THE ART OF COMMUNICATION
By Paul Toth-NB9X

COMMUNICATION. It is an interactive process of both sending thoughts, data, information, and receiving that information in a manner that is efficient and effective. If you are on the sending side of the equation, WHAT you send, WHO / WHERE you send it and the HOW of what you are sending must be well thought out (but not necessarily rehearsed), easy to understand, and meaningful to the intended receivers of the information. I will get back to this in a moment,

Conversely, for COMMUNICATION to be effective, the recipient(s) of the information being sent must be able to ingest (listen and/or read) the message, understand the importance of the information that has been transmitted, put the information into a context that provides validation and meaning to the message. Think about that for a moment. That can be a really, really tall order. How a message is interpreted by the RECEIVER may be in total agreement with the SENDER’S intent. Or the RECEIVER’S interpretation of the message could result in the meaning of the message being turned completely upside down. WOW! That is a lot to digest. And sometimes, it is not the message you send but the one you do not send that conveys the true meaning of what you are communicating.

Part of our daily human routine is to send and receive messages. Even as wee toddlers, we instinctively knew how to send the message “I am hungry” or once we had been fed “Get me out of this stinky diaper” even when our grasp of a formalized language was elusive. The intensity associated with HOW we sent those messages sometimes conveyed the real meaning of the message itself. Even a baby learns quickly how to get your attention.

You may have gotten into Ham Radio as a means of learning all about electronics and honing your technical (electronic) skills. But none of us can or should overlook the opportunity to master our interpersonal (human) communication skills. No matter whether you are using Morse Code or some other non-verbal mode or are pressing the PTT on a microphone and verbally utterly a message, the construction of the message, the context surrounding that message, and any number of what seemingly are intangible are important. Taken at a simple face value, the sentence “HAVE A NICE DAY” seems to convey a positive message. Saying it with a smile or congenial tone in your voice and will likely reinforce the positive message you are trying to convey. Speak those four words in a gruff or sarcastic manner or scream them at the top of your lungs, chances are the positive nature of the message will get drowned out or lost.

Being concise and precise with the construction of your message is also important. The more characters or words in your message, the harder it will be for the intended recipient to actually RECEIVE the true and complete meaning of the message. Even a message that is intended to convey analytical data can get lost in the weeds if it is surrounded by a lot of jibberish.

Effective communication is a real art and it takes practice, a lot of practice on both sides of the message. Being a precise, concise SENDER of information is vital. Having the LISTENING skills needed to receive and correctly interpret the message and its’ context is just as important.
-November 20, 2020

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THE CASE FOR A STRONG AMATEUR RADIO
By Paul Toth-NB9X

There are a growing number of instances where social media platforms and BIG TECH have arbitrarily taken it upon themselves to edit or censor postings (or attempts to post) from users of these platforms. This political season has witnessed numerous run-ins with the “thought police” that monitor postings and seemingly (and arbitrarily) stop activity dead in its tracks.

We can call out Facebook, Twitter, Google, and many more who are engaged in this activity. We can even sever our individual relationship with any or all of these players. But I doubt they will get the message because this is right from the “Cancel Culture” playbook. While Freedom of Speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, these BIG TECH players are private organizations and seemingly don’t believe in the concept of multiple points-of-view.

However, I would suggest this conduct is all the more reason we need to have a strong, vibrant Amateur Radio platform available for people to freely express their opinions and engage in a free exchange of ideas. After all, Amateur Radio is the “original” social media. It was here long before the creation of the Internet and long before BIG TECH had a presence. Amateur Radio has been and continued to be a multi-faceted, multi-modal conduit for the exchange of all kinds of ideas. Turn your radio up on any given day and you will hear an exchange of ideas and information that run the gamut from Technical Q&A on radio and related issues to discussions on topics that have nothing to do with technology.

Much of the information that is exchanged is in voice mode. But it doesn’t have to be. Amateur Radio operators were running textual Bulletin Board systems using Packet Radio long before there was the Internet and email. Hams have been sending pictures via Slow Scan TV for decades. Tools like WinLink enable digital messaging on numerous bands, HF, VHF, and UHF. The availability of affordable, high-speed RF data radios now enables Hams to set up their own Intranets and use the same software tools they would use to access information on the Internet. You will find such activity on the 2 GHz and 5 GHz bands here in West Central Florida. And as more Hams acquire VHF and UHF digital voice radios, they will discover there is more to their DMR, NXDN, and D-Star radios than just voice. All three modes support SDM, Short Digital Messaging, in real-time.

The impending loss of Amateur Radio operating privileges on the 3.3 GHz band is not a show stopper to develop and maintain this capability, although it would be easier if we have access to that spectrum. But, as I see it, there is a need, a strong need, to have an independent means of expressing our thoughts and ideas that are not controlled by BIG TECH and not reliant on the technology they use. We have the ability. We have the frequencies. The only question is “Do we have the intestinal fortitude and will to make it happen?”.

-October 19, 2020

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THE CHALLENGES OF SPRING
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Yes, Spring (the season) is officially here. For many Floridians, that means warmer temperatures, greener trees, the sweet scent of orange blossoms wafting through the air and, of course, the return of Daylight Saving Time. For those Floridians with allergies, the last couple weeks of March and the first couple weeks of April can also be one aspect of Spring you can do without.

Spring can also have a dramatic impact on Amateur Radio, particularly on the VHF and UHF bands and frequencies even higher. The lack of tree foliage during January and February spoils us. The leaves that populate Florida’s vast tree population have run their life cycle and are now on the ground. That creates new openings for radio waves and improves the usability of the VHF, UHF, and microwave bands, particularly by low-power, portable radios. Just as those leaves block sunlight, they also inhibit radio signals, sometimes dramatically.

