Simplex Saturday: Week 6 - Taking a commanding lead (that I know of)

 For the 6th week in a row I made an appearance for Simplex Saturdays, sponsored by TARA. For all but one of those weeks I went up to the Foothills Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to operate. The over 2000' elevation certainly is advantageous when trying to get a large footprint on VHF/UHF simplex.

This week I had company as three other hams came up to operate and to converse about the event.

Michael, KQ4MKV and Darrin KQ4RAY were up on the parkway with me to try and get a few more contacts under their belt than what might have been if they'd stayed at their home QTH.

I found out about 3 weeks ago I could be using POTA (Parks On The Air) for dual event QSOs as the Foothills Parkway is part of the GSMNP which has the POTA designator of US-0034.

On the way up I ran in to a ham on another pulloff who was operating CW for POTA. I was so excited I forgot to ask him his name/callsign!!!

I got up to the #8 parking area and made a slight change in operating. Over the last few operations, I was operating from the back of the vehicle (mine or my wife's) and was basically operating out of the trunk space. This time I ran the coax from the quad-band Comet antenna I had into my Durango and temporarily placed the Yaesu Quad-band 8900 on the center console connected to the battery box instead of to the vehicle. This helped as it was a tad chilly due to the shift in time to an hour earlier last Sunday morning.

I also put word out on a few nets, Facebook, and even on a livestream I tested during a weather net Friday evening about Simplex Saturdays. I think it paid off as I started off strong with a few contacts and using POTA as a duel event brought out the park chasers.

I brought my GoPro to film but due to hectic activity with all the operators I contacted and spoke to in person I wasn't able to set up the cameras.

Unofficially, I made 48 contacts across 5 bands (10m, 6m, 2m, 1.25m, 70cm) but the contest did not include 10m initially, however I'm trying to convince them to use 10m, and I think they've counted my previous 10m contacts already.

Speaking of...I was trying to make local contacts on 10m and the 10m band was wide open on 29.600. I heard a station in Nevade (he couldn't hear me) and another somewhere in Mexico!

So far for now, I'm in the lead on the Simplex Saturdays contest log with 74 QSOs and Darrin has 2nd place with 20. These numbers do NOT include today's numbers, so I can't wait to see how it changes going into next weekend.

There's only 3 of us that have submitted logs thus far, and I've been encouraging others to submit. If they make just one contact, they can submit the log to be entered for a prize drawing in April 2026. So please join the fun. I've been having a blast going up to the mountains to operate!

Simplex Saturday: Week 1

The Tennessee Amateur Radio Association started up a special event that began last Saturday (4 October) where Tennessee stations can make contacts on VHF and up simplex frequencies (6m, 2m, 23cm. and 70cm):

Participants can download the log sheet (as an .xlsx) and then log their contacts, then upload them here to become eligible for prize drawings (prizes TBD) in April. 

I decided to head up to the Foothills Parkway to get a little altitude for making contacts. Even with ideal weather, I’ve never seen the parkway as busy as it was when I arrived as a flood of cars from a nearby car show in Sevierville all made for quite the scene.

Because of other commitments, I couldn’t make it to the overlook until after 7 p.m., technically after the “event” had ended. The listing showed “5 p.m. to 7 p.m. local time,” but I wasn’t sure how official that schedule really was as I had heard conflicting info on the times to operate. So I went ahead and continued up to the overlook anyway. Worst case, I’d still get to make a few QSOs from atop a mountain—and catch the sunset while I was at it. Still a win in my book.

When I finally reached the overlook, it was completely packed—cars, bikes, and muscle cars everywhere, many from the “Slammedenuff” show in Sevierville (more on that in a bit).

I managed to snag the last parking spot and backed in. Out came my folding chair, battery box, and my Yaesu 8900 quad-band mobile. I set up my mag-mount quad-band antenna (10m/6m/2m/70cm) and tried to tune out the steady parade of muscle cars roaring up and down the parkway, each seemingly in a contest to prove who had the loudest exhaust. One driver even treated everyone to a performance of "jake braking" down the hill, letting the exhaust backfire twice, re-accelerating briefly, and then repeating all the way down the road.

