W4WVP

Posted per request of ARRL Roanoke Division Director and AARC VP Dennis Bodson, W4PWF, Wednesday, 2010-08-11:

Fred Field is compiling an obituary for Walt for their high school. Both he and Walt went to the same school. He would appreciate it if we could put a notice up on our website requesting any information about what Walt did while up here in this area. Information for Fred is as follows:

Fred W. Field

1516 Avenida Selva

Fullerton, CA 92833

714-871-5767

fwfield@juno.com

Building an HF Stealth Antenna within a Tight Budget
Ken Heitner WB4AKK

Arlington Amateur Radio Club
Operating Mobile HF is Potentially Fun & Useful
The key problem with HF mobile is the antenna.
Various HF whips over the years have come and gone
Most HF mobiles today use the screwdriver antenna. You can build your own??
Maybe the approach used in the Stealth HF antenna is the way to go

An Example of a Stealth HF Mobile Antenna
Another View of Stealth AntennaSee the Radiating Element

Can We Afford This ? – NoCan We Build This ? - Maybe
This is a commercial product, and that means expensive
But if the concept is valid, maybe we can build a simpler and cheaper version
So let us examine how it works

Operating Concepts - 1
The basic antenna concept is a magnetic loop antenna
The 50 ohm coax feeds the antenna via a small loop.
The main loop is tuned to resonance by the high voltage capacitor

Operating Concepts - 2
The Stealth antenna is build on a modified loop concept.
The coax feeds on side of the antenna, in what might remind you of a gamma match
The loop is also tuned by a HV capacitor

Operating Concept - 3
Yet another feedpoint concept is the omega match
This concept is offered in the loop matchboxes made by MFJ
This may be easier to tune for a perfect match

Operating Concept - 4
This approach might be good for those whose radio already has a built in antenna tuner
It just steps up the low antenna impedance with a wide band transformer

General Project Approach
Simplify the antenna geometry so it is easier to build
Build the basic antenna framework first
Consider alternative feedpoint approaches for trial and error testing
Who knows – Maybe one of us will come up with even a better way to do this

Simplified Antenna GeometryPlan View
Simplified Antenna Geometry Elevation View

Simplified Antenna Geometry
Makes the antenna buildable from commonly available copper and PVC pipe
Once the basic antenna is built, then we can try different feedpoint concepts and see what we like. Each antenna can be customized for your vehicle roof size

Discussion Time !
Let me hear who would be interested in trying this project out.
Let us leave the details for a separate meeting of those specifically interested.
No rush….We can do this at our own pace
Might be fun for the next VA QSO Party

Arlington Amateur Radio Club
Arlington, VA
www.W4WVP.org

——— For Immediate Press Release ——–

Emergency Ham Radio Demonstration in Arlington
June 26-27

June 26-27th Arlington Amateur Radio Club members will be participating in a nationwide exercise to test communications via selected radio frequencies that could be used in case of emergency.

Amateur radio operators, known as hams, provide a valuable safety net when disaster strikes and traditional communication, such as cell phones and computers, fail. Hams are widely known to work closely with emergency and relief agencies, such as the Red Cross, FEMA, Salvation Army, as well as the Fire and Police Departments, at crucial times.

The June exercise is a demonstration of Arlington Amateur Radio Club’s capability to respond during a disaster or in time of need. The club’s amateur radio station, W4WVP, is housed in the local chapter of the Red Cross and serves as a base for the emergency response organization called Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). ARES is a nationwide communication network that is organized on a local basis to serve its immediate community.

The general public is invited to visit the Field Day operation on Saturday afternoon between the hours of 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm (June 26th) to witness hams in action. Elected officials in Northern Virginia are also invited to tour the facility at that time. On display and viewable will be radio transmitters, emergency equipment, hams operating with different modes, including phone, radioteletype, an
d Morse Code. All visitors are welcome.

As a totally voluntary organization the Arlington Amateur Radio Club seeks to inform the public of its services, involve citizens in amateur radio, and promote radio as a hobby.

All queries may be addressed to:

Chuck Norton, President
Arlington Amateur Radio Club
rcn22@comcast.net
Tel: 703-527-3010

Field Day venue:
Red Cross, Arlington Chapter
4333 Arlington Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22203-2961

Arlington Amateur Radio Club station W4WVP will participate in the Virginia QSO Party on Saturday, March 20, and on Sunday, March 21. Members may participate at W4WVP and/or using their own callsigns as fixed, mobile, or expedition stations. In the latter case, members are requested to indicate membership in “Arlington ARC” (that’s the name in the ARRL Affiliated Club database) when submitting their logs. This allows the Club to be eligible for awards (if at least two affiliated logs beside W4WVP’s are submitted), and each member submitting a log is also eligible for individual awards. All participants submitting a log will receive a certificate.

The VQP 2010 home page is at http://www.qsl.net/sterling/VA_QSO_Party/2010_VQP/2010_VQP_Main.html”. The rules are at
http://www.qsl.net/sterling/VA_QSO_Party/2010_VQP/2010_VQP_Rules.html.

W4WVP will be QRV (ready) at 1800 UTC (2 pm EDT) on Saturday, 20 March 2010, and will probably remain open until interest wanes. Hours of operation on Sunday are still TBS, but early afternoon is a good bet. We may have Cub Scout visitors during the contest.