Along comes March and like magic, Mother Nature waves her magic wand signaling all those trees that lost their precious foliage to open the waiting buds and bring forth a new crop of glorious green leaves. The sight of this new, abundant, green blanket raises our spirits, lifts our outlook on life, and signals the official start of Allergy Season (well two out of three isn’t bad). But all those new green leaves can also put a damper on portable radio reception and operations. By the official Spring Equinox, those portable radios just don’t seem to be working as well as they did just a couple of weeks earlier. NUTS!

Now if that wasn’t bad enough, the beast known as Daylight Saving Time shows up to rob us of an untimely hour of sleep and change the propagation patterns we enjoy during the winter months. It may not seem like a big deal. But moving the sunrise and sunset times by an hour can be significant. For HF communications, that Gray Line propagation that brings with it those really distant, really difficult to make contacts all of a sudden is now at a different time. For VHF and UHF, those evening Nets that took place in January and February during complete darkness are now occurring during a period of volatile, sometimes unpredictable propagation. As the sun sinks slowly in the West, so, too, may your ability to receive a stable signal. Sunlight generally inhibits VHF and UHF radio signals whereas darkness removes that natural inhibitor. Now, combine the changes of solar inhibitors with all the new green tree foliage and you have a recipe for a heaping helping of “radio chaos”.

Is there an antidote available to help you calms your nerves and smooth over your frustrations? Pounding the table or pulling your hair out won’t accomplish much. But making sure your radio(s) are tuned up, on-frequency, and operating with optimal power is recommended. You might also take a few minutes to inspect your antennas for salt corrosion or any damage that may have occurred during the Winter months but did not readily impact your transmissions in the darkness. If your VSWR or reflected power is more than 1.5:1 you should find the cause. I recently inspected a radio setup where the forward power of the radio was 35 watts and the reflected power was 22 watts. Those are not the readings that lend themselves to efficient operation! And if you have a digital radio (i.e. NXDN. DMR, Fusion, D-Star, etc.), check the Modulation Fidelity of the radio.

Spring is also a good time to check the output of your portable radio battery. If your battery is more than two years old, it may be time to replace it. If Spring is here, Hurricane Season is just around the corner.

BTW … if the whole Daylight Saving Time thing is getting old, drop a note to Senators Rubio and Scott. They are trying to change the law to keep us on the same time year-round.

-March 27, 2021

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THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Someone asked me the other day if I knew what the median age of the Amateur Radio operators in the U.S. was. I guess he must have thought my name was “Google”, or “Bing” or one of those Internet search engines.

If you take a look around at most Ham Radio clubs or at a Hamfest or two, you rapidly come to the conclusion the median age is probably something North of sixty-five. And if you believe the Internet, the median age of licensed U.S. Amateur Radio operators is eighty (80) years. Well, that makes me feel like a youngster (I think).

That begets asking the question, “Where is the next generation of Ham operators, RF Explorers to carry on our mission?” Maybe the question that could/should be asked is “Where are the next generation and their parents?”. I pose the question in that way because even though I had always had an interest in Ham Radio as a youth, my earlier years were spent in commercial broadcasting. It wasn’t until I was forty-five years old before I got my license.

A lot has changed since I was in High School. Back then, we barely had satellites for any communications application. We didn’t have personal computers, cell phones, video games, and all the other electronic gadgets, contraptions and the distractions that go with them. If you wanted to talk with someone half a world away or even half a county away, you got your Amateur Radio license and a “rig”. Nationwide calling, texting, and video using a handheld device wasn’t even a pipedream. But today, you can do all those things and more. And you don’t have to have a license…just Mom and Dad’s deep pockets.

No, Ham Radio may not have all the “magic” it once had. But there still are a lot of discoveries to be made and a lot of new applications for RF-based technology to be developed.

The last big influx of youth into Ham Radio was post World War II. Back then, you had a large group of young military radio operators who have developed a skill they wanted to continue using: Morse Code. What better place to tap out those dits and dahs than Ham Radio?

I think there is another group of the “Next Generation” primed and ready to jump into the RF pool. Getting them licensed and on the air may be a bit more challenging because, first, they have to know there still IS a Ham Radio available to turn them loose to explore.

Many schools, starting at the Middle School level, are now actively seeking out members of the “Next Generation” to engage in S-T-E-M programs and curricula. S-T-E-M is short for Science – Technology- Engineering – Math. Gee, this sounds like all the stuff Ham Radio is made of. And, it is. What better place for sons, daughters and in many cases, grandsons and granddaughters to learn while they explore and explore while they learn. Many of us think of Ham Radio as a “hobby”. But Ham Radio can also be home for scientific learning and a great way to develop verbal and non-verbal communications skills. And if we can attract a large enough pool of young people into Amateur Radio, they can also discover its worth (as many did fifty years ago) as a great “social media”.

Our greatest legacy may be our ability to find the “Next Generation” of Amateur Radio operators and enthusiasts and turn them on to what Ham Radio has to offer.
-September 6, 2019

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THE COST OF FREEDOM
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Aside from the TampaBay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup and the TampaBay Rays continuing their winning ways toward a possible World Series bid, 2020 has been an awful year. And I am sure some people would say that is an understatement.

Amateur Radio has taken it on the chin this year. The COVID pandemic has virtually shut down Amateur Radio license testing in most parts of the country. Only now, seven months into this health crisis, are we starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel as a few Testing Teams are starting to re-open their necessary efforts to bring new Hams into the fold and allow existing operators the opportunity to upgrade their license.

But just as we see this glimmer of light, the FCC has announced a pending Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will impose a significant fee for processing all Amateur Radio license applications. If the Commission moves forward with this action (and most observers think they will), it will soon cost fifty dollars ($50.00) for every license application submitted. This includes applications for NEW licenses, UPGRADES to existing licenses, and yes, all license RENEWALS. Everyone is going to have to dig into their wallet and WHY? Aside from publishing your license information on a website and issuing a call sign, which is largely done with automation, the FCC does very little actual work in the licensing process. The Volunteer Examiners administer the testing process (and have since the mid-1980s). Those same VECs do the data input into the FCC database that results in the issuance of a license. Amateur Radio is largely a “self-policing” entity. When all is said and done, these new proposed fees will largely be levied at the behest of our elected members of Congress who passed a law in 2018 directing the FCC to start ringing the cash register. BTW, if you want the FCC to print and send you an official license document, that, too, will also cost an additional fifty dollars ($50.00).

