonder Labs. You do have to wind 4toroids, but all except one aresingle winding. Winding instuctionsare clear to the point. Anexperienced beginner should findthis kit easy and fun to assemble.All connections to externalcontrols are on cables the pluginto headers on the board. Ribboncables eliminate the jumble ofwires hooking things up to the real

Winter 1999 - 200019

world controls. Only 2 alignmentsare required to be made. Peak thefront end coil for maximum receiveand set the side tone pitch with atrimmer.

Photo 1: The kit 'out of the box'.

Group 1 assembly is the PIC andDDS area on the board. Group 2 isthe audio section which can betested after completion. Group 3 isthe receiver product detector andI.F. filter. Group 4 Is thereceiver front end filter andmixer. After this group you cantest the receiver if you wish.Group 5 includes all the low leveltransmitter stages. There is nomixer in the transmitter as directDDS output is used. Group 6completes the transmitter with apower amplifier, lowpass filter andsome components for QSK with thereceiver.

None of the groups will probablytake more than an hour or two.Before you start you should sortout and identify all the parts!This may take some time, but isvery important. Doing all theribbon cable wiring to controls andjacks is the last step beforealignment and packaging. Alignmentinvolves just 2 steps. Peak thefront end coil in the reveiver formaximum signal and set side tonepitch. Setting the side tone isdone by using a built in testroutine. You set a trimmer to makethe side tone match a tone made bythe PIC for alignment. My DSW is in

a cabinet from Mouser Electronicsstock number 537-MDC642-01. It hasa sloping front panel and presentsthe controls at a conveinientangle. Mike Fitzgibbon N0MF showedme the DSW he put in a cabinet likethat and I was smitten with it'sutility.

On the air the DSW is simple andfun to use . You switch between200hz and 50 hz steps by pushing inon the encoder knob and holding ita moment. To find out whatfrequency you are on you just tapthe encoder knob and get the morsereadout. The keyer has a pushbutton to go through a menu offunctions. R.I.T. is activated witha toggle switch and has anunlimited range within the band. Itis great to be able to have fullband coverage with all the bellsand whistles that I want built intothe rig. No ad ons for readoutR.I.T. and keyer required.

Selectivity is quit nice for a 3pole filter owing to the 800 hzshaped responce of the audiosection. It may not be a FT-1000Dreceiver but it works well even ina crowded band. Two watts with thetransmitter has been enough tocheck into the IAQRP net using aninverted vee antenna.

Photo 2: The completed board.

The only thing I can find faultwith at all is the 50 Hz tuningsteps. The 200 Hz fast steps arefine, but at 50hz you sometimescan't get exactly where you want to

Winter 1999 - 200020

Photo 3: Case used for mounting.

be. That is a pretty nit pickything to complain about so I willstress that it really is not a bigdeal. It's a review and you have tocomplain about something. This rigfits nicely with Small Wonder LabsSW series of kits. The DSW is likean optioned out SW, it has all thegoodies and full band coveragebuilt in. This rig has got to be aclassic and will bring DDS intomainstream QRP design. What morecan I say except I will be lookingfor Dave Benson's next design to beinnovative also.

72, de Larry WB0RMTlstamba@attglobal.net

********************************

Mini-paddle DesignBy Jim Rhodes KC0XU

Photo 1: The Completed Paddles

(Editors note: I saw these paddlesat the Sioux City meeting last yearand at the Hamboree in Sioux Citylast summer. A great littleproject especially for the portableoperators.)

The latest project at station KC0XUis a mini-paddle with no compromiseon the smoothness and crispness ofthe action. They will easily fitright in your shirt pocket andweigh well under an ounce. Thepaddles are constructed out of thattime tested ham building material,printed circuit board. The housingfor the prototype is a DB9 computerconnector hood and it was designedto plug right into my Tick-EMBkeyer.

Photo 2: The Paddle Elements

The paddle elements themselves arecut out of single sided PC board.The center, common contacts are cuteither out of double-sided PC boardor, for increased stiffness, out ofa double thickness of single sidedboard with the copper to theoutside.

