Operating Your Handheld Away From Home

1
Operating Your Handheld Away From Home

• Having a handheld with you while camping or
  hiking can be loads of fun. Your handheld is
  also extremely valuable for emergencies.
  However, when operating a hand-held transceiver
  away from home, it is always a good idea to have
  one or more fully charged spare battery packs.

2
Emergency Operations Kits

• Many hams assemble basic supplies they need for
  communications in an emergency. Some items that
  would probably be very useful to include in an
  emergency response kit are
• An external antenna and several feet of
  connecting cable This will greatly increase the
  range of your handheld.
• A cable and clips for connecting your
  transceiver to an external battery This will
  allow you to remove a mobile transceiver and hook
  it up to batteries in an emergency center.
• A listing of repeater frequencies and nets in
  your area Having a radio to communicate is no
  good if you dont know who is available to
  communicate!

3
Boosting Your Handhelds Signal

• Sometimes your handheld may be the only radio
  available in the field. You can make the signal
  from your hand-held radio stronger when operating
  in the field by using an external antenna instead
  of the rubber-duck antenna. External antennas
  are easy to build and great to throw into a
  backpack or emergency kit. Imagine being able to
  check into the local nets from your tent!

4
Dealing With Crowd Noise

• Many times hams are called to provide
  assistance at public events such as fairs,
  sporting events, and marathons where conditions
  are noisy. A good thing to have with your
  handheld when operating from a location that
  includes lots of crowd noise is a combination
  headset and microphone.

5
Locating Interference or Jamming

• Noise sources can appear on the ham bands from
  a variety of sources. These may be accidental or
  they may be the product of intentional jamming.
  One method used to locate sources of noise
  interference or jamming is radio direction
  finding. This is done by two or more mobile or
  portable stations equipped with direction finding
  antennas. Hams working together can often
  isolate the source of the interference by a
  process called triangulation.

6
Fox Hunts Find the Hidden Transmitter

• Some hams enjoy fox hunts. The object of a
  fox hunt is to locate a hidden transmitter that
  transmits a signal from time to time. Fox
  hunting may be done almost anywhere. The most
  useful item for a hidden transmitter hunt is a
  good directional antenna to help you determine
  the direction of the signal coming from the fox.

7
Contesting

• A popular operating activity that involves
  contacting as many stations as possible during a
  specified period of time is called contesting.
  Contesting takes many forms and may be done at
  home or from remote locations. One contest many
  hams participate in is the ARRL Field Day, held
  each year in June.

8
Grid Locator

• One type of contesting requires a station to
  contact as many grids as possible. Using a map
  projection called the Maidenhead grid, the earth
  is divided into Maidenhead squares or simply grid
  squares. These grids are based on latitude and
  longitude.
• A grid locator is a letter-number designator
  assigned to a geographic location or grid. Some
  stations you talk to may ask for your grid
  locator information.

9
Special Event Stations

• A special event station is a temporary station
  that operates in conjunction with an activity of
  special significance.
• Special event stations may be operated in
  conjunction with fairs or festivals, or from
  unique sites such as lighthouses, museum ships or
  historical sites.

10
Radio Controlled (RC) Models

• Many hams combine their interest in radio with
  an interest in operating radio controlled (RC)
  aircraft, ships or cars by using amateur radio to
  control their craft. Amateur frequencies
  authorized for this purpose are often less
  crowded than frequencies available to the public.
  
• The maximum power allowed when transmitting
  telecommand signals to radio controlled models
  via amateur radio is 1 watt. (See 97.215(c))

11
Station ID Requirements for RC Models

• To comply with the station identification
  requirement when sending commands to a radio
  control model using amateur frequencies, the FCC
  says you must affix a label indicating your call
  sign and address to the transmitter. (See
  97.215(a))

12
Check-Up Time!

• Now lets try the questions from this group.
• You should make a note of any that you miss for
  later review.

13
T7A01

• What is a good thing to have when operating a
  hand-held transceiver away from home?
• A. A selection of spare parts
• B. A programming cable to load new channels
• C. One or more fully charged spare battery packs
• D. A dummy load

14
T7A01 Answer - C

• Go with the obvious answer here. When the
  batteries are low you don't want to have to stop
  operating. Pop in a freshly charged pack and you
  won't have to!

15
T7A02

• Which of these items would probably not be very
  useful to include in an emergency response kit?
  
• A. An external antenna and several feet of
  connecting cable
• B. A 1500 watt output linear amplifier
• C. A cable and clips for connecting your
  transceiver to an external battery
• D. A listing of repeater frequencies and nets in
  your area

16
T7A02 Answer - B

• Note that the question asks which item would
  probably NOT be useful to include. A 1500 watt
  linear might be nice to have, if you need to
  communicate over a long distance, but if you
  carry that, you'd better bring along a generator
  and a supply of fuel as well. The other items
  listed would be much more helpful!