I have to wonder what the impact of this government (and Congressional) meddling is going to have on Amateur Radio, both as a collection of operators and as a business. If you think 2020 has been an awful year, it could be downhill from here. I can envision these new fees having a substantial negative impact on Amateur Radio. Current operators, particularly those on fixed incomes, will think twice about having to now pay for something that heretofore has been FREE. Recruiting NEW operators to keep Amateur Radio alive will become more difficult, particularly when most are already paying one of the cellular providers a substantial fee monthly for mobile radio services.

From a business perspective, several radio manufacturers will certainly be looking at their product offerings and profitability. A dwindling market could likely result in fewer radios and accessories with one or more manufacturers pulling out of the Amateur Radio market. That could spell an end to Wideband Analog radios and even force Amateur Radio operators to purchase more expensive Land Mobile Radio (Part 90) products.

There is also the “sunsetting” of Amateur Radio spectrum, the term the FCC uses when they pull the plug on Amateur Radio frequencies. The Commission recently took such action on the Amateur Radio 3.3 GHz- 3.5 GHz allocation. Since most Amateur Radio frequency bands above 30 MHz are “shared” with other spectrum users, including unlicensed Part 15 operators, who knows what will come in the future.

It has been said, “FREEDOM HAS A PRICE.” Maybe that is what we are now looking at, so as not to be relegated to the “cellular grid”.
-October 13, 2020

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THE COST OF HAM RADIO – PART 1
By Paul Toth-NB9X

One of the things that does not get a lot of discussion or visibility in Amateur Radio is the cost of this hobby.   While most Hams eventually find out what new radios, coax cable, antennas and other components cost, most have little or no idea what the costs are associated with putting a repeater on the air and maintaining one (or more).  Well, let’s shed a little sunlight on this topic.

But first, an analogy.  When you first got your license and could start using your privileges on VHF and UHF, you quickly learned about how to operate and communicate with your fellow Hams on a repeater.  Most QSOs were like talking on a telephone, except only one of you could talk at a time.  If your QSO was with a group of people, you quickly learned that if two or more in your group tried talking at the same time, there was this annoying and ear piercing racket that came through your radio’s speaker.

When you graduated to a license that allowed you to operate on HF, you quickly realized you had to learn a whole new set of skills, technical and otherwise.  Operating here was in a completely different realm that didn’t seem to have a lot in common with VHF/UHF.

Most Hams get over whatever “Mic Fright” they may have and quickly become proficient operating through a repeater with their portable or mobile radio.  But few really get to know much about the repeater itself.  If it is a Club repeater they are using, they just know that Joe or Tom or Larry is the “repeater guy”.  They are usually shielded from the details of what this magic box is, how it works and how much it costs.  It is time to change that because every repeater “user” needs to know these details.

First, repeaters are NOT like your ordinary Ham Radio transceiver.  They are usually “commercial grade” devices you will not find at your favorite Ham Radio store or website.  While most Ham radios have a Twenty Percent Duty Cycle, that is, for every minute the radio is transmitting, it is receiving (and cooling off) four more minutes.  Repeaters, on the other hand, need to have a One Hundred Percent Duty Cycle, that is, they need to be built to withstand continuous duty, no time outs.  That means better components, better construction, and better cooling,

Most repeaters usually require a “Controller”, another piece of electronics that controls how the repeater operates, including the transmission of its FCC ID every ten minutes.  Most repeaters also require a “Duplexer”, a filtering device that must be tuned to the frequencies (input and output) the repeater operates on.  Many repeaters also use an external Power Amplifier and an external Receiver Pre-amp to enable the use of low power end user portable radios.  There is also the Power Supply, the coax cable (usually not the LMR400 most Hams use at their Home station), a commercial grade antenna built to withstand the rigors of the environment they operate it and of course, a high-quality Lightning Arrestor to keep Mother Nature from blowing everything up.

Whoa!  That’s a lot of stuff.  It is!  And the cost of all that stuff can be, collectively, ten or twenty times (or more) the cost of your Home station!

But that is just the starting point.  Most repeaters are located on tall buildings or commercial towers.  While many repeater owners have been successful in getting a monthly tower or building space fee waived, the cost of Liability Insurance, tower climbing fees, electricity and Internet service adds up quickly.  For example, one trip up a commercial tower to mount an antenna or install coax cable can cost thousands of dollars.  Many tower owners and building owners now require insurance that goes well beyond your homeowner’s or vehicle insurance coverage.

In my next article, we are going to discuss why every Ham has a stake in keeping your local repeater(s) on the air and what you can do to ensure your favorite repeater is there when you want to use it.

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THE COST OF HAM RADIO – Part 2
By Paul Toth-NB9X

In my last post, I mentioned that most Hams have little or no knowledge about all the things that go into the operation of a Ham Radio repeater.  They just know if they want to use one, they
need to program the transmit and receive frequencies into their radio (along with the Offset, CTCSS tone or RAN code) and press the Push-To-Talk button.

No matter WHO owns and operates the repeater, every USER of that repeater has a financial stake in keeping it on the air.  REPEATERS ARE NOT FREE!!!

Here in Florida (and most places), there are three groups of repeater owners.  The first group is the LOCAL Repeater Club.  Depending on where the club is located (rural versus urban) and how many members are in the Club, the repeater system may be a single VHF or UHF repeater, a VHF and a UHF repeater at a single site or a multi-site repeater system that may include multiple repeaters.  Most Club repeaters cover a very specific (and limited) geographic area.   Most Clubs charge an Annual Membership Dues or fee, much of which is used to cover the costs I talked about in my last post.  If a repeater, antenna or some other component needs to be replaced, the Treasurer may need to “pass the hat” to cover the costs involved.