Once cut to size, the paddles andthe center element are clampedtogether and drilled for the firsttwo screws. The screws used are #2size so drill the holes veryslightly larger for clearance. Nottoo much or the action will getsloppy.

After drilling the two holesthrough the whole assembly, clampor bolt together just the twopaddles and drill the hole for thecontact screws. The pivots for thepaddles are small gauge wire (20-18). They are carefully solderedonto the center element mid-way

Winter 1999 - 200021

between the first 2 holes. Makesure they are perpendicular to thelength of the element, straight(clipped off component leads workwell) and flat to the element toassure proper action.

Photo 3: The Assembly

The paddle contacts are eachfashioned from a #2 screw and 2 #2burrs. One burr is soldered to the

copper side, centered over thethird hole, it can be held in placewith a screw from the opposite sidefor ease of soldering. The contactis then assembled by using thesecond burr as a jam nut to holdthe final setting. The springs arecut from a ball point pen spring,cut 2 equal length pieces.

Next the housing is prepared forthe paddles. The lip at theconnection end of the hood isnotched to just hold the centerelement. The hole at the cable endof the housing is relieved to fitthe threaded part of a stereo 1/8inch plug. The common connector ofthe plug is bent to follow theinside of the housing and thecenter element is soldered to theconnector common. Make sure thatboth sides are soldered securely tothe terminal, but that the ears ofthe cable clamp do not interferewith the action. The paddles areassembled by threading onto one ofthe #2 nylon screws: a washer, aspring, a paddle (first hole withcopper side out), the centerelement, the other paddle, aspring, a washer and a burr.Before tightening the spring,thread the other nylon screwthrough the second hole of thewhole assembly.

The paddles are then connected tothe terminals of the tip & ringwith loops of small gauge wire soas not to place any stress on theconnections. After writing all ofthis it is easy to understand theold saw about how "a picture isworth a thousand words".

To get the most mileage out of yournew paddle, put the paddle jack ofyour new QRP project right on thefront panel. Then all you need todo is hook up the power andantenna, plug in the paddles andfire away.

72, Jim KC0XUkc0xu@arrl.net

Winter 1999 - 200022

Iowa QRP Building ContestBy John Burnley NU0V

Time is running out to get yourentries completed for the 2nd annualIowa QRP building contest. Anyproject completed after the lastcontest judging (January 1999) andbefore the current judging(February 26, 2000 at the SiouxCity meeting).

There will be three classes:homebrew, kit, and combination (ofboth kit and homebrewing). Prizeswill be awarded but I'm sure willpale in comparison to the excellentprojects being judged (after allbragging rights are more importanthi). Paul Sipes has againvolunteered to judge the contest(thanks Paul!).

All entries must have a writtendescription of the project (whichmaybe used in an upcomingnewsletter).

It is time to get busy and startmelting solder! I hope to see youin Sioux City.

72, de John NU0Vburnleyia@home.com

********************************

Notes On Using Slinky DipolesPortable

By Larry Stambaugh WB0RMT

Everyone who travels and likes tooperate HF sooner or later willwant to operate portable. The bigthing is an antenna, especiallyoperating in a motel room. After Isaw KB0JIT's slinky antenna atSouix City and read about it in theSummer 99 Ia. QRP Journal I decidedto try building one and see how itworked. Walmart has metal slinkieson the shelf so all that you needto make one besides that is a fewwire ties, something for a centerinsulator and some string orfishing line.

Photo 1: Larry's portable setupusing the slinky dipole.

To use a slinky dipole with coax itis best to make the antennaresonant. Stretching the slinkiesout lowers the resonant frequency .However I found in my motel room itwas resonating much higher than 7mhz when stretched out as far as Icould. I used aligator clips tohold the ends and an MFJ SWRanalyzer to check resonantfrequency. To get the slinkiesresonant on 40 meters I used someclip lead jumpers from my tool kitand was able to get it resonantalmost exactly on 7.040. Thisproved to be effective forreceiving and I have managed a fewcontacts with it. However an insideantenna in a reinforced concrete

Photo 2: Larry's homebuilt tunerwith the ScQRPion Visual SWRIndicator).