17
T7A03

• How can you make the signal from a hand-held
  radio stronger when operating in the field?
• A. Switch to VFO mode
• B. Use an external antenna instead of the
  rubber-duck antenna
• C. Stand so there is a metal building between you
  and other stations
• D. Speak as loudly as you can

18
T7A03 Answer - B

• "Rubber-duck" antennas, those short antennas
  that come with your handheld, are OK for work
  close to the repeater, but when you need to
  transmit farther, there is no substitute for a
  good external antenna.

19
T7A04

• What would be a good thing to have when
  operating from a location that includes lots of
  crowd noise?
• A. A portable bullhorn
• B. An encrypted radio
• C. A combination headset and microphone
• D. A pulse noise blanker

20
T7A04 Answer - C

• If there is a lot of noise around your
  location, a good headset will help you hear
  received signals, and having the microphone near
  your mouth will probably help you to stand out
  against the background noise when you transmit.

21
T7A05

• What is a method used to locate sources of noise
  interference or jamming?
• A. Echolocation
• B. Doppler radar
• C. Radio direction finding
• D. Phase locking

22
T7A05 Answer - C

• Radio direction finding is a technique that
  uses special antennas to determine the direction
  of a transmitted signal. When two stations at
  different locations are able to determine the
  direction from their location, they can usually
  locate the originating station by triangulation.

23
T7A06

• Which of these items would be the most useful
  for a hidden transmitter hunt?
• A. Binoculars and a compass
• B. A directional antenna
• C. A calibrated noise bridge
• D. Calibrated SWR meter

24
T7A06 Answer - B

• A directional antenna is needed so you can
  determine the direction from which the signal is
  being broadcast. By sweeping an area with this
  antenna and listening for the strongest reading,
  you can determine the direction from which the
  signal is coming.

25
T7A07

• What is a popular operating activity that
  involves contacting as many stations as possible
  during a specified period of time?
• A. Contesting
• B. Net operations
• C. Public service events
• D. Simulated emergency exercises

26
T7A07 Answer - A

• Contests are very popular with many amateurs.
  There are many kinds of contests. Sometimes the
  focus is the mode such as CW or SSB. Other
  contests look for contacts with hams from a
  certain state or region, or operating a
  particular type of station. However, they all
  share the same basic idea - work as many other
  amateurs as you can during the contest period.

27
T7A09

• What is a grid locator?
• A. A letter-number designator assigned to a
  geographic location
• B. Your azimuth and elevation
• C. Your UTC location
• D. The 4 digits that follow your ZIP code

28
T7A09 Answer - A

• The grid locator system is a letter number
  designator that represents a small grid on the
  map. By giving your grid locator, you are giving
  the other station a very good idea of your
  location.

29
T7A10

• What is a special event station?
• A. A station that sends out birthday greetings
• B. A station that operates only on holidays
• C. A temporary station that operates in
  conjunction with an activity of special
  significance
• D. A station that broadcasts special events

30
T7A10 Answer - C

• There are all kinds of special event stations.
  These stations often operate in conjunction with
  a special celebration or event. In addition, the
  operators often provide fancy QSL cards or
  certificates to those stations that work the
  special event station. Special event stations
  are listed every month in QST and CQ magazines.

31
T7A11

• What is the maximum power allowed when
  transmitting telecommand signals to radio
  controlled models?
• A. 500 milliwatts
• B. 1 watt
• C. 25 watts
• D. 1500 watts

32
T7A11 Answer - B

• 97.215(c)
• An amateur station transmitting signals to
  control a model craft may be operated as follows
• (c) The transmitter power must not exceed 1 W.
• Some amateurs use ham radio to control radio
  controlled model aircraft, boats or cars. You
  don't need to use amateur frequencies to do this,
  but where lots of models are being operated, it
  helps to have a clear channel on amateur radio.
  If you use ham radio for RC models, 1 watt is the
  most power you can use to communicate with your
  craft.

33
T7A12

• What is the station identification requirement
  when sending commands to a radio control model
  using amateur frequencies?
• A. Voice identification must be transmitted every
  10 minutes
• B. Morse code ID must be sent once per hour
• C. A label indicating the licensee's call sign
  and address must be affixed to the transmitter
• D. There is no station identification requirement
  for this service

34
T7A12 Answer - C

• 97.215(a)
• An amateur station transmitting signals to
  control a model craft may be operated as follows
• (a) The station identification procedure is not
  required for transmissions directed only to the
  model craft, provided that a label indicating the
  station call sign and the station licensee's name
  and address is affixed to the station transmitter.

