News
HAPPY PI DAY
Saturday, March 16th, 2019
Today, March 14, is commemorated as international PI day in honor of one of the most important numbers used in our understanding of the physical universe.
Pi is an irrational number, which means it cannot be represented as a simple fraction, and those numbers cannot be represented as terminating or repeating decimals. Therefore, the digits of pi go on forever in a seemingly random sequence. It is the ratio of the circumference of a circle and the diameter of a circle.
Circumference = pi times D where D is the diameter of the circle.
The first hundred digits of PI are:
3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 3421170679 …
And I see that the restaurant Shari’s is offering a free piece of PIE for a ten dollar purchase on Pi Day to existing signed-up customers. A fancy play on words there.
PUTTING A LOT OF HAM DATA ON ONE MONITOR by DEL WA7AQH
Tuesday, February 26th, 2019
This setup belongs to Del WA7AQH. The monitor is a 48″ LG 4K UHD TV at 3840×2160 resolution. Was $329 at Costco. This is the same screen space as four 24″ monitors running 1080P resolution.
Windows open left side from the top:
N3JFP’s AC Log
WSJT-X
WSJT-X bandscope
Windows open on the right:
XR12 Mixer (background)
Elecraft W-2 power/swr meter
JT-Alert
PSK Reporter in a browser window
BOB ZAVREL W7SX & EZNEC AT THE 2/7/2019 MEETING
Friday, February 22nd, 2019Antenna Modeling Orientation — Another great presentation by our local best selling ham author and ARRL Technical Advisor W7SX Bob Zavrel. It was an introduction to “Antenna Modeling”. He focused on EZNEC, which is by far the preferred software program tool for amateurs.
There will be a free follow-up workshop on EZNEC when the weather is better and more safe. We will let you now ahead of time. This now gives you more time to obtain your EZNEC software.
For those that want to use EZNEC, you can purchase it and install on your computer and bring to the workshop. Here is a link to the NW site that sells it:
Bob is the author of the ARRL published book entitled “An Introduction to Antenna Physics“, available from the ARRL or Amazon.com.
THANKS TO DEL MORISSETTE WA7AQH FOR HIS SOUND PRESENTATION AT THE JANUARY MEETING
Sunday, February 3rd, 2019
Del and his public service attire
Del presented “Station Audio”
Would you like your station to sound better to the world?
Del covered the technical aspects of various types of mics, matching impedance, outboard audio gear (and why it’s often unnecessary), running multiple radios with one audio setup, what compression/leveling/equalization do (and why to take a light hand with them), etc.
SDXA Brochure
Saturday, February 2nd, 2019Brochure is available at this
LINK
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JACK TILEY AD7FO BECOMES NEW EWA ARRL SECTION MANAGER
Sunday, January 6th, 2019– LINK for more info
THE 2018 SDXA ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET
Friday, January 4th, 2019
Speaker Jim Fenstermaker K9JF talks about the reemergence of Kosovo as a ham radio nation.
Mark Van Winkle K7HPT shows off his award certificate for working all ten contests in the 2017-2018 PNW Challenge Cup. He was the only member to do this.
Looks like the start to eating. The man with clasped hands in the background is Spokane’s own ham radio author Bob Zavrel W7SX. His book entitled Antenna Physics: An Introduction is available at both the ARRL and Amazon.
Plate are clean; looks like an end to the eating period.
Mel Ming N7GCO received a certificate for the highest total score in the PNW Challenge Cup among SDXA members.
Gary Swartout K7GS received a plaque from the SDXA for the highest score in the low power, single operator, EWA Section, Mixed mode category.
NEW LOCAL ARRL OFFICIALS
Friday, December 21st, 2018NEW ARRL NW DIRECTOR
AND VICE DIRECTOR ELECTED
new NW Director W7VO Mike Ritz
new NW Vice Director KB7HDX Mark Tharp
Here are the votes:
Northwestern Division Director
Mike Ritz, W7VO 1,589
Bonnie Altus, AB7ZQ 1,308
Horace Hamby, N7DRW 495
Mr. Ritz was declared elected.
Northwestern Division Vice Director
Mark Tharp, KB7HDX 1,368
Daniel Stevens, KL7WM 1,228
Delvin Bunton, NS7U 767
Mr. Tharp was declared elected.
Hopefully we can have them visit us in 2019.
BIOGRAPHY OF JIM FENSTERMAKER K9JF, 2018 AWARDS BANQUET SPEAKER
Friday, December 7th, 2018Jim was first licensed in 1959 as KN9TZH (nearly 60 years ago!). He achieved his first DXCC in 1962 as K9TZH – age 16. As an US Army Officer (Signal Corps), he was stationed in Germany and was assigned DL5JF. There, he commanded Company C of Signal Group 360 while still a 1st Lieutenant. After being discharged in Europe, Jim traveled around Europe for 5 months and met Martti Laine OH2BH in Helsinki. This meeting resulted in a nearly 5 decade friendship which culminated in an invitation to join Martti and an International Team in the first activation of Kosovo as a DXCC entity in January 2018.
Jim is an active DX’er with 369 entities worked/confirmed (#1 Honor Roll). In addition, he has WAZ on 7 bands with only one additional Zone needed on 12 meters and four zones on 160 meters.
Before and after his military, he was awarded degrees from Anderson University (BA), Indiana University (MBA), and Portland State University (Accounting Certificate).
He was an ARRL Director and Vice President for nearly eighteen years. Jim is a retired CPA, specializing in Management and Cost Accounting in Manufacturing entities.
Jim and his XYL Shirley W7SAF have been married 46 years and have 2 sons: Dr. Matt and Andy. Matt is a Physical Therapist working for a subsidiary of the St. Luke’s Hospital system in Spokane Valley. Andy KF7ZMM, is Marketing Manager for a Pacific NW region of Harley Davidson.
Jim and Shirley are looking forward to moving into their new home (part-time) in Liberty Lake.
SDXA BADGES & SDXA HATS
Wednesday, December 5th, 2018
the hat of Dan Hearn N5AR (SK) – a great guy
SDXA badges and sdxa hats can be obtained at this LINK.