Winter 1999 - 200023

building leaves a bit to bedesired. Back to dreaming about anoutside antenna for a motel room.

As a foot note I built a homebrewtuner long ago and decided to useit portable if I could because ofits small size. The problem was ithad no SWR indicator as I used itwith an Argonaut 509 years ago thathad one built in. The SVCI(ScQRPion Visual SWR Indicator)uses a resistive bridge and an LEDto indicate a match to 50 ohms. Theled dims or goes out when a matchis achieved. One was built into thetuner using junk box stuff and itworked well. The Arizona QRP grouphas plans for it on their website.

72, de Larry WB0RMTlstamba@attglobal.net

********************************

100 mw to the English ChannelBy John Stanford NN0F

It was Thanksgiving Day 1999, justbefore noon in Iowa. I had my TenTec Omni Six's wick turned down to5 W on 12 meter CW. On 24893 kHz Iheard GU3MBS on Guernsey Island, inthe English Channel off the coastof France. I called in a crowd of2 or 3 other stations and he cameback to my first call. I waspretty pleased. Then Steve said Iwas 589. I was even more pleased.

Steve's computer showed that he andI had worked before (with me alsoQRP) on several other bands. Hethen asked me to decrease power. Iwent 1 W, and he said "559, go toQRPP". I went to as low as my Omni6+ goes. He said "439 with almostsolid copy". Steve then went to5W, as low as his rig would allow,and he was still copiable here,about 459 or so. At higher power,probably 100 W, he was 589 to 599to my ear, the Omni 6 S-meter beingnotoriously scotch.

I had calibrated my Omni 6+ at 5 Wand 1 W. But I had never triedmuch lower than that. I laterdetermined with my WM1 power meterthat I was running 0.1 W output atthe lowest power in my QSO withSteve.

My antenna is a 120-ft center-fedzepp, with a combination ofhomebred open-line and commercialladder line. It's at 25-30 feethigh. I use a link tuner builtfrom the ARRL Handbook, designed soit loads my cf zepp on all bands,160 m to 10 m.

72, de John NN0Fstanford@iastate.edu

********************************

Upcoming Operating EventsBy Mark Milburn KQ0I

Here are some QRP operating eventsthat will be coming up. Turn yourpower down and join in...they arefun events and the people you meetwill be some of the best hams onthe air.

The 4th Annual FYBO (Freeze YourB____ Off) Winter QRP Field Day

Sponsored by the AZ ScQRPions.

*** SAFETY FIRST! PLEASE RESPECTTHE WX AND YOUR OWN LIMITATIONS!***

1400Z Feb 5 to 0200Z Feb 6 (Operateall 12 hours).

QRP HF Only. CW (5W max). Near QRPcalling freqs (no WARC bands).Categories: Single Op (Home/Field),Multi Op (Home/Field),Novice/Tech+.Work stations once per band. Score1 point per QSO.

Exchange RST, State/Province/DXCCCountry, first name, power out, andtemperature (Fahrenheit) atOPERATOR'S POSITION. Indoorstations must

Winter 1999 - 200024

report INDOOR temperature.

Example: 579 AZ Frosty 2W40F

Multipliers:

SPCs (each counts only onceoverall), Field Location: x4 (Fieldper ARRL FD definition), Alternative Power: x2, QRPp (less than 1W): x2, Lowest Operating Temp (atOP'S POSITION): 65+ F = x1; 50-64 F = x2; 40-49 F = x3; 30-39 F = x4; 20-29 F = x5; Below 20 F = x6.

Final Score: QSOs x SPCs x TempMulti (x Field) (x Alt Pwr) (xQRPp).

Mail logs by March 5 to: RogerHightower (N7KT), 1265 W Kiowa Cir,Mesa, AZ 85202. Include stationdescription, category, op(s), andmax power out. For more info, sendemail to n7kt@earthlink.net orvisit <www.extremezone.com/~ki7mn>.

