Welcome to the Northern California DX Club October 21, 2010 October 21, 2010

Slide 2 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Tonight’s Agenda Club Business –Introduction of members - your latest DX exploits? –Introduction of New Members or applications? –Dues deadline is imminent! –DX news –QST’s DX Country Profile of the Month –Amsterdam & St. Paul Islands, FT8Z Feature Presentation – DX Rag Chew –An opportunity for members to ask questions and make suggestions! –Volunteers are needed – especially for outgoing QSL Bureau NCDXC Raffle

Slide 3 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Introduction of Members & Guests Let’s Go Around the room… –Introduce yourself & any guests –Tell us what new or interesting DX you have recently worked

Slide 4 NCDXC October 21, 2010 New Members? Secretary’s Report –John, K6YP –John has member applications –New membership voting? –Live membership voting?

Slide 5 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Dues are Due Your annual dues are due NLT October 30th! –Unless you are a Life or Honorary Member, of course The dues are $24 per year ($39 for families) You can now pay by PayPal! –Checks, envelopes or stamps not required, just click away! Go to Click on the [ Make Online Payment ] link below [ Membership Information ]Make Online Payment If you have moved, changed your call, changed your , etc. please add the new information to the Pay Pal form in the “comment” box

Slide 6 NCDXC October 21, 2010 The DXer News Editor – Phil Verinsky, W6TQG Please help Phil by contributing content: – articles – photos – moving up the DX ladder Additional comments?

DX NEWS *** 4J6RO - AZERBAIJAN: Look for an operation from “Nagorno Karabakh” October Boris, 4K4K; Alex, 4J7WMF; Serge, 4J5A and Igor, 4K6OF will operate 40, 20 & WARC bands on CW/SSB. QASL via 4K4K *** S79AD - SEYCHELLES: Davide, IWØHLG says he will be active “holiday style” from the Seychelles (AF-024) Oct 26 to Nov 4. Davide said, “After sea, sun and “wife duties” I will be working HF bands + 6 using RTTY/PSK31 and other digital modes. QSL to home call *** 5R8X - MADAGASCAR: A group of Finnish Ops will be going to 5R8 for the CW SSB contest. Martti, OH2BH; Pertti, OH2PM; Veijo, OH6KN; Antti, OH7EA and Juha, OH8NC will operate as 5R8X. OH2PM and OH6KN will concentrate on 160 & 80. They will be using vertical antennas on all the low bands and WARC activity will also be provided. QSL via OH2BH (DX Info Courtesy of QRZ DX Newsletter)

Slide 8 DX NEWS NCDXC June 10 *** 5XØCW - UGANDA: Rudi, DK7PE says he will be in Kampala Oct 27 to Nov 3 using this call. He has a K2 and a “jumper beam” for Staying in downtown Kampala, he expects some local QRM but will try some 80 & 160. QSL to home call *** 8Q7EJ - MALDIVES: Jim, G3VDB will be active October 24for 2 weeks. He will operate from Bandos Island (AF-013).Operation will be intermittent mostly on 20 CW. QSL to home call *** 9M6/KM9D - EAST MALAYSIA: Mike and Jan/KF4TUG have been in Sandakan the past few months. Mike has been reported on 30, 20, 17 & 12 CW. Typically, It is not known how long they will stay there. QSL via OM2SA *** BV1ØØ - TAIWAN: BV2KS says this special event is to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Republic of China and will be used Oct 10 to Dec 31 by the “BV1ØØ Team.” QSL via BV2KI. NCDXC October 21, 2010 ( DX Info Courtesy of QRZ DX Newsletter)

Slide 9 DX News NCDXC June 10 *** C37N - ANDORRA: To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Unio de Radioafdicionats Andorrans (URA) a multi-national team will operate in the CQWW SSB contest. Ruben, EA5BZ will be the team leader. Operation will be from Naturlandia. QSL via EA4URE *** C56FR - THE GAMBIA: Filip, ON4TA will use this call Oct 21 to Nov 11 operating 20 & 17 SSB. He also plans to try to operate on the VHF/UHF bands 6, 2 & 70cm. QSL to home call. *** FM - MARTINIQUE (TO3GA): Laurent, FM5BH tells us the DL3GA will be visiting Martinique and will use this call October No QSL info was given. *** HBØ/HB9AON - LIECHTENSTEIN: A group from RRDXA in Duesseldorf will operate in the CQWW SSB contest. They will be using (27 year old reliable & approved TS-940s, 5 Drake L4B amps and a Kenwood TL-922. Those rigs will feed four mono-band yagis on 17 meter masts for and dipoles for low-bands. They are looking for 7,000 Q’s and 10 million points. No QSL route given. (DX Info Courtesy of QRZ DX Newsletter) NCDXC October 21, 2010

Slide 10 DX News NCDXC June 10 The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) in its October meeting voted to support the Finnish initiative espoused by Radio Arcala As has been mentioned with regard to Radio Arcala in the past year, IARU recognizes the importance of recruiting young people to become the next generation of Amateur Radio Operators For the first time, ARRL, spearheaded by CEO, K1ZZ, Dave Sumner, is openly working with the IARU and Radio Societies, such as RGSB, DARC, JARL, etc. to find the money and resources take the idea to the next level It will likely take up to six months to envision what comes next, but, certainly there is agreement that the world of HF amateur radio will proactively integrate seamlessly with digital technology, social media, and the Internet itself to tweak the interests of young people around the world. Stay tuned! The future of Amateur Radio NCDXC October 21, 2010

