CAKE ingredients March 22

Fun and games at Gigiπs as usual.  Very pleased to see Debbie our Presidents XYL with us today and  to welcome Donald AE6RF and his bright and charming daughter. Art WF6P joined  us prior to attending a  Pearl Harbor reunion and subsequently joined us once again at the HF shack. Also we welcomed back David  WS2I from his trip to China

Exhibits included a world  zone map provided by Marc W6ZZZ.  Wot no Ducie Isle ?  Marc also brought  along samples of ferrite cores that you now often see clamped on computer related cables. These  can  be very   useful  to reduce RFI conditions and are well worth scavaging. Someone should determine their magnetic properties and this isnπt hard to do. Jeff AE6KS handed out some CDs with copies of antenna modeling software and sample models, thanks for these Jeff. Incidentally if you were not at the meeting last night to hear Dave KO6RS you missed a world-class presentation on antenna modeling  

Bob K6XX showed his prototype spectrum display based on a softrock SDR RX. Bobπs adaptation uses the IF output available in an Electraft K3.   Jeff  KG6YPS became acquainted with an Autek RF analyser and following the session he made measurements on the K6BJ tri-band beam.  These were very good and we have now connected the beam to the TS570 so that remote users can TX on these bands.  Some knowledgeable discussion took place on securing nuts and bolts on towers and antennas which isnπt something you should go to bed worrying about but they can and do sometimes sheer off or come adrift.

Dave W8FLL MADE MENTION OF  THE  PARTY THAT HE WILL BE  HOSTING CLUB MEMBERS AT HIS QTH ON APRIL 20  donπt miss out on  this occasion !

Ron W6WO showed a pair of transformers with a 1:16 impedance ratio that he is investigating, these closely match 50 to 800 Ohms with very low loss from top band to 6 meters.They are much simpler to  make than those based on transmission line principles.

The question of  whether Palm-type devices can decode PSK31was not fully explored but the likely answer is probably not.  I missed a lot of the earnest discussion taking place on the subject of our  repeaters but I later saw  Jeff AE6KS,  Roy KF6KVD and Bruce AC6DN busy working in  the repeater building.

From now on CAKE  meetings will be held each month on the second and fourth Saturdays unless otherwise notified so I  hope to see you on April 12th

ã73 Your scribe Ron W6WO