35
Group T7B

• Group T7B covers satellite operations and theory,
  including Doppler shift, satellite sub bands,
  low earth orbit (LEO), orbit calculation, split
  frequency operation, operating protocols, amateur
  satellites (AMSAT), and International Space
  Station (ISS) communications.

36
Amateur Satellites

• One of the most interesting aspects of amateur
  radio is operating through amateur satellites. A
  group of dedicated hams have managed to get a
  number of amateur satellites launched into orbit.
  Amateur satellites are like the worlds highest
  repeaters. Using amateur radio satellite you can
  talk to amateur radio operators in other
  countries.
• So what class of license is required to use
  amateur satellites? Any amateur whose license
  allows them to transmit on the satellite uplink
  frequency can access an amateur satellite.

37
AMSAT

• The group that coordinates the building and/or
  launch of the largest number of amateur radio
  satellites is called AMSAT (short for amateur
  satellite).
• AMSAT is a nonprofit corporation that
  coordinates the design and building of these
  birds, finding a space for them on a rocket, and
  raising the large sums of money needed to get
  them built and launched into orbit.

38
Working the Satellite Finding the Bird

• The first thing you need to determine whether
  you can access an amateur satellite is a good
  satellite tracking program. There are a number
  of good programs out there, including many that
  are free. Youll need to plug in orbital
  coordinates for all the satellites you want to
  track, and the software will tell you when the
  satellite will be over your location, as well as
  the direction it will be traveling.

39
Working the Satellite How Much Power?

• How much power should you use to transmit when
  using an amateur satellite? As with any other
  communications, the FCC says you must use only
  the minimum amount of power needed to complete
  the contact.

40
Working the Satellite Dealing With Doppler Shift

• Doppler shift is a change in signal frequency
  caused by motion through space. You may have
  noticed that the pitch of a motor in a moving car
  appears to be higher as it comes toward you and
  just a bit lower as it moves away from you. As
  the car approaches, the sound waves from the
  motor appear to be sped up by the speed of the
  car, raising the frequency. As the car goes by,
  the sound waves appear to be slowed down in the
  same way. This is also due to Doppler shift.
• The same thing happens to radio frequencies as
  a satellite moves in orbit at a speed of over
  17,000 miles per hour. This causes the frequency
  of the satellites transmitter to shift slightly
  as it moves over your location.

41
Satellite Beacons

• A satellite beacon is a signal coming from the
  satellite that contains information about the
  satellite. If you can hear the beacon on your
  station, you can probably work the satellite.

42
Satellite Sub-bands

• A satellite sub-band is a portion of an amateur
  band where satellite operations are permitted.
  If you want to work amateur satellites, youll
  need to know where the sub-bands are. For
  example, the satellite sub-band on 70-CM is 435
  to 438 MHz.

43
Amateur Satellites Low Earth Orbit

• Most commercial satellites are in
  geosynchronous orbit, meaning that their orbit
  keeps them at the same spot over the surface of
  the earth all the time. These satellites are in
  orbit at about 22,241 miles over the earth. On
  the other hand, amateur satellites are in low
  earth orbit (LEO), usually less than a couple of
  hundred miles high. Because of the LEO, the
  orbits are usually around ninety minutes and the
  time you have to use a satellite on each pass is
  usually only a few minutes.

44
Working Astronaut Hams

• Almost every International Space Station (ISS)
  crew has at least one astronaut onboard who is a
  licensed amateur. Many of these astronaut hams
  spend a lot of their spare time on amateur radio.
  Any amateur with a Technician or higher class
  license may make contact with an astronaut on the
  International Space Station using amateur radio
  frequencies.

45
Check-Up Time!

• Now lets try the questions from this group.
• You should make a note of any that you miss for
  later review.

46
T7B01

• What class of license is required to use amateur
  satellites?
• A. Only Extra class licensees can use amateur
  radio satellites
• B. General or higher class licensees who have a
  satellite operator certification
• C. Only persons who are AMSAT members and who
  have paid their dues
• D. Any amateur whose license allows them to
  transmit on the satellite uplink frequency

47
T7B01 Answer - D

• If you can lawfully transmit on the uplink
  frequency (the frequency used to transmit to the
  satellite), you can use that satellite. As a
  Technician licensee, that means you can use most
  amateur satellites currently in orbit.

48
T7B02

• How much power should you use to transmit when
  using an amateur satellite?
• A. The maximum power of your transmitter
• B. The minimum amount of power needed to complete
  the contact
• C. No more than half the rating of your linear
  amplifier
• D. Never more than 1 watt

49
T7B02 Answer - B

• Under FCC rules, you should ALWAYS use the
  minimum power necessary to complete a contact.

