Robert Schmieder, KK6EK

Bob is a physicist, with more than 80 technical publications, 2 patents, and numerous popular articles. He is the author of five books.

He is the owner and operator of a research vessel, the Cordell Explorer. Founder and Expedition Leader of Cordell Expeditions, a nonprofit research group begun in 1977. The group is responsible for the creation of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which was designated entirely on the basis of results from Cordell Expeditions.

He is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and current Chairman of its Northern California Chapter. He has been listed in almost every Who's Who in the world.

Licensed since 1962, he now holds an Extra Class license. Bob is a phone man, and he likes to operate 10 through 80 meters.

He is active in Islands on the Air (IOTA), having activated five New Ones: Farallons, NA-178; Guadalupe, NA-179; Roqueta, NA-183; Northern California Group, NA-184; and Central California Group, NA-187.

Other calls he has held are XF1/KK6EK, VP8CPK, 4K1/KK6EK, CE0/KK6EK, VK6EKK, and VK0EK.

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Raffle

We raffled nearly $1000 in valuable prizes at the banquet, including:

• Yaesu FT-840 100-watt HF transceiver
• Garmin GPS V Deluxe 'turn-by-turn' GPS receiver
• Heil Traveler-VX headset
• KILL-A-WATT LCD volt/watt meter
• Valor PM144-440 magnetic mount antenna
• More . . .

Learning the Morse Code - 'Tis Harder to Receive than to Send

Les Kopari, WY6H

Les, WY6H wants to help others learn the Morse Code and addresses the problem that we all face as beginners - memorizing the translation table. This table is often presented alphabetically, which is good for sending code (just look up the letter and send the sound) but very difficult to use for receiving. So a receive-oriented organization of the code table is presented that allows us to learn 25% of the letters & numbers in 10 seconds. From this foundation, we put the rest of the letters and numbers in place so that we can quickly learn, memorize and recognize the Morse Code. Look for a light, lively and interactive session with frequent audience participation as Les acts as our cheerleader in “Learning Morse Code Verbally.”

Kristen's 20-Meter Field Deployable Beam: “A Work in Progress”

Kristen McIntyre, K6WX

Being antenna challenged by living in an apartment can force you to think harder about compact antennas and operating in the field. That was the case for me. I wanted an antenna that I could put up by myself, had gain, and didn't have to be high in the air. My answer was a 3-element, shortened in all dimensions, 20-meter beam that is vertically polarized and mostly made from commonly available plumbing parts and hamsticks. It's not the prettiest thing, but it sure appears to work. I'll talk about why I chose this design, the process of simulation, and the prototype that is still very much a work in progress.

ALE -- Not Your Typical Beverage

Patricia Gibbons, WA6UBE

Automatic Link Establishment or ALE is a unique communication protocol whereby radios search frequencies and find each other, and thereby establish connections automatically. Networks can form autonomously out of thin air, with no prior arrangements. ALE was developed for military tactical HF communications, but has become increasingly popular for Amateur Radio communications. WA6UBE will present an overview of the operation and advantages of Automatic Link Establishment.

Harvesting Solar Power in Space and Getting It Down to Earth

Jay Skiles, PhD.

Dr. Skiles has performed research on the affects of low-level microwave radiation on plant growth to determine if such radiation is detrimental to life. This research is important to insure that energy can be safely beamed down to earth from space without harming plants and animals.

Resources:

• Audio story at Earth & Sky Radio

Operating QRP

Jim Peterson, K6EI

[Part of the meeting time this month will be directed to Field Day plans.]

Operating your Ham station off the Grid

Joel Wilhite, KD6W

Solar panels, generators and battery banks can free your station from dependence on commercial power. KD6W will describe how to power a full size station, whether for field day or at home when commercial power fails.

Amateur Television - Real TV over Amateur Radio

Michael Wright, K6MFW

Not cellphone cam, this is live, broadcast television video over amateur radio. Michael demonstrates Amateur Television (ATV) and provides insight on how to set up an operate an ATV station.

Annual Amateur Radio Homebrew Contest

This is your chance to share your latest project with our audience. Anyone may bring a Ham radio project for show and presentation. We awarded cash prizes for the best projects. Come to win, or just to share.

Prizes:

1st	$40
2nd	$30
3rd	$20

The winners were: Arv, WA6UUT; Dale, NX6X, and Dave, AE6EO.

SVWUX Emergency Communications Network Design

Chris Verges, KG4YSN

Communications is the number one problem identified during and after most major disasters. SVWUX, a non-profit group of wireless enthusiasts, is designing and deploying a communications network to be used for long-term disaster relief efforts. This presentation gives an overview of the network and highlights some of the unique solutions SVWUX has developed.

Ham Radio gifts for the Holidays

Howard Califf, W6HOC

Howard talks about some of the latest offerings in ham radio equipment, just in time for the holiday buying season.

Novel and Strange Ideas in Antennas and Impedance Matching

Steve Stearns, K6OIK

Electromagnetic theory allows for some strange antennas. Likewise, the rules of impedance matching permit strange results. Steve, K6OIK, shows some unusual antennas and two methods (one old, one new) for getting a near perfect 1:1 VSWR over arbitrarily wide bandwidth. Steve discusses the current hot topic in electromagnetic research - achieving invisibility. We can wonder whether Santa Claus uses a similar method.