Wednesday February 25th : Topic with KC1HHK

February 25 and the Amateur Radio Legacy of Radio-Based Imaging

Good evening, everyone, this is W1GLO. Tonight, I have a February 25th discussion topic that ties together radio history, early television experiments, and the modern image modes we still enjoy on the amateur bands today.

We’re going to start in the year 1928, with an inventor whose name shows up any time the subject of early television comes up: Charles Francis Jenkins. On February 25th of that year, Jenkins demonstrated one of the earliest successful mechanical television broadcasts in the United States.

This was long before electronic picture tubes, satellites, or digital cameras. Jenkins used a spinning Nipkow disk and a simple lamp to scan crude images and transmit them over radio waves. The pictures were tiny, blurry, slow, and full of noise — but they worked. And this single demonstration proved something revolutionary: that radio waves weren’t limited to dots and dashes or voice. They could carry images.

That idea would eventually become part of the soul of amateur radio.

How This Ties into Ham Radio

Now, you might ask why a demonstration from 1928 matters to us as hams.
Here’s the reason:

Every time we send SSTV, ATV, DATV, NBTV, or a digital image over the air, we’re carrying forward the exact same experiment Jenkins performed on February 25.

He was trying to fit a picture through a narrow radio channel.
We do the same — but with far better tools.

SSTV is probably the best-known example.
On frequencies like 14.230 MHz, hams still send pictures line-by-line using narrowband signals that directly mirror the original mechanical scanning concept. Even astronauts send SSTV images down from the ISS, and hams around the world decode them just like Jenkins’ early experimenters did 96 years ago.

ATV, digital ATV, and NBTV continue that tradition on VHF, UHF, and microwave bands — each mode trying to fit more detail into less bandwidth, using clever engineering and experimental techniques that would make Jenkins proud.

So, February 25th isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s an anniversary of the idea that radio could reliably carry pictures — an idea the amateur service embraced more enthusiastically than nearly anyone else.

A Second February 25 Event

There’s another historical event from February 25 that’s worth mentioning.
On February 25, 1964, the boxer known then as Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship.

Now, this isn’t a radio experiment — but it was a radio event.
In 1964, millions of people around the world followed that fight via radio broadcasts, including shortwave listeners and hams monitoring news services. The event is a reminder that, before TV and the internet became dominant, radio was the world’s primary source for live, real-time information.

It’s a good launching point for discussing how radio networks, including amateur radio, still play an essential role in emergencies, public service, and disaster communications — especially when information needs to travel quickly and reliably.

Bringing It All Together

So, what does February 25 teach us as amateur radio operators?

It teaches us that radio has always been an experimental playground.
That our hobby is deeply tied to creativity and innovation.
And that every image we send over the air — whether it’s slow-scan on HF, a digital picture on VHF, or a high-speed packet on a mesh network — continues a nearly century-old effort that began on a winter day in 1928.

Technology has changed, but the spirit hasn’t.

DISCUSSION QUESTION FOR THE NET:

So, here’s the question I’d like to bring to the group tonight:
What image-based modes have you tried — SSTV, ATV, digital ATV, NBTV, or ISS downlinks — and what have you found most interesting or challenging about sending pictures over the air?

Wednesday February 18th : Topic with KC1HHK

National Battery Day!

Get a charge out of National Battery Day! - NATIONAL BATTERY DAY

Get a charge out of National Battery Day! Observed each year on February 18th, this electrifying day serves as a day to appreciate the convenience batteries provide to our everyday lives.

Today we would be hard-pressed to find someone in the United States who doesn't benefit from a battery. Even those who live "off the grid" have battery-operated devices such as a flashlight, radio, or watch.

A battery changes chemical energy into electricity by bringing the different chemicals together in a specific order. When correctly ordered, the electrons will travel from one substance to another, creating an electrical current.

Long Road of the Battery

While battery manufacturing for everyday personal use developed in the last 50-60 years, archaeologists found evidence of a device that may have been used to electroplate gold onto silver, much like a battery would. In 1936, during the construction of a new railway near Baghdad, a Parthian tomb was found. Archaeologist Wilhelm Konig found a copper cylinder encasing an iron rod in a clay jar. Konig suggested the find was approximately 2,000 years old.

1800

In 1800, Italian scientist Alessandro Volta layered silver, cloth, or paper soaked in salt or acid and zinc into what he called "voltaic piles." The voltaic piles generated a limited electrical current. Volta proceeded to publish his work, and we get the word "volt" from his name to describe the electric potential.

William Cruickshank, an English chemist, designed a battery for mass production in 1802.

Corrosion in batteries has always been an issue, but it was much worse until John Daniell came along. Daniel, a chemist, receives credit for developing a way to reduce corrosion when storing batteries. In 1820 he invented the Daniell Cell, which incorporated mercury, reducing the corrosion.