The second group of repeater owners is Government.  Many local Emergency Management agencies operate one or more repeaters for use by their local RACES, ARES or ACS groups.  When there is no emergency in progress, the repeater(s) are usually available for all Hams to use.  In this case, your property taxes are paying for the repeater(s).

Finally, the third group consists of private individuals or non-Club operators.  The repeater(s) may or may not be OPEN for all to use or may cater to a specific group of operators.

The West Central Florida Group, Inc. falls into this third category.  The NI4CE system was conceived in 2000 as an OPEN repeater system to enable Hams in a multi-county region to communicate with each other using portable and mobile VHF and UHF equipment.  NI4CE is a one-stop point of contact during major severe weather events.  It enables a daily regional NTS Traffic Net, a regional Technical Net and provides regional Ham Radio support for organizations and events that would otherwise require a “spin the dial” approach to communicate.

It costs around $3,600.00 a year to operate and maintain NI4CE.  That’s around $300.00 per month.  If we had to cover the cost of tower space in real dollars, multiply that figure by 10!  We don’t talk about this on the air because Part 97 of the FCC rules prohibits us from doing so.

By comparison, some commercial SMR repeater systems with similar coverage charge $35.00 to $50.00 per month to use their repeaters.  But NI4CE is Ham Radio and, by law, we are prohibited from doing that, too.

What we can do is ASK (NI4CEly) here for your support.  If we all pitch in just a little bit every month to underwrite the cost of this one of a kind community and regional Ham Radio resource, we, the NI4CE users, can continue to enjoy something most areas of the country do not have on the air and available 24/7/365.  Do your part.  Click on one of the PayPal buttons you will find on the NI4CE Home Page right now.

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THE EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY: Does It Really Exist?
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Earlier this year, the FCC announced they would begin requiring ALL Amateur Radio operators to provide a working email address. The Commission’s justification for this requirement was their plan to use electronic communications, specifically email, to conduct “official FCC Business” with Amateur Radio license holders. And, effective later this year, email would be the primary, maybe even the exclusive means of communications.

This email mandate will take effect in just a few short weeks at the end of June. For those of you who do not have a bona fide email address, this means time is running short. But having a Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook.com (and there are others) in hand is not enough. You also need a device to be able to send and receive your emails. A cell phone with Internet access may be all you will need. Then, too, there may be the option of using a “community computer” at a local library or Community Center if you don’t have one of those critters in your shack. Maybe this won’t be the gigantic “Pain in the Backside” it could be.

When this new mandate was first announced, some people immediately raised questions about “privacy”. Let me see. You are a licensed Amateur Radio operator. Your name and mailing address are part of a ‘public record”, published by the government in plain sight and available for anyone and everyone to see. Chances are you have at least one telephone, another means of electronic communications, whose number is published somewhere for general consumption. Now, the same government agency that is responsible for collecting and publishing your address is asking for an email address to add to the Public Record and for the purpose of “official communications”. And you are worried about privacy? I think that ship sailed a long time ago!

But, wait. One of those entities that raised the original privacy question was none other than the ARRL. In an email recently sent to their membership, the ARRL is now claiming the FCC will somehow keep your email address “hidden”. Huh? That is a contradiction of terms and reality. Your FCC license and everything that is a part of your license record is a public document. And even if someone at the FCC thinks they somehow can keep your email address “hidden”, all it is going to take is an FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) request to shine the light of day on it.

This is 2021. I am not sure there is such a thing as “privacy” anymore, even if you are a hermit living in a cave or on some remote mountaintop and think you have taken yourself completely off the grid. Like it or not, Amateur Radio operators have had no realistic expectation of privacy since the day the FCC issued you the license. In fact, and under an International Treaty that prohibits the use of encryption over the air, everything we do is out in the open! Next subject!

-May 24, 2021

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THE HAM RADIO TRIFECTA
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Horse racing fans are familiar with the term “Trifecta”. This is a bet that is wagered on which horses will come in First, Second and Third, in that order. Trifectas can lead to big payouts for the fan who can get it right.

Ham Radio, too, is facing a Trifecta of its own. However, the race being run is potentially an existential contest to the Finish Line, with the operative word being “Finish”.

Ham Radio is facing three major challenges we cannot ignore. Challenge #1 and maybe the one that is most dire, is the loss of licensed Amateur Radio operators. We have previously noted in our posts about the average age of the licensed domestic Ham population. It is currently eighty-five years old and climbing. Let’s face it, none of us are getting any younger. And while age supposedly increases “collective wisdom”, there also comes an increasing inability to carry out our collective charge as defined in Part 97.1 of the FCC rules.

Challenge #2 is something we have been battling for some time (particularly here in Florida): Private Law Property Restrictions that limit (and in many cases prohibit) the use of outdoor antennas. This has turned many licensed operators into “Living Silent Keys”, forcing them off the air and into the column labeled “Hams in Name Only”.

And then there is Challenge #3: Congress and Government Regulators. Lawmakers have routinely discounted the modern potential of Ham Radio, mandating Spectrum Auctions that strip us of our frequency assignments and failing to pass meaningful legislation that guarantees property rights to erect outdoor antennas. And then there are the regulators who have failed to modernize the rules that govern Ham Radio to explicitly include new technology and methods. While the broadcast, cellular and two-way radio industries have all gone DIGITAL, Part 97 has failed to keep pace. It still authorizes Wide Band FM, NTSC Fast Scan TV and effectively restricts Hams from operating high-speed RF networks where the FCC has seen fit to authorize unlicensed, Part 15 use of spectrum assigned to Amateur Radio. At the same time, these same regulators have been seemingly impotent stemming the influx of cheap, foreign-made radios that are trashing our VHF and UHF spectrum with emissions that just don’t pass muster!