There were park rangers stationed nearby, though not directly at the overlook, which I thought would’ve been the better spot to have crowd control. Still, it looked like they had their hands full. It may be that due to the overwhelming numbers of cars, they didn't want to escalate a tense situation with their presence.

Back to the radio bit. My first contact with with John in Southeast Tennessee, and despite the mountains in between us, I had him at an S5 signal. We talked for a few minutes and I started hearing another station attempting to contact me. Being up on the top of a mountain does incur a lot of stations who can hear me but not the stations I'm talking to. Kinda like 10 meters!

I got to enjoy the sunset and although I only talked to 3 people, we went across all four bands of my radio for 8 contacts total. We even did 10 meters FM to try it out and two of the hams were able to reach me with no issue (again, other than the mountain!). I packed up after about an hour as I needed to get back home.

So now my mind is stirring on how to actually incorporate the quad-bander into the battery box! I want to mount the quad-bander on either the side of the box or even on the top. I'm thinking the side would work better, but I may look at building a completely different box entirely for this radio. 

A postscript to this, the cars that were part of the car show apparently were not getting the approval of the City of Sevierville, as they cancelled the 2nd day of the 2-day event. It looks as though the cars on the parkway weren't the only hooligans out of control, as incidents all across Sevier Co were overwhelming authorities. The event was not sanctioned by the city and there were warnings for participants to behave prior to the show. I'm sure the ones that were respectful were disappointed, but unfortunately those that think they are above the law decided to discover what the "Find Out" part was all about.

I'm just glad everyone at the overlook were (for the most part) behaved. A couple of visitors were asking about my radio setup. They were amazed I was talking to Chattanooga and thought I was on CB. If they only knew...

My Tennessee QSO party activity (or what should've been!)

Well, I *WAS* supposed to participate mobile during the Tennessee QSO Party this past Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, the stars bounced out of alignment and a number of things conspired to prevent my quest from being fulfilled.

Just after work on Friday, I felt an "itch" in the back of my throat, which became the late summer cold I've been contending with all weekend long and still am fighting off. I was awake most every night trying to sleep, and too tired to stay awake during the day. But couldn't rest because my throat felt like it hot coals were embedded in my larynx and lying down made it worse.

Needless to say, talking hurt and not talking made the pain only more noticeable.

Fast-forward to Sunday morning. I got a text at 9am asking when I would be heading up to Morristown to meet my friend Jim to operate mobile. I texted back that I was recovering from a cold but I was getting better and wanted to get up and get mobile.

However, Jim couldn't have me around because...well...I was sick!!! The reasons are many but they made sense and I was extremely bummed out, because we'd been planning this for months. All gone to hell in a handbasket.

I eventually got out of bed and got on the radio and tried calling "CQ TNQP" on PSK31, and was met with about as much enthusiasm as a fox in a chicken coop. I finally made one contact after putting myself on the DX Cluster, basically announcing that I'm out there if anyone cared. Another station tried to reach out to me, but it was in the middle of a sneezing fit and when I finally took care of it they were gone.

I did get on voice - albeit unenthusiastic - and called CQ and worked several here and there on 40 meters, which seemed to be the main band to work on this day. But most all the bands were dead until late in the afternoon heading into the evening. Someone even put me out on the cluster and I became a hotspot right as my throat began to feel the effects of talking over several hours. Perfect timing, again!

Overall, I made just under 100 contacts. It wasn't my greatest showing. But I probably would have had way better success had I not gotten sick to begin with...

It seems I have a history of this happening when contest time appears, no matter which I want to work. One Field Day event we did at Melton Hill Dam, the day it took place, my voice was lost due to allergies, and I pinched a nerve in my shoulder blade area and moving my neck hurt tremendously. But, I had to stay because the group was using my callsign (I was the only extra class licensee at the time) and I had to stay in order to allow us to use the full allotment of bands to operate. To make matters worse, I checked into the Tennessee Phone Net to relay some bonus points (no one else apparently wanted to help!!!) and they couldn't hear me...BECAUSE I HAD NO VOICE!!! Imagine both my frustration as well as the receiving station trying to hear me, as well as all the other stations (im)patiently waiting their turn...