Slide 11 Sunspot Update Solar activity dropped again this week, although it is now gradually strengthening. Average daily sunspot numbers declined nearly 16 points to 11.7, and average daily solar flux dropped over five points to Over the next two weeks solar flux is expected to gradually increase, from 80 on October 15-16, 82 on October 17, 84 on October 18-22, 80 on October , and 85 on October The increase is expected from sunspot group 1112, emerging on October 9, and group 1113, which appeared on October 13 rotating over the eastern limb. On October 14 new sunspot group 1114 appeared. The STEREO mission at shows a series of magnetically active areas on our Sun's far side, which will gradually rotate into view. NCDXC October 21, 2010 (SunSpot Info courtesy of the ARRL DX Propagation - K7RA)

Slide 12 Current Readings NCDXC October 21, 2010

QSTs

Slide 14 NCDXC October 21, 2010 NCDXC Net & W6TI On W6TI repeater, MHz, PL Net currently Thursday evenings at 8 PM Possible new time - Sunday evening at 8 PM to encourage more activity?

Slide 15 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Upcoming Meetings November, December, January Meetings –Thursday, November 18 Holder’s Program features Seppo, OH1VK, who will talk about his expeditions to OH0 and Crete –Saturday, December 4 th at 11:30 am Xmas Michael’s John Kountz, KE6GFF - Will discuss his many trips to Kabul, Afghanistan - T6EE (2004, 2006, 2007) –Thursday, January 20 Holder’s Hugh Clark, K6HFA - Will discuss his huge 2010 Pacific Islands Tour - 5W5A - A33A - T2A - FW5X - 3D5X

Slide 16 NCDXC October 21, 2010 NCDXC Club Store Check out the club store on the web site: T-Shirts Coffee Mugs Mouse Pads Stickers

Slide 17 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Tonight’s Raffle Mike W6WZ & Carolyn WB6ABC have some great prizes! –1st Prize: Kenwood TM-271A –Plus other great prizes Need Tickets? –see Carolyn or Mike –6 for $5 –12 for $10 –24 for $20 GOOD LUCK!

Slide 18 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Am-Tech Day Amateur Radio Technology Day –This weekend,October 23 rd –8AM to 9PM –At SLAC –

Slide 19 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Additional QSTs Does anyone have any other short announcements they would like to make?

DX Country Profile NCDXC October 21, 2010 Amsterdam and St Paul Islands – FT8Z # 9 on the DX Most Wanted List This rare DX entity is located in the southernmost Indian Ocean at 37°50' South and 77°35' East, and are amongst the most isolated in the world They are located more than 3,000 km from any continent, approximately halfway between South Africa and Australia Both are volcanic island, rising from the fault separating the Indian Ocean from the Antarctic Ocean. Amsterdam is broadly oval in shape, measuring 8 km wide by 6 km across, with a maximum altitude of 881 m Part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, an overseas department of France, claimed 1955, including Saint Paul Island and Crozet and Kerguelen Islands

DX Country Profile NCDXC October 21, 2010 Amsterdam and St Paul Islands – FT8Z

DX Country Profile NCDXC October 21, 2010 Amsterdam and St Paul Islands – FT8Z

DX Country Profile NCDXC October 21, 2010 Caldera on St Paul Island

DX Country Profile NCDXC October 21, 2010 Amsterdam and St Paul Islands – FT8Z Martin de Viviès base is the only inhabited place on Amsterdam It has about 30 inhabitants, including administrative staff, a doctor, and technical personnel They support a power station, plumbing, joinery, kitchen, store, station and telecommunications Scientists are studying the weather, ornithology, physico-chemistry of the atmosphere, and geomagnetism Fog is relatively rare, occurring on only 11 days per annum. Rainfall is high with an annual average of 1,114 mm distributed over 239 days and mostly falling as rain. Falls of hail or snow are sometimes observed in winter but seldom at low altitude. December to March is drier (78 mm per month against 100 mm per month from April to November)

DX Rag Chew Featured Program NCDXC October 21, 2010 Reaching out to ham radio friends to share our love of Dxing Tell us what you have heard on the W6TI repeater, good or bad Tell us about willful interference you have heard What can we do to get more club members active on 2 meters Tell us what features you would like to see in a new repeater Would Sunday night at 8 pm be a better time for our weekly net? What is the single most important thing that would grease your skids?

DX Rag Chew NCDXC October 21, 2010 Accessing information as a member on  Club finances  Club Roster  Club Bylaws What monthly programs would you like to see? What preferences do you have for meeting location, dining, etc.? Would QSL checking bring more and new members to our meetings? There is demand for an Outgoing QSL Bureau – any volunteers?

Slide 27 NCDXC October 21, 2010 DX Rag Chew Weekly Net Meeting – move to Sunday evenings? Should NCDXC fund DXpeditions? You add the bullets to this slide!

Slide 28 NCDXC October 21, 2010 RAFFLE TIME! Does anyone need tickets before we start?

Slide 29 NCDXC October 21, 2010 Thanks for Coming Tonight!