It may be a Perfect Storm. But there is a whole New Generation of Ham Operators in the wings. I know this because we are about to embark on a campaign to help get them trained and licensed. Later this month, the NI4CE Leadership Team and members of our VE Team will begin working with a large group of young men and women who are part of the Clearwater Civil Air Patrol Squadron. These are bright, energized and enthusiastic candidates, many who participate in S-T-E-M (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) programs at their local High Schools. We will keep you posted as this program progresses.

At the same time, NI4CE is reaching out to other youth-oriented groups to help generate their interest in becoming part of Ham Radio’s Next Generation. This is essential if Ham Radio is going to thrive in the 21st Century.
-January 4, 2020

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THE IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL RADIO
By Paul Toth-NB9X

I have written before about Digital Two-Way Radio, the several flavors of digital radio that are currently available. I have also discussed what some of the differences between these Common Air Interfaces (CAI) are and why the West Central Florida Group, Inc. made NXDN as its choice for the digital repeaters we operate.

One thing I have not gotten into is WHY digital two-way radio for VHF and UHF is important to the Amateur Radio community here in West Central Florida and for that matter, to Hams everywhere. Once you understand that, I think you will agree it is something we all need to take seriously.

Hams have not been mandated by the FCC (or any other body yet) to go Narrowband on VHF and UHF. We have been allowed to continue operating with 25 KHz, wideband FM (WBFM) signals on these two important bands, unlike commercial, Land Mobile Radio operators. But don’t believe for a minute that 12.5 KHz Narrowband FM (NBFM) operations will never come. Many newer “Ham” radio products will operate in NBFM mode. It is not a matter of “if” but rather a matter of “when” this will occur.

What is narrowbanding all about? It is simple: Doing More With Less. Narrowband FM operations can enable up to twice as many radio channels for both repeater and simplex operations. But there are some significant drawbacks with Narrowbanding many Ham have yet to discover. One big drawback is the loss of coverage. Narrowband repeaters generally experience a twenty-five percent or more loss of their coverage footprint versus their current WBFM operation. That’s HUGE! This loss of coverage will cause more instances of weak signal reception and loss of reception altogether. Another downside is the impact of more repeaters on the air. More repeaters can increase the probability of Intermod when two or more signals from different sources mix to create a spurious signal.

So WHY is digital so important? And WHY should Hams start paying more attention to DIGITAL? Again it’s all about “doing more with less”.

NI4CE selected NXDN as the digital mode we would support for several reasons. NXDN radios operate with 6.25 KHz channel bandwidth. But instead of suffering a loss of coverage, NXDN actually provides a ten percent or more increase in coverage when compared with a WBFM signal. NXDN voice is clear, no static, no “snap-crackle-pop” even when the received signal strength in analog would be noisy and unreadable. NXDN radios can also be used to deliver text messaging and GPS location data. And the process of connecting NXDN repeaters over IP / Internet to form a repeater network is very simple and straightforward.

End-user NXDN radios are readily available and feature-rich, There is more than one manufacturer producing NXDN radios. And support for the development of applications for the Ham community is also available.

To help Hams in West Central Florida know more about NXDN, we have set up the NI4CE-NXDN email group. You can join the discussion by sending an email to [email protected]. We will be happy to add you to the list. And watch the NI4CE.org website for news about an NXDN Net on the NI4CE NXDN Repeaters coming soon.

Go to facebook.com/NI4CE now and tell us what you think. Or send an email to [email protected].

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THE IMPORTANCE OF STANDARDS
By Paul Toth-NB9X

I was reminded of the importance of building around “standards” recently when I was trying to pull up to the gasoline pump.  If the Automobile Industry built all the vehicles to a single standard for the location of the Fuel Intake, the chaos I was experiencing could have been avoided.  But, NO, some vehicles have to have the Fuel Intake on the LEFT side while others have it on the RIGHT side.  You will also find some vehicles with the Fuel Intake at the REAR of the vehicle (hidden by the fold down license plate frame). Yeesh!  It’s a wonder there isn’t road rage at the pumps!

The same thing holds true for the electronics industry.  Yes, there are quite a few IEEE and EIA standards that spell out how a radio or television should perform.  These standards govern any number of operating parameters, from spurious emissions to selectivity to receiver sensitivity.  Yes, there is a single broadcast standard for FM HD signaling, for digital television (currently ATSC 1.0 but coming soon ATSC 3.0).  But even within the standards, there are now a number of variants that ingesting an over-the-air television signal REQUIRES TV receives to be capable of digesting 720p, 1080i, 4K and now 8K.  In other words, thirty years later, we are still waging the Beta vs VHS battle with no end in sight.

The battle consuming both Land Mobile Radio and VHF-UHF Amateur Radio is sheer and utter nonsense.  In December 2004, the FCC issued a Report and Order spelling out the technical parameters their Engineering folks wanted to see adopted for the migration to narrow-band channel operation in VHF and UHF.  The three defining items were Channel Width (6.25 KHz), Modulation Method (FDMA) and Data Rate (4800 baud).  Now that doesn’t seem too complicated or difficult to understand, does it?  Problem is, those defining parameters were released AFTER the APCO25 Phase One standard for Public Safety was already being sold and after a number of consumers already had Motorola’s MotoTRBO TDMA radios in their hands.  So, instead of sticking to their principles (and standards), the FCC wimped out and wrote exemptions For P25 Phase 1 and MotoTRBO (DMR), both requiring 12.5 KHz channels into the Report and Order.  As a result, we are no closer to realizing the goal the FCC set today than we were in 2004!

Cellular communications are just as chaotic with four different modulation schemas currently on the air and 5G on the way.

There is even a food fight being waged in the implementation of analog communications.  The implementation of Land Mobile Radio Narrowbanding in 2013 has resulted in a 12.5 KHz channel standard for LMR while Amateur Radio remains (for the most part) at 25 KHz.