1896

Over time, various scientists and inventors developed gradual improvements to the battery. In 1896, the National Carbon Company (later known as the Eveready Battery Company) manufactured the first commercially available battery called the Columbia. Two years later, National Carbon Company introduced the first D-sized battery for the first flashlight.

The 1900s and beyond

Until 1957, watches needed to be wound routinely to keep time. Then in 1957, the Hamilton Watch Company introduced the first battery-operated watch.

Today batteries are available for numerous purposes. In our modern age, portable electricity isn't something we think about every day because it is easily accessible. We charge the batteries on our phones by using the batteries in our cars as we travel down the road. We even have portable chargers that can charge our batteries where ever we are. The variety of batteries change every day. Solar batteries recharge daily and store power in cells. They come in numerous sizes, too.

NATIONAL BATTERY DAY HISTORY

National Battery Day commemorates the anniversary of Alessandro Volta's birth on February 18, 1745.

Battery FAQ

Q. What's the difference between lithium and alkaline batteries?
A. There are several differences between lithium and alkaline batteries.

Battery life: A lithium battery will last longer than an alkaline battery.
Cost: Alkaline batteries cost less than lithium batteries.
Durability: Extreme heat or cold drain battery power. Lithium batteries are more durable in extreme conditions than alkaline batteries.
Weight: Alkaline batteries are heavier than lithium.
Recyclable: Lithium batteries are more easily recycled than alkaline batteries.
Rechargeable: Lithium batteries may be rechargeable while alkaline batteries are not.

Net Discussion:

What type of battery back up systems do you have available for portable ham ops and in the event of an emergency whereby you would need to power additional eqiupment?

Monday February 16th : Topic with KC1SOO

The Winter Olympics

Olympic Winter Games

February 6, 2026 – February 22, 2026

The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially the XXV Winter Olympic Games and commonly known as Milano Cortina 2026, is an international multi-sport event currently taking place from 6 to 22 February 2026 at multiple sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy, with competition in selected events beginning 4 February 2026.

Are you following the Winter Olympics?

Wednesday February 11th : Topic with KC1HHK

The History of Ham Radio Nets

A quick note of radio history: Ham radio nets became popular right after World War II, when thousands of returning operators brought structured military communication skills back into the hobby. Those early post-war traffic and emergency nets set the pattern we still use today. By the 1970s, the rise of FM repeaters made scheduled nets a daily routine for clubs everywhere. So, when we check in tonight, we’re continuing a tradition that’s been a core part of amateur radio for more than 75 years.

Ham radio nets didn’t appear all at once — they evolved, and their popularity rose in distinct eras tied to both technology and major world events. Here’s a timeline of when nets became a mainstream part of amateur radio:

When Ham Radio Nets Gained Popularity

📍 1. 1920s–1930s: The First Organized Nets

Early nets began forming in the mid-1920s, shortly after hams returned to the air following WWI.
These were mostly traffic-handling nets, such as:
- ARRL’s National Traffic System (NTS) roots date back to the late 1920s/early 1930s.
- Sections and regions began weekly or daily CW nets for passing formal messages.

Importance: Nets in this era standardized schedules and procedures — something revolutionary at the time.

2. 1940s: World War II Pause, Then a Post-War Boom

Amateur radio was shut down 1941–1945, so nets temporarily disappeared.
After 1945, when hams returned, nets exploded in popularity, helped by:
- Many returning radio operators trained in structured military net procedures.
- Growth in traffic handling (formal messages) common during emergencies.

This is when nets became “a normal part of ham life.”

3. 1950s–1960s: The Golden Age of Traffic & Emergency Nets

With the rise of HF SSB and VHF FM, nets expanded rapidly:

ARES emergency nets formalized.

Local VHF nets began using new 2-meter AM and later FM repeaters.
Statewide and regional traffic nets became routine.

By the late 1960s, every major club had a weekly net, and sections often had nightly traffic nets

4. 1970s–1980s: Repeater Nets = Daily Social Nets

When FM repeaters boomed:

“Drive-time” nets
Evening social nets
Swap nets
Weather watch nets

This era is when the typical structured club net became part of nearly every ham’s routine

5. 1990s–2000s: Specialty Nets

As digital modes grew:

Packet radio BBS nets
APRS coordination nets
Early VoIP nets (Echolink, IRLP)
Digital voice nets (D-Star, System Fusion, DMR)

📍 6. 2010s–Today: Multi-Mode & Emergency Nets

Now nets continue across:

HF SSB/CW
FM repeaters
DMR talkgroups
D-Star reflectors
Fusion Wires-X rooms
Winlink Wednesday nets
JS8Call nets
FT8 “check-in” style nets

Modern nets mix:

Emergency readiness
Technical help
Traffic handling
Social connection

Monday February 9th : Topic with KC1SOO:

Super Bowl LX

The Super Bowl is the annual league championship game of the National Football League of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game has been played on the second Sunday in February. Super Bowl LX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2025 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots 29–13. The game took place on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the second Super Bowl to be held in the stadium and the third to be in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Seahawks' victory was their second and first since 2013's Super Bowl XLVIII during their Legion of Boom era. Finishing the season with a 14–3 record and the NFC's top seed, they were making their fourth appearance. The Patriots, who finished with a 14–3 record and the AFC's second seed, extended their record of appearances to 12. They were seeking a record seventh title since the Brady–Belichick era after last winning 2018's Super Bowl LIII. The two franchises previously met in Super Bowl XLIX, which was won by the Patriots.

Did you watch the game last night? How did you think both Teams did?

Wikipedia

Wednesday February 4th : Topic with KC1HHK:

HamSci- Never Heard of It?

HamSCI (Ham Science Citizen Investigation) is a collaboration between amateur radio operators and professional scientists who work together to study the ionosphere, radio propagation, and space-weather–related phenomena.

It’s essentially the place where ham radio becomes real scientific data.

What HamSCI Does

1. Crowdsourced Ionospheric Research

Hams collect real-world RF data—things like:

HF propagation paths
Signal strength and quality
Frequency shifts and Doppler effects
GPS timing variations

This data flows into scientific studies used by:

Universities
Space weather researchers
Government agencies

2. Develops Open-Source Tools

HamSCI helps build instruments for hams to use in research, such as:

Grape receivers (low-cost precision HF receivers for tracking WWV/CHU)
Personal Space Weather Stations (PSWS)
HF sounder and propagation monitoring tools

3. Organizes Large-Scale Experiments

HamSCI often conducts coordinated global experiments during:

Solar eclipses
Geomagnetic storms
Solar cycle peaks
Space weather disturbances

These events produce valuable real-world scientific data that hobbyists alone can’t usually gather.

4. Annual HamSCI Workshop: March 14-15, 2026 - Central Connecticut State University

A conference where:

Scientists present papers
Hams share observations
Equipment demos & hands-on sessions happen

It’s highly regarded for bringing the two worlds together.

🎯 Why HamSCI Matters

Ham radio operators have something unique:
Thousands of distributed radio receivers and transmitters across the world.

This makes hams perfect for:

Tracking real-time ionospheric changes
Validating space-weather models
Supporting scientific publications
Improving knowledge that benefits emergency comms and everyday HF operation

It’s one of the most meaningful ways amateur radio contributes to real science today.

1. Participate in Ongoing WSPR / FT8 Propagation Monitoring

Difficulty: ★☆☆ (Beginner)
Start Time: Immediately
Equipment: Any HF radio + computer

HamSCI constantly analyzes WSPRnet, PSKReporter, and RBN data for:

Ionospheric variations
Disturbances
Solar cycle behavior
Solar storm responses

How to join right now:

Run WSJT-X in FT8 or WSPR mode.
Make sure PSKReporter reporting is enabled.
Let your station run for a few hours (or overnight).
You’re feeding HamSCI ionospheric research data instantly.

You’re contributing to real science just by operating.

Monday February 2nd Topic with KC1SOO:

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog (woodchuck) from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks. Specifically, if the groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog does not see its shadow, an early spring is expected. Historical records, however, indicate that the predictions are accurate less than 40 percent of the time.

What Happened in Today?

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which, according to folklore, means there will be six more weeks of winter in the United States.

The beginning of February, which falls roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, has long been a significant time of the year in many cultures. Among the Celts, for example, it was the time of Imbolc, observed in anticipation of the birth of farm animals and the planting of crops, and February 2 is also the date of the Christian festival of Candlemas, also called the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. During the Middle Ages there arose the belief that animals such as the badger and the bear interrupted their hibernation to appear on this day. If the day was sunny and the animal saw its shadow, six more weeks of winter weather remained. If, however, the day was cloudy, it was a sign that the weather during the following weeks would be mild, leading to an early spring. German immigrants to the United States carried the legend with them, and in Pennsylvania the groundhog came to be substituted for the badger.

Since 1887 an animal in Punxsutawney, in the west-central part of the state, has been the center of a staged appearance each February 2. In what has become a media event, a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil is the center of attention of television weathermen and newspaper photographers. Although promoters of the local festival surrounding Punxsutawney Phil claim that the animals have never been wrong, an examination of the records indicates a correlation of less than 40 percent. (Whether a groundhog does or does not emerge is thought to be related to the amount of fat it was able to store before going into hibernation.) Canada has a number of groundhogs that serve as weather prognosticators, perhaps the best known being those portraying Wiarton Willie, a white-furred, pink-eyed creature that has appeared on the Bruce Peninsula, northwest of Toronto, since 1956.

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