50
T7B03

• What is something you can do when using an
  amateur radio satellite?
• A. Listen to the Space Shuttle
• B. Get global positioning information
• C. Make autopatch calls
• D. Talk to amateur radio operators in other
  countries

51
T7B03 Answer - D

• Amateur satellites are like orbiting repeaters.
  Because they are so high, the distance you can
  cover using them makes satellite communications
  between countries very realistic.

52
T7B04

• Who may make contact with an astronaut on the
  International Space Station using amateur radio
  frequencies?
• A. Only members of amateur radio clubs at NASA
  facilities
• B. Any amateur with a Technician or higher class
  license
• C. Only the astronaut's family members who are
  hams
• D. You cannot talk to the ISS on amateur radio
  frequencies

53
T7B04 Answer - B

• One of the neat things about amateur radio is
  that almost every ISS crew has at least one
  amateur aboard, and some have taken a great
  interest in making contacts with hams on the
  ground. An ISS two way contact is a really big
  deal!

54
T7B05

• What is a satellite beacon?
• A. The primary transmit antenna on the satellite
• B. An indicator light that that shows where to
  point your antenna
• C. A reflective surface on the satellite
• D. A signal that contains information about a
  satellite

55
T7B05 Answer - D

• The beacon is a signal transmitted from the
  satellite that gives the listener information
  about that satellite. However, the most
  important thing about the beacon is that if you
  can hear it, chances are you can work through the
  satellite.

56
T7B06

• What should you use to determine when you can
  access an amateur satellite?
• A. A GPS receiver
• B. A field strength meter
• C. A telescope
• D. A satellite tracking program

57
T7B06 Answer - D

• Satellite tracking programs will tell you when
  a satellite will be overhead and what the path of
  the satellite will be. This will allow you to
  track the satellite with your antenna.

58
T7B07

• What is Doppler shift?
• A. A change in the satellite orbit
• B. A mode where the satellite receives signals on
  one band and
• transmits on another
• C. A change in signal frequency caused by motion
  through space
• D. A special digital communications mode for some
  satellites

59
T7B07 Answer - C

• Doppler shift is the apparent change in
  frequency of a signal due to the speed of an
  object as it moves toward or away from an
  observer. You have probably heard the effect of
  Doppler shift in a sound wave as a car or train
  went by where you were standing. As it
  approached, the sound had a higher pitch
  (frequency) and as it moved away from you, the
  pitch (frequency) appeared to be lower. The same
  effect can be observed with radio frequencies
  coming from a moving satellite.

60
T7B08

• What is the name of the group that coordinates
  the building and/or launch of the largest number
  of amateur radio satellites?
• A. NSA
• B. USOC
• C. AMSAT
• D. FCC

61
T7B08 Answer - C

• AMSAT (short for amateur satellite) is the
  official name of the Radio Amateur Satellite
  Corporation. This organization coordinates all
  activities related to design, building and launch
  of amateur satellites. Getting one of these
  birds into orbit is a complicated and expensive
  process, but this group takes the lead in making
  it happen.

62
T7B09

• What is a satellite sub-band?
• A. A special frequency for talking to submarines
• B. A frequency range limited to Extra Class
  licensees
• C. A portion of a band where satellite operations
  are permitted
• D. An obsolete term that has no meaning

63
T7B09 Answer - C

• Sub-bands are portions of bands set aside for
  specific kinds of operation. Sometimes this
  division of the bands is done by the FCC through
  its rules, and at other times it is done by a
  "gentlemen's agreement." Satellites need clear
  frequencies to work most effectively, and the
  satellite sub-bands give them those frequencies.

64
T7B10

• What is the satellite sub-band on 70-CM?
• A. 420 to 450 MHz
• B. 435 to 438 MHz
• C. 440 to 450 MHz
• D. 432 to 433 MHz

65
T7B10 Answer - B

• Ah, yes.. more stuff to memorize. 435 to 438
  MHz is the satellite sub-band for the 70 cm band.

66
T7B11

• What do the initials LEO tell you about an
  amateur satellite?
• A. The satellite battery is in Low Energy
  Operation mode
• B. The satellite is performing a Lunar Ejection
  Orbit maneuver
• C. The satellite is in a Low Earth Orbit
• D. The satellite uses Light Emitting Optics

67
T7B11 Answer - C

• LEO stands for "low earth orbit." Because
  amateur satellites (so far) are in low earth
  orbit, the time they are available for use on
  each pass or orbit is only a few minutes.

68
Seven Down, Three to Go!

• This concludes Study Guide 7.
• Once you are satisfied that you can answer 80 of
  the questions in this Sub-element, you are ready
  to move on to Study Guide 8.