Adventure Radio Society SpartanSprint

February 7, 2000March 6, 2000April 3, 2000May 1, 2000June 5, 2000July 3, 2000August 7, 2000September 4, 2000October 2, 2000November 6, 2000December 4, 2000

1. Start at 9:00 PM EST, 8:00 CST,7:00 MST and 6:00 PST. Finishat 11:00 PM EST, 10:00 CST, 9:00MST and 8:00 PST.

2. The frequencies will be 3560kHz+/-, 7040 kHz+/- and 14060kHz+/-.

(You may operate one, two or threebands--your choice.)

3. Exchange RST, SPC (state,province or country) and poweroutput.

4. If you choose to call CQ, usethe format "CQ SP," or "CQ SPTEST."

5. You can take credit for workingthe same station on a second band.

After the contest, we invite you touse our autolog, which is partof the ARS Sojourner. Just go towww.natworld.com/ars and followthe link for "Direct access toautologs". Or you can speed thingsup by going directly to the SpartanSprint autolog page atwww.natworld.com/ars/ss_log.html.

If you don't have access to theweb, send Russ Carpenter, AA7QU,an e-mail with your total QSOs andthe total weight of yourstation (i.e. the combined weightof all transmitters, receivers,keys, keyers and batteries usedduring the Sprint). You may alsoinclude your comments from thesoapbox. Russ' email address isruss@natworld.com.

We publish results for each SpartanSprint on the Thursdayfollowing the Sprint. This may bethe world's quickest contestreporting! Please send us your logas soon as possible, but in noevent later than Wednesdayafternoon.

Winter Fireside SSB Sprint 20002000Z - 2400Z

Rules

Work station once per band. Categories All-band Single band High bands Low bands Multi-Op

Winter 1999 - 200025

DX Exchange RS S/P/C ARCI number (non-memberssend power) QSO Points Member = 5 pts Non-member differentcontinent = 4 pts. Non-member same continent= 2 pts Multipliers S/P/C total for all bands S/P/C's count once perband Power >5W = X1 1-5W = X7 250mW - 1W = X10 <250mW = X15 Final Score QSO points X total SPCs XPower Multi Suggested Frequencies (kHz) 3865 7285 14285 21385 28385

Use the ASCII Form for help scoringyour log.

Use the on-line reporting form tosend your score and soapboxcomments.

Send QRP ARCI contest entrieswithin 30 days of contest date to:Randy Foltz, K7TQATTN: Fireside SSB809 Leith St,Moscow, ID 83843,or email ASCII-text entries to<rfoltz@turbonet.com>

Enjoy....

72, de Mark KQ0I

********************************

N0MF's Shocking IntroductionTo Electronics

By Mike Fitzgibbon N0MF

(Editors note: Mike is well knowfor his technical abilities buthere is a chance for you to see thelighter side of Mike hi).

Grandpa's garage was always aninteresting place to visit. He waswhat you might call a "collector".After a stint at the beginning ofthe century in the Dakotas as afreight driver, he returned home toIowa and settled down to work forthe local county's highwaydepartment, mowing the roadsidegrass in summer and running asnowplow in winter. While doingthese duties he would often comeupon objects along the roadsidewhich had been lost or discardedfrom passing vehicles. If he couldenvision any use, or even anypossibility of use, he would carrythese things home and store them inthe back of his garage. After anumber of years and many roadsidemiles, it was quite a collection.

One of these objects, which Idiscovered on one of my frequentforays through this magnificentassembly, has become the focalpoint for an event that has neverbeen forgotten by the family. Ithas long since become some sort ofsaga that must be too-often recitedat family gatherings and such, andthe recollection of it invariablymakes me feel a little uneasy, evennow, some thirty-five years later.One lazy afternoon while rummagingthrough this menagerie of metal andwood I came upon a device whichimmediately seized my attention.It was a rusted-red shoebox-sizedenclosure upon which sprouted andlarge evil-looking white porcelain-insulated terminal, an amber-colored protruding egg-shaped"eye", and two insulated wires, onea faded red and the other black,each ending in a large rusty claw-style clip. It looked as though itcould very well serve as a prop insome black-and-white Frankensteinmovie. I was captivated.