73,
–Mike, nw3v

LTC (Ret) Henry J. “Jack” Reed, rocket scientist, amateur radio operator (a.k.a. “HAM”), photographer, American Red Cross Volunteer, and INSPIRE board member, died from a heart attack on Nov. 5, 2009, in Arlington.

Jack was born in 1945 in Washington D.C., the only child of Henry J. and Marjorie (nee Friday) Reed. After his father’s death in a 1959 Capital Airlines turbojet crash near Baltimore, he moved with his mother to her hometown of Charleston, SC.

After graduating from Clemson University in 1967, he was commissioned into the Army, serving in Vietnam, Korea, West Germany, and several assignments in the United States, earning the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Overseas Service Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, among others. During his Army career he completed two masters’ degrees in engineering from University of Texas at El Paso, and from University of Southern California.

Retiring in 1990 as a Lieutenant Colonel, he and his wife, Barbara Clemens, settled in Arlington VA. Working for Nichols Research, and then Computer
Science Corporation, he helped develop missile and sensor technology.

A HAM radio operator since a teen, Jack, WA4FXX, was President of the Arlington Amateur Radio Club for 11 years, a 13-year volunteer at the Smithsonian’s
NN3SI station, and a member of the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club.

Jack was an American Red Cross volunteer at the Arlington County Chapter of the American Red Cross, which sponsored the Arlington Amateur Radio Club and provided space for its station, meeting, and other activities. Through those associations, he participated in many emergency preparation exercises.

As a means of helping his community be better prepared for and able to respond to emergencies. Jack – along with wife, Barbara – completed Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in Arlington, VA in 2006. He was an active member of the County’s CERT, as well as his neighborhood team.

Jack was also a board member of The INSPIRE Project, an organization, partnered with NASA, to provide hands-on opportunities for students of all ages to enhance their knowledge of space science.

His work as a photographer was published in the 2008/2009 Washington Project for the Arts Directory, and his work can be viewed on their website.
Besides an exhibition of his work at the Arlington County Central Library, his work was also included in shows at the Ellipse Art Center, and at Green Springs Garden. During the last few months of his life, Jack put his photography on hold as he helped his wife through her breast cancer treatments.

Jack was deeply devoted to his family. For that devotion and his ongoing service to his country and community, his wife and children will always be grateful.
Besides his wife, he leaves his son, Stephen W. Reed, of Tampa FL, and his step-daughter and her husband, Laura L. and Alan J. Lauder of Arlington VA. His internment, with full military honors, will take place on January 14, 2010 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Posted belatedly at the request of Barbara Clemens. Converted from original Microsoft Office document format received 2009-11-30 from Barbara Clemens.

Election of Arlington ARC officers was to have been done at the November meeting, according to By-Laws, but was tabled until January to allow reflection after the sudden death of 11-term President, and unopposed nominee for reelection, Jack Reed, WA4FXX, now -SK. This evening, at the January meeting, Members elected Chuck Norton, KI4DHW, President, unopposed. Incumbents, unopposed, were reelected: Vice President: Dennis Bodson, W4PWF; Secretary: Ken Heitner, WB4AKK; Treasurer: Mike Ingles, KG4RKL; and Activities Chair: Gary, KC5QCN. Officers assumed office upon election, although new President KI4DHW asked Acting President W4PWF to continue presiding over the remainder of the meeting. This is my unofficial eyewitness account; stay tuned for official Minutes of the meeting. — Mike, NW3V

President’s Report (Dennis)-
-The organization of the party contributions on the AARC net went well. The elections postponed in November will take place in January.

Program Chair and Emergency Coordinator’s Report (Gary)-
-Full information on the Marine Corps Marathon event will be put out in January.

Jim Hastings -
-The Red Cross now has four new UHF type radios. One is in a go kit with a mag mount antenna. Art asked about the “red” battery. It is charging.

New Business-
-Chuck is a grandfather for the first time and passed the Extra exam on Saturday.
-Art mentioned that the Chinese had launched a new amateur radio satellite yesterday.
-Art also mentioned that WAMU had provided tower space for the NERA repeater and we should thank them for that action.

ARRL Report (Dennis) -
-There will be a lot of change and shifting in the ARRL leadership. The Board of Directors meeting in January should be interesting.
-Senate Bill Number 1755 passed unanimously and has gone to the House. It is currently in the Energy Committee. It would be preferred if it was in the DHS Committee.

-The meeting adjourned at 7:50 PM. In attendance were: Chuck KI4DHW, Cynthia KJ4CLK, Pat KJ4OCA, Jim K9AUC, Gary KC5QCN, Prentiss K4PDJ, David Church, Craig K4GOR, Dennis W4PWF, Arthur W4ART, Randy WB4MJF, Chris KK4WB, Roy AI4GO, George KR4MU, Mike NW3V, Susan Strank, and Barbara Clemens. (Thank you to Cynthia for the meeting notes!)

An obituary of Jack Reed, WA4FXX-SK, appears on page B-6 of the Metro section of today’s

Washington Post

. The online version is here.

In a message transmitted to Arlington Amateur Radio Club members today, Dennis Bodson, W4PWF, Arlington Amateur Radio Club Vice President and now also acting President, wrote

It is with deep regret [that I] inform you that our President Jack Reed, WA4FXX, became a Silent Key (SK) last evening. Chuck Norton, KI4DHW, Informed me that Jack past away at 9PM last night….