There's always next year, I suppose.

Tennessee QSO Party this Sunday SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!!

It's that time of year, again, the Tennessee QSO Party is about to happen, and this year I'm going to be doing it a bit different.

Most times I've operated from home during the party, however this year, I'm tagging along with a couple of friends and we're going to go mobile, operating along county lines to work stations and hopefully make a lot of contacts and points. We'll be using my callsign (K4HSM) during the event.

Jim, N4UHZ, Chuck, K4KKH, and I are going to hit the road in Jim's truck and gallivant across upper East Tennessee to make as many contacts as possible in the course of the 9 hours that the contest is active (Sunday, September 6, 2-11PM Eastern Time, or 1800z Sunday, September 6 until 0300z Monday, September 7, 2015) enjoying the views and the camaraderie as we trek across a few of the highways and by-ways of Tennessee.

I will be trying to update our progress via Twitter (@k4hsm) and I hope we'll be talking to you on the air!

The rules and such are here.

We'll try to operate from Hamblen, Grainger, Hancock, Claiborne, and Hawkins counties, and perhaps Greene, Jefferson, and Knox if there's time. We'll be mainly on voice but if we can get digital to work (PSK31) we may get that going as well. Jim's got D-Star but we're not sure how it will work, since no repeater QSO's are allowed.

Wish us luck!

Medical devices get FCC approval for 400 MHz

Via Bloomberg BusinessWeek:

Medical devices designed to help paralyzed patients move won U.S. regulators’ approval to use a block of radio spectrum for transmitting wireless signals to incapacitated limbs.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules that give access needed by so-called advanced microstimulator devices that use implanted electrodes to stimulate muscles with the help of a wireless controller worn outside the body.

While the devices may be a medical breakthrough, using spectrum that amateur radio has (on a secondary basis) ranging from 413-457 MHz (amateur radio uses 420-450MHz) puts at risk the use that amateur radio employs for public safety and service on the 70cm band. Besides, there is plenty of spectrum available for these devices. Since UPS isn't using the spectrum they asked for from 220-222MHz, why not give it to these devices?

The ARRL has more detailed info, which you can read here.

How close are we to losing 440?

If you've been paying attention to some of the news items this week, legislation is now introduced (by Pete King of New York) that would force amateur radio operators to give up the popular 70cm (440MHz) band by selling the spectrum off to commercial interests that would offset lost revenue from reallocating first responders' frequencies in order to streamline communications. This comes in light of a review by the 9/11 Commission which recommended a more integrated network of communicating with the different agencies to prevent the communications issues that arose during the attacks on September 11, 2001.

The frequencies given to the first responders is the freed up spectrum from the conversion of TV from analog to digital.

Bill HR 607 has now been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles telecommunications legislation. It's one of the beginning steps that is taken to get an act passed through into law. A long ways to go, but when it comes to raising money through a bake sale method, Congress finds ways to move it through in expedited fashion.

There are a couple of obstacles that could get in the way, in the form of two members of Congress who are hams. One is Greg Walden, W7EQI, who made headlines in December when he tweeted in morse code on Twitter that he was going to chair the House Communications Subcommittee. This may be the biggest ally ham radio has, and he's in a powerful position to force the bill back in to revision.

The other congressional ham operator is Representative Mike Ross, WD5DVR of Arkansas. He is a Democrat (Walden is Republican) so the potential for getting support of the opposition of this Bill in its present form on both sides of the aisle is greater.

Another potential ally is Congressman Billy Long of Missouri, who co-sponsored the Bill. He's gone on record in USA Today stating he's willing to come to an amicable solution to ensure that neither the first responders or hams are affected by this spectrum selloff, so we need to hold him to that promise.

The ARRL has a video on the bill.

I can understand the need to raise "bail money" considering the debt we're getting ourselves into, but doing so at the cost of one the best resources for emergency communications is a grave misstep. Besides, there's some spectrum down in the 220 band that was sold off awhile back and look how that turned out. Why not give that to the first responders? Or give it back to the amateur operators who would use it more than it's being used now.