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When grandpa returned from workthat evening I pulled thecontraption out of the garage andasked him if I could have it? Heshrugged, and not giving it asecond thought, nodded yes,undoubtedly assuming it wouldsimply end up as a pile of mangledmetal, as the great majority ofthings did after my usualinvestigations.

I drug the thing over to myworkshop, the old empty chickencoop which leaned slightly againstthe old pin oak at the back cornerof the garden, and mused upon mynew acquisition. I wasn't surewhat it was, but somehow, slowly,after an examination of theinternals, the concept that thismust be an old fence-charger beganto emerge. The storm clouds wereinvisibly beginning to gather justover the horizon.

A few days, or even possibly a fewweeks later, after watching an olddrama on TV portraying the spark-and-smoke-laden electrocution ofsome poor soul, a great idea poppedinto my little head... I wassomewhat acquainted with electric"fencers". My dad used one to keepthe cattle contained when he turnedthem out into the cornfield afterthe harvest. I knew that the joltfrom such a device was, althoughmoderately painful, never severelyinjurious or fatal, even tohumans... I could make a "fake"electric chair!

The work soon commenced in mychicken coop workshop. An oldragged aluminum-framed lawn chairwith nylon webbing would serve asthe platform. I pounded down thesharp edge of a three-pound tincoffee can lid, made a hole in itand connected a long piece of wire.The flattened lid was positioned inbetween the seat webbing. This wasto serve as the "center electrode".I also scrounged-up a discarded 12volt car battery for the powersource. When I connected the red

and black wires to the battery thecharger immediately started"ticking" and the big yellow lightominously flashed in unison withthis sound. The smell of successwas ripe in the air! It was,however, some time later that Irealized the 12 volt battery wasrather an unfortunate choice, forthis ancient apparatus was mostcertainly designed to operate onbut six volts.

Just as I was about to position thechair outside the coop in the shadeof the oak, a figure appeared inthe doorway. It was Curtis, aneighborhood kid, with whom Ifrequently played. I quicklyrealized he would make a passableassistant, and, if necessary, andexcellent scapegoat.

I figured grandpa, who was workingin the garden, would make a goodfirst test subject. Heck, hechewed big gobs of tobacco, heldfirecrackers in his fingertips andlet them go off, and didn't letvery much at all get under hisskin. He would most likely thinkit was a great "joke", even if itwas on him!

I called him over and told him tosit in the chair because I had abig surprise for him. He did as Iasked, settling into the chair witha bit of amusement and curiosity.I nodded to Curtis, who waspositioned just around the edge ofthe doorway with the battery and he"threw the switch", so to speak...

Nothing happened. Grandpa just satthere waiting and wondering. Hedidn't jump. He didn't even budge.Realizing that we were experiencingequipment failure after Curtisstuck his head from the doorway andshrugged his shoulders, I made upsome excuse and told grandpa thathe would have to wait a littlewhile longer for his surprise.

We went back to the drawing board.Recalling all I knew about fence

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chargers, it occurred to me that weprobably needed to complete thecircuit somehow and connect thatunused terminal on the side of thebox to a ground rod, just like daddid with the charger in the field.This was a rather grand concept forme at the time, but it did come tome after a few minutes. Since wedidn't have a ground rod, I figuredwe could try it this time byconnecting the ground wire to themetal leg of the chair, so we did.Now we could continue theexperiment. Unfortunately, Grampshad gone elsewhere and we had notest subject available. Withenthusiasm running in the red zoneI decided to find anotherunsuspecting volunteer.

Grandpa did not live alone. Inaddition to my grandmother, mygrandmother's sister, Great AuntMay, lived with them. She hadmoved in a few years earlier afterher husband had passed away, andwas just like an additional thirdgrandmother to me. I believe thatGrandpa was less appreciative ofher presence though, for he now hadthe opinions of two women toconfront. I just called her AuntMay, because Grandma said I didn'tneed to remind her that she wasgreat.

I went into the house, poured aglass of lemonade from a pitcher infridge, and took it outside to theexecution position and placed it ona small table next to the chair. Ithen went back into the house andasked Aunt May to come out, andtold her that I had a nice cooldrink for her in the shade underthe tree.I think that she must have beentouched by my sudden unwarrantedattention and generosity. Shegladly accepted the invitation andfollowed me out into the back yard.She sat down and smiled sweetly atme, certainly realizing what a fineyoung lad was I... I smiled backand handed her the glass. Then,

with a step backward, I noddedslowly to Curtis.