Yes, I get it.  As technology enables us to do more with less, it is only natural to want to embrace the newest technology.  But let’s bring some sanity (and common sense) to the process.  Create a technical standard for each application (i.e. Land Mobile Radio, Broadcast AM and FM digital radio, Amateur Radio, Marine and Aviation Radio, etc.), adopt it and move on.  Let the manufacturers compete on quality, features and price point.

I started this post looking at the positioning of the Fuel Intake on vehicles.  Manufacturers — take your pick:  Left, Right or Center and be consistent.  Same holds true for the height the headlights and turn signals are mounted at no matter whether it is a passenger car, SUV, pickup truck or other-the-road Big Rig.
-April 7, 2019

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THE INSIDE STORY
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Recently, on one of our Wednesday night TampaBay Area NXDN Nets, we talked about using your portable and mobile Ham Radios indoors.  By the way, if you don’t have a NXDN digital radio, you need to get one and join us every Wednesday evening at 8:00 PM on the growing six-repeater TampaBay Area NXDN Network, Talkgroup 1200.

Back to the topic at hand, INDOOR COMMUNICATIONS.  Using a radio inside your well-built, hurricane standard home or business can be a challenge.  Reliable VHF communications are particularly challenging because of the band’s longer wavelength.  But even on UHF, the four or five watts your radio transmits with can push the radio and repeater you are using to their respective limits.  The materials your home is constructed with act as a giant RF attenuator.  Concrete block walls will easily inhibit incoming and outgoing signals by 20 dB.  Some hurricane-rated windows can offer some relief unless they incorporate transparent film which not only stops flying objects but RF signals as well.  Older windows that have had Hurricane Film added act like a mirror to a radio signal.  Metal blinds on your windows will also add another layer of difficulty for RF.

Then, there is your roof.  Metal roofs are sturdy, durable and do a great job reflecting sunlight and heat.  They also stop radio waves dead in their tracks.  Shingle roofing material is a lot friendly to RF and easier to penetrate.

Some homes and commercial buildings are now using steel studs instead of traditional wood Two-By-Fours.  If the dwelling you are in uses steel, there is yet another speed bump to overcome.

With hurricane season upon us, figuring out how to use your Ham Radio portable or base station inside your dwelling takes on new importance.  Here are a couple of tips that can pay big dividends.

• INDOOR ANTENNA Most residential buildings have some vertical and horizontal space to house an antenna.  You may be limited to a “mobile antenna” mounted on a circular ground plane and attached to a joist for stability.  But this will buy you some extra height and allow your antenna to transmit and receive through roofing material which is generally less of an inhibitor than concrete and stucco.  If you have a metal roof, try to locate the antenna near a dormer or vertical wall not covered in metal.
• LOW PROFILE ANTENNA If the vertical clearance in your attic is minimal, you may be limited to a quarter-wave vertical antenna.  Another possible solution is one of the MP Antenna Multi-polarized mobile antennas.  The 08-ANT0863 “Classic” supports VHF, 222 MHz and UHF.  If you are really jammed up for vertical space, the 08-ANT0864 UHF antenna is a real performer.  If you do not have vertical space for the lower ground radials, use the top portion of these antennas along with a circular flat metal ground plane.
• LOW LOSS COAX Use a low loss cable, like LMR-400, Belden 9913 or Eupen EC1-50 to minimize loss.  Try to avoid using RG-58U.  The loss factor is just too high.
• SPARE BATTERIES Have at least one spare, fully charged battery for each of your portable radios.  As you drain your battery, your radio’s transmit output power will also drop.  Consider purchasing a high capacity UPS to recharge your radio batteries or run your mobile radio from.  A deep cycle Gel Cell Battery can be very useful to power your station.

Finally, if you have a generator to help you through any extended loss of commercial power, consider adding a Line Conditioner, like the Tripplite LC1800 or LC2400 to run your electronics on.  Even a small deviation in frequency (something other than true 60 Hz) may cause problems keeping your radio on frequency or even re-charging a UPS.

While standing next to a window will usually provide the least RF resistance, it is not a place you want to be during stormy weather.  A few precautions now when the sun is shining can pay dividends.
-August 15, 2019

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THE HAM RADIO REPEATER (Part 1)
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Most Hams, particularly those operators new to Ham Radio, use one or more VHF or UHF repeaters to communicate with their local Ham Radio friends. The repeater is that magic box that enables you to communicate more than a mile or two, particularly if you are using a portable radio.

So what is a repeater? How does it work? Why do some repeaters cover more territory than others?

First, let’s talk about the radio side of the repeater. Most portable and mobile radios operate in half-duplex mode. That is, they transmit and receive but not simultaneously. That’s called Half Duplex mode operation and is the “norm” for two-way radio. Repeaters, on the other hand, receive an incoming signal (uplink) and then immediately re-transmit that signal (downlink) on a different frequency. In the VHF band, the uplink signal is usually 600 KHz above or below the downlink signal. In the UHF band, there is usually a 5 MHz difference between the uplink (mobile and portable user) and the downlink (repeater output).

A repeater can use one antenna to receive the uplink signal and a separate antenna to transmit the downlink (repeater output). The antennas usually require some amount of vertical separation, usually 20 feet for UHF, 30 feet or more for VHF. If that vertical separation cannot be achieved, a single antenna can be used to receive the uplink signal and transmit the downlink repeater output. In order to keep the local transmit signal from causing interference and feedback into the repeater’s receiver, a set of RF filters, called a duplexer, is now part of the repeater system.

Duplexers come in various shapes sizes and configurations. The filters are tuned to pass the specific frequency that is being received or transmitted, nothing more, nothing less. Most duplexers consist of four filters, two for receive and two for transmit. As you increase the power output of the transmitted signal, more RF filtering is usually required on both the receive and transmit side of the equation.

