Fwd: Tuesday Night Tech Net

[Nan and Sandy Sanders]

 From HAL WB3KDU



>
>TUESDAY NIGHT TECH NET SUBJECT:  A Proposal for 137Khz Experiments
>===========================================================================
>8PM TUE ECHOLINK and AMRAD RPT.
>
>The topic this week is on the interest in a LF experiment.  Recall a 
>couple of years ago we had experimental license  WA2XTF and we fielded
>a few stations, ran beacons and tried various antenna and receiver 
>experiments.   We learned a lot from these experiments about this band
>and what kind of equipment worked "down under."   Frank G. has is 
>again interested in doing another round of LF experiments.   So,
>this weeks Tech Net will be about what we did and what we could do 
>next time around.
>
>I will draft up an application for a FCC Part 5 Experimental 
>license.  If I recall correctly we can only license a defined group 
>of stations at known
>fixed addresses.  The station address must include the stations 
>latitude and longitude.   The station operator does not have to possess an
>amateur radio license since this class of license is designed 
>for  research and development outside of amateur radio.   A typical problem
>with this kind of fixed station group  arrangement is that its 
>nearly impossible to add a station after the paper work is filed.   This means
>we will need to have everyone who wants to participate in these 
>experiments listed on the application when its filed.
>
>For Discussion:
>
>1. What should we do this time around?    Last time around we 
>learned how important antennas were to success at LF.  What
>kind of antennas should we be thinking about this time?
>
>2.  A spectrum analyzer and waterfall display are essential to 
>receiving weak signals.  SDR how incorporate both of these and
>SDR's are not that uncommon any more.   What can we do with these?
>
>3.  How much power?  Last time around we didn't run much power into 
>the antennas.  Even a small amount of power across
>one of the big loading coils was enough to ignite a small fire on my 
>lawn.
>
>4. Transmitter: we used a Dutch class D transmitter last time 
>around.  What should we do this time?
>
>5. The 137 Khz band is still not allocated in the US to amateur 
>service although there is planning to it an amateur
>band in coordination with international allocations.    Paul 
>suggests a reason for the request is to learn more about this band prior to
>it being shift over to the amateur radio service.
>
>6. Suggested Experiments:  I am interested in what we might do with 
>modulation using other members of the  JT65 family like WSPR or 
>another of Joe Taylor designed
>protocols.
>
>7. Some ideas on the timeline:   Phase I: (1) Station 
>Constructions,   (2) Initial Propagation Study with CCW, Can we see 
>one another?   (3) Basic CCW communications,
>real two-way contacts.  Phase II: (4) experiment with more advanced 
>modulation scheme, perhaps WSPR.
>
>============================================================================================================
>TUESDAY NIGHT TECH NET MEETS AT 8PM EST TUESDAY NIGHT ON ECHOLINK 
>W4CIA conference point and the AMRAD 81/21 2m repeater in the 
>Northern Virginia Area.
>Sandy, WB5MMB is Echolink conference point coordinator and net control.