At this point you must allow me todigress for a moment, for it mustbe said that Aunt May was always,at least up to that moment, a verygood-natured and pleasant woman.It was certainly the thoughtlesstrauma which I inflicted upon herin the next moment which caused thetremendous, albeit temporary,change in her attitude toward me.I must give her credit where it isdue.

Anyway, Curtis threw the switch,just as she was taking the firstswig of lemonade. She blinkedviolently and wrenched her eyes upat me, obviously horribly startled.Her left arm was resting on thearmrest, and it most certainly madegood contact. She very visiblyjerked on the next charge, and rosein the air slightly. The glass,which was had been held in herright hand, was flung skyward.When I reflect back upon the even,it was probably not a good idea touse the "center electrode".

She screamed. Well, actually shelet out a howl like a small dogthat had just been dipped and heldin boiling oil. She bounced up anddown a couple of times, trying toget out, but every time she triedto propel herself from the chair bypushing off from the armrests shewas, no doubt, shocked even moreintensely. She was getting a lotmore excited than even the timethat my pet raccoon tried to crawlup her leg because he wanted toplay.

Very quickly I realized that thiswas probably not good. It wasworking far better than I hadexpected, or hoped. Too muchbetter. It didn't take Curtislong to realize that ALL THATSCREAMING was highly undesirable.He bolted from the chicken coopdoor and disappeared through theback gate. I didn't see him until

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the next day. Unfortunately, hehad not removed the clip from thebattery terminal and the currentcontinued to flow, along with thestream of curses and screams fromdear old Aunt May.I ran around and through the door,jerking the clipped wire from thebattery post. Then I just stoodthere, too afraid to emerge andface the wrath of Aunt May. I knewI was in very, very deep this time.

A few moments after the current wasinterrupted she struggled to herfeet and hobbled into the house,muttering and shaking her fist. Iwent home and hid in my room,expecting a posse to show up on thedoorstep at any moment. That neverhappened, but I did get a four starbutt-chewing from my grandmotherthe next day, and it was severalweeks before Aunt May would speakto me.

Afterwards I could tell Grandpathought it was funny, but he hadjust lucked out... Somebody tookmy fence charger. I never saw itagain.

Not too long after that Grandpatook me to visit Charlie Hanaman.He was the local TV/radio repairguy and a good friend of Gramps.He helped me build the two-tuber inthe Cub Scout handbook. It used a90 volt battery, but I'll wait foranother time to tell you aboutdaring the local bully to put histongue across its terminals.

72, de Mike N0MFmjfitz@uswest.net

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Copyright Notice

The Iowa QRP Journal is publishedfour times per year (Spring,Summer, Fall, and Winter).Copyright of materials appearing inthe Iowa QRP Journal remains withthe author(s). Articles ormaterials may NOT be reprinted

without permission of theauthor(s). Iowa QRP Journalrequests that reprints of thematerials or articles acknowledgeprevious publication in the IowaQRP Journal. The articlescontained within this newsletterhave not been tested and noguarantees of success are expressedor implied. If you build anyprojects from the Iowa QRP Journal,you should maintain safe practicesat all times and know that youassume all risks.

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The Iowa QRP Club was formed topromote amateur radio low poweroperations, to hone operatingskills, improve building skills,and introduce the hobby toperspective new amateurs.

Membership is limited to currentIowans, former Iowans, those withstrong Iowa ties, border states(border counties), and in somecases by invitation. To join,email a request to:

IowaQRPClub@juno.com

or surface mail to:

John Burnley NU0V8204 Sutton DriveUrbandale, IA 50322

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Iowa QRP JournalInterim Editor:John Burnley NU0VOfficers:President:John Burnley NU0VVice President:Larry Stambaugh WB0RMTSecretary:Jerry Huldeen WB0TTreasurer:Mark Milburn KQ0IClub Station:KQ0RP