A repeater system can incorporate a receive Pre-amp. This boosts the strength of the incoming uplink signal by 15 dB or more. To boost the strength of the repeater’s output (downlink), an external Power Amplifier can be used.

Many Ham repeaters use an external Repeater Controller to enable Station IDs, announcements and connections with link radios or other audio sources like a Weather Alert radio.

All of the active components (e.g. repeater, controller, receiver pre-amp, RF power amplifier) all require electrical power to operate. That’s where a 13.8 VDC Power Supply (sometimes with a Battery Backup) comes into the picture.

Finally, there is the transmission line and Lightning Protection. If the repeater is on a building top, like an apartment or condo building, a hospital or a tall office building, your cable can be relatively short. However, if your antenna is mounted in a tower, your cable can be quite long and lose a lot of signal along the way.

We’ll discuss the challenges of operating a repeater in our next post.

Go to facebook.com/NI4CE now and tell us what you think.  Or send an email to [email protected]

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THE HAM RADIO REPEATER – (Part 2)
By Paul Toth-NB9X

In our last post, we detailed the several different components that make up a typical Ham Radio repeater. If you were not aware of how many working parts there are in most repeaters, don’t feel bad. Most Hams just think of a repeater as a “black box” and never get into the intimate details to appreciate the complexity.

One of the questions we posed in our last post was what determines the geographic area a repeater covers. The downlink transmit power of a repeater is one determining factor. Another factor is the efficiency of the coax cable and antenna. What determines the Effective Radiated Power (ERP) or a repeater is a complex equation: Transmitter Power Output – (Duplexer Loss + Coax Cable Loss) + Antenna Gain. For example, if your repeater output is 50 watts, Duplexer Loss=3 dB plus Coax Loss=3 dB, with an Antenna Gain of 3dBd, your Effective Radiated Power will be 25 watts.

The biggest determining factor of just how far a repeater will be able to receive and transmit is Antenna Height. An antenna located one hundred feet above ground level (AGL) will have a line-of-sight horizon line of 11.89 miles. By comparison, a repeater antenna located at 1,000 feet (AGL) will have a line-of-sight horizon line of 37.60 miles, quite a difference. The formula for determining the horizon line for a repeater is SQRT(1.414*Ant Ht (in feet)). Because radio waves can go beyond the line-of-sight horizon, the formula for determining the Radio Horizon is SQRT(1.414*Ant HT)*1.333.

The NI4CE system is much more than a collection of stand-alone repeaters. Our five sites are strategically located and constructed to optimize coverage. But more importantly, by linking the five sites together, many parts of West Central Florida’s most densely populated counties enjoy overlapping coverage from two or more sites. This design is not by accident and affords many operators the ability to access the system from more than one site.

Building and maintaining a repeater system, whether it is a one site system or the five site system that is NI4CE, is a challenging and costly endeavor. But without repeaters, like NI4CE, Ham Radio’s ability to use of the 2 meter (VHF) and 70 cm (UHF) bands would be severely limited. Now that you know what goes into a repeater system, we think you will have a much better appreciation of all the repeaters that are on the air here in West Central Florida and the role they play in your Ham Radio life.

Go to facebook.com/NI4CE now and tell us what you think.  Or send an email to [email protected]

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THE “MOBILE NOW” ACT
By Paul Toth-NB9X

As we end 2019 and head into a brand new decade, I would like to take a moment to thank all the people who continue to support the West Central Florida Group, Inc. Our mission since 2001 has been to support the Amateur Radio operators who have made this part of Florida home and to provide a regional communications infrastructure to support our communities during severe weather outbreaks and other emergencies. To all who read our posts, best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The next decade is going to be challenging for the future of Amateur Radio. During the last two weeks, the Federal Communications Commission has issued two rule making documents that will rescind the operating privileges that come with our license over two hundred seventy-five megahertz of spectrum. Sometime in 2020, Amateur Radio operators will no longer be allowed to operate in the 3.3 GHz – 3.5 GHz band. And to add insult to injury, our secondary allocation from 5.850 GHz – 5.925 GHz will also become history. But before you have a few choice words for the FCC, it turns out they were simply following the law, the “Mobile Now” Act enacting in 2017.

This piece of legislation, sponsored by Senator John Thune (R-SD) and enacted in 2017 by the last Congress, grew out of a 2010 Presidential Memorandum from the Obama Administration aimed at promoting the development of Gigabit Broadband Wireless services. What the “Mobile Now” Act did was set the wheels in motion for the re-distribution RF spectrum between 3100 MHz – 3500 MHz and 3700 MHz – 4200 MHz. It also directs the FCC to find 100 MHz of spectrum for unlicensed (Part 15) use. 5850 MHz – 5890 MHz will soon become the latest Wi-Fi playground in your neighborhood. This was baked into a cake three years ago and is now being served up for your dining and dancing pleasure!

The Act also directs the Commission to investigate the feasibility to developing a number of “millimeter wave” bands between 24 GHz and 86 GHz for commercial fixed and mobile broadband use. There is also considerable language governing the use of Federal Highway Right-of-Way for this development. Given the “throw distance” of signals in this part of the spectrum, it might just be cheaper to modulate overhead light emitters and get a real bang for your buck! Gee, RED light emissions really will stop your vehicle until the first hurricane, tornado or earthquake comes along and wipes it all out.

Of course, all is not completely lost. The “Mobile Now” Act also directs the FCC to conduct yet another in the recent series of revenue generating Spectrum Auctions with proceeds to go into the General Fund. After all, we need some way to pay off the interest on all the money that has already been borrowed and spent.

