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The 50 MHz and Up Group is an educational and public service amateur radio organization centered in the San Francisco Bay area. The group is interested in developing and utilizing communications on frequencies from 50MHz up through light-waves. The group is open to any related topics that might be of interest to members, such as: technology, design, construction, operation, public service, contesting and antennas. Learn more . . .
Contact
For questions about this group or about programs and activities, please contact the 2018 President, Steve Shyvers (N6KLD): steve.shyvers (at) gmail [dot] com
2018 dues and member information must be updated
If you do not have any changes at all in your contact information, then simply send an email with a sentance to Jeffrey Pawlan satating that nothing has changed. Please use jpawlan@yahoo.com
To send a memberform with your updated information or to join, please go to the Membership tab of this website.
Dues are $10 for a year, $15 for two years. This can be brought to a meeting or sent to the new Treasurer:
Oliver Barrett
1111 Pecos Way
Sunnyvale CA 94089
Make your check payable to 50MHz and Up Group of N. Calif Inc
August 2018 Meeting Announcement
Our meeting location has changed
We no longer have access to the TI meeting facilities for our 50MHz and Up Group.
Our next meeting of the 50MHz and Up Group of N. Calif will be on Thursday, Sept. 6 beginning at 7:00pm. Note that this meeting will be in a community room of the Sports Basement located at 1177 Kern Ave, Sunnyvale. This is off of Lawrence and approximately across from St Johns. The meeting which will begin at 7pm and we must exit the building at 9pm.
The agenda will be discussion about the folowing contests:
The September VHF Contest is September 8th through 10th.
10 GHz and Up Contest, second weekend is September 15th and 16th.
2.3 GHz and Up EME contest, is September 29th and 30th.
Minutes of the August 2018 meeting
Steve Shyvers (N6KLD) called the meeting to order at 7:04pm.
The meeting started with announcements.
Steve noted that a long time member of the group Will Jensby, W0EOM had passed away. There was a discussion of ways to honor his memory. It was suggested that we create a Will Jensby Memorial mmWave achievement award, similar to the Chambers Award given out at Microwave Update. The Award would not be given out every year, but when it was merited. A committee would be created to administer the award. After some discussion it was decided that we should develop a set of rules/criteria for the award. Jim Moss volunteered to take on that task. Larry Zuckerman moved that the club send a card and flowers. Mike Lavelle seconded the motion and it passed by a voice vote. Jim Moss volunteered arrange the card and flowers.
Larry Zuckerman (K3LZ) noted that there was a lot of food left over after the picnic, and that it seemed like a waste. His observation was followed some discussion of how to avoid/reduce this in the future.
Juan Rivera (WA6HTP) suggested that it might be possible to access a 9m dish located at NASA Ames for use for amateur moon bounce and educational purposes. He described the dish as 9m prime focus dish rated to 18 GHz. The dish has an azimuth, and elevation drive, and a controller capable of tracking the moon and satellites. He suggested that we liaison with the NASA Ames amateur radio club, and the NASA Ames educational outreach coordinator to see if we can access to the dish. Jim Moss mentioned that he had previously worked with NASA on similar efforts, and may have contacts that will help. Issues with such a project would include arranging access. We would need to setup some type of access agreement to access the site, and setup the equipment. Access to mount the feed, meeting NASA safety requirements. A quick pole indicated that there was interest in pursuing the project. Jim Moss volunteered to be project manager for attempting to access the dish.
The meeting adjourned at 8:58 PM.
The 2018 Officers and Board Members
- President: Steve Shyvers (N6KLD)
- Vice President: Chris Veargason (N6JET)
- Secretary: Brian Kline (WA6QDP)
- Treasurer: Oliver Barrett (KB6BA)
- Board of directors:
- Art Lange (W6RXQ)
- Larry Zuckerman (K3LZ)
- Lars Karlsson (AA6IW)
Here is the presentation by Jeffrey Pawlan, WA6KBL on the history of circular waveguide, the use of low loss circular waveguide, transitions to rectangular waveguide, and expremely high performance dual mode feedhorns for 10GHz and 24GHz with builtin adapters to standard rectangular waveguide.
Please click here to view or download.Circular waveguide and horn antenna talk. This is a Powerpoint.
Beacons
Microwave Beacons in operation The following beacons are known to be operating as of 04-16-2016:
| Name | Grid | Coords | Freq | Call | Power | Ant | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt Vaca | CM88wj | 38.415, -122.116 | 10368.325 | W6ASL | +30dBm | 10dBi omni | CW ID |
| Mt Allison | CM97bl | 37.500, -121.872 | 10369.192 10369.225 10368.625 24192.010 47061.017 |
AD6FP/R W6QI/B WA6QDP |
+17dBm +30dBm total out +17dBm +12dBm |
10dBi omni 12dBi omni open WG |
CW ID, drifts ~10 kHz Linear translator: Output is 11-55 kHz above beacon Input 600 kHz below desired output CW ID FM ID, aimed to Los Gatos |
| Mt Leeson | CM97ae | 37.167, -121.924 | 10367.990 24191.975 47087.99 79919.92 |
KF6KVG | +20dBm +20dBm +5dBm -5dBm |
2.5" horn 1.5" horn 1.25" horn 0.6" horn |
FM ID, locked, aimed NW FM ID, locked, aimed NW FM ID, unlocked, aimed NW no ID, locked, aimed NW |
| Bear Mtn. | DM06ir | 37.747, -119.281 | 24191.990 | W6BY/B | +27dBm | 20 slot omni | locked, IDs as DM07IC, will fix |
| Mt Frazier | DM04ms | 34.775, -118.969 | 10368.310 | N6CA/B | +31dBm | 14dBi omni | CW ID, locked |
| Heaps Peak | DM14kf | 34.235, -117.141 | 10368.370 | ? | +?? dBm | ??dBi omni | CW ID |
| Palos Verdes | DM03ts | 33.747, -118.336 | 10368.300 | N6CA/B | +32dBm | 14dBi omni | CW ID, locked |
| Santiago | DM13fr | 33.712, -117.534 | 10368.330 | KE6JUV | +27dBm | 10dBi omni | CW ID, locked |
| San Miguel | DM12mq | 32.697, -116.935 | 5760.000 10368.360 24192.050 |
K6QPV/B N6IZW/B K6QPV/B |
+34dBm +27dBm +34dBm EIRP |
10dBi omni 12dBi omni horn |
- CW ID, locked CW ID, locked, aimed to LA |