This might see like a bad parody you might find in some third rate science fiction publication. But it’ real and the publication is the Federal Registry. I’m sure the Cellular Industry and others in “Big Tech” are drooling to get their hands on all this new RF spectrum, particularly given all the money they are already spending hyping the benefits of “5G”. If I sound a bit cynical, it’s because I am.  Cheers!
-December 22, 2019

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THE LAST MILE OR THE EXTRA MILE
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Some of you who are reading this article have no memories or recollection of those days when the telephone was ONLY a wired device. You simply hadn’t been born yet. Up until the early 1980s (and that’s not all that long ago), telephones required a wired connection. Touch-tone phones were even more demanding as they required a wired connection that observed polarity, that is, one wire was positive, the other was negative.

Sure, there were “wireless” communications devices and systems out there, primarily for Public Safety and Amateur Radio. It was half-duplex, Push-To-Talk two-way radio and not all that different than what still is in use today. Wireless communications for the masses, as we know it today, is a relatively recent development. It was followed shortly thereafter by something even more robust, Wireless Internet. And, yes, it has changed our lives in many significant ways.

When cellular and wireless networks were first introduced, they were billed as “Last Mile” technology. This moniker was recognition the underlying network was (and still is) “wired”. In many places, the copper media that formed the “network” has been upgraded with glass, fiber optic media. That evolution has enabled the network to expand its traffic capacity exponentially. This increased capacity, in turn, has led to more and more “last mile” wireless gateways to support the exponential growth of users and devices.

Amateur Radio, in its original form, still exists and remains the cornerstone for those of us who are licensed operators. For those Hams who have jumped into the deep end of the VHF-UHF Digital Amateur Radio pool, many of our wireless devices and capabilities are now extensions of the much larger ‘wired” network. Here are a couple of examples.

When APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) was introduced in the early 1990s, it was a completely “wireless” means of tracking people, vehicles, ships using GPS coordinates, also gleaned wirelessly. In the late 1990s, digital weather telemetry began riding the APRS wireless network. As the APRS community grew, placing more demands on the network, it became clear there was a need to “gate” some of the data to the Internet. The 2021 APRS Network still relies on wireless “Digipeaters” to transport and relay signals from vehicles, weather stations, and other “endpoints”. Many of those Digipeaters (including all of the NI4CE Digipeaters) are connected to the Internet. Why? Because the “wired” network has the breadth and capacity to carry the increased load.

Another example of how Amateur Radio operators are using the larger, wired network is with “Hotspots”. These are small computing devices that enable Hams with low-power, portable radios to connect to their fellow Hams using advanced digital communications modes like NXDN, DMR, D-Star, P25, and Fusion. NI4CE has led the way here building out a more traditional, repeater-based NXDN communications network. This affords West Central Florida Hams with mobile and portable NXDN radios to communicate tens of miles away from the “wired” network. More importantly, QSOs with other NXDN-equipped Hams can be conducted on a complete wireless basis at distances of seventy-five miles and more.

Many areas of the U.S. are not as fortunate as we are. Amateur Radio repeaters serving the NXDN, DMR, P25, D-Star, and Fusion communities remain to be constructed. The ”Extra Miles” and the freedom of movement from the wired network our Hams enjoy here are just not available to these Hams. The Hotspot and its limited wireless footprint from the wired network are all that is available.

Most of our neighbors can now enjoy and benefit from their “Last Mile” cellular connection, that link is just that, the “Last Mile” to a wired network. For the “Extra Mile(s)” and in many cases an end-to-end wireless experience, you need to look no further than Amateur Radio. That’s the truth – no misinformation!
-August 3, 2021

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The Power of APRS
By Paul Toth-NB9X

Ham Radio is sometimes more about the technology than applying available technology to solve a problem or a need. It has also been, over the years, a proving ground for many of the communications technologies we now use in everyday life. This article is about a Ham Radio technology that is a very practical solution that benefits everyone.

We know this technology by its four-letter acronym, APRS. That’s short for Automatic Position Reporting System. APRS is a mix of GPS technology, mapping software, and Ham Radio. Its roots date back to the early 1990s at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis MD where Professor Bob Bruninga was looking for a low-cost method for tracking Midshipmen as they conducted maneuvers on the water.

Today, in the commercial world, the practical application of APRS allows transportation companies to track their fleets, provides firefighters and other in Public Safety situational awareness at events large and small and pizza drivers the needed information to get you your pie while it is still hot.

But APRS has turned into much more. In 1997, twin identical brothers, Keith (WU2Z) and Mark (KB2ICI) Sproul, teamed up with another Ham Radio operator who was heavily involved with the National Weather Service SKYWARN program in New Jersey to expand APRS’ mission. They were the first to bring the transmission of live weather telemetry to APRS as a practical transport. Hundreds of Amateur Radio weather stations beacon temperature, wind, barometric pressure and rainfall data in real time to enhance the SKYWARN program. The data from these weather stations also supplement data from NOAA sensors to help forecasters plot tomorrow’s forecast.

APRS weather station data can provide accurate, real-time information on rainfall and wind speed and direction to trigger severe weather warnings. That data is also used to tell forecasters whether radar estimates of precipitation are accurate. And sometimes, that data can be used to track a storm. Such was the case in 2004 when APRS weather stations here in West Central Florida provided a means of tracking Hurricane Francis when other instrument data was offline because of the storm.

The West Central Florida Group operates a number of APRS Weather Stations and Digipeaters to support the network here. Other Hams, including Dave-KG4YZY in Pasco County, Polk County Emergency Management and Highlands Co. Emergency Management have joined the effort. And so can you. All you need is a weather instrument sensor package (some of the most popular are from Peet Brothers in St. Cloud, FL and Davis Instruments), a two-meter radio to operate on 144.390 MHz, a TNC, like the Kantronics KPC-3+ or the new WX3in! controller and an antenna system. Once your station is on the air, you will want to register it with the National Weather Service’s Community Weather Observer Program (CWOP). You can do so online at www.wxqa.com/SIGN-UP.html

If you are a licensed Ham and are operating a weather station on the Internet only, exercise your operating privileges and put your station on the air.

Tell us what you think. Send us an email at [email protected]. Or go to facebook.com/NI4CE and leave us a comment.

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