The KA7DRE Information Station

THE KA7DRE INFORMATION STATION

Hello and Welcome Everyone to my little place on the Internet! Here you will find current topics of Interest to Amateur Radio Operators Everywhere - Including - Upcoming Hamfest Information, Local Meeting Information and agenda for the Tri-City, Washington area, ARRL Bulletins (When Available), Data on working 10 Meter FM, Links to help you upgrade your License and better operate your station, Information on the Columbia Basin Net on 3.960.0 KHz., Plus . . . Lists of 2-Meter FM and 440 UHF FM Repeaters for the Tri-Cities, Washington area and surrounding communities which this site primarily serves. NOTE: I have added some "Quick Access Links" below my site directory for easy navigation through this site. These pages will be updated regularly provided I'm not busy with my job, so check back often. But most of all, Enjoy your visit ! John.

Homepage for KA7DRE

(Site Directory)

Homepage - "Quick Access Links" to my other pages, Local Radio Clubs, ARRL BULLETINS, (When Available), Callsign Lookup, Homeland Security Monitor, NOAA Spaceweather Link, Check the status of your recent upgrade and see when you are in the F.C.C. database, Information on the "Columbia Basin Net", Upcoming Hamfests, Links to Manufacturers, Weather for the Tri-Cities, WA area, Visitor Counter. Plus . . . Cross State Link System Frequencies, VE Testing Information when available.

Page Two - "Picture Gallery" --> Includes me checking in to the Columbia Basin Net on the Icom-707, My HTX-10 Ten Meter rig in the garage, My new Icom 207H dualbander in the Hamshack, Me in the mobile, and a few pictures of a section of my "Antenna Farm".

Page Three - Tri-Cities Local Events, Meetings and Agenda., plus a "Just for Fun" section.

Page Four - Very Usefull Amateur Radio Links / Local Scanner Frequency Pages / Some of my friends Ham pages.

Page Five - 2-Meter FM Repeater Guide for the Tri-Cities and other communities around the Northwest.

Page Six - 440 UHF FM Repeater Guide for the Tri-Cities and other communities around the Northwest.

Page Seven - 10 Meter FM Bandplan and split frequency guide for 10 Meter Repeater Frequencies, Plus Information on the KBARA System.

Page Eight - My Guestbook and Webrings.

"QUICK ACCESS" LINKS TO OTHER PAGES ON THIS SITE

Page-2: My Picture Gallery

Page-3: Local Events, Meetings, Drills, Announcements & "Just For Fun" Section

Page-4: Amateur Radio Lnks, Scanner Frequency Pages, Some Of My Friends Ham Pages

Page-5: 2-Meter FM Repeater Guide For The Tri-Cities And Other Communities Around The Northwest

Page-6: 440 UHF FM Repeater Guide For The Tri-Cities And Other Communities Around The Northwest

Page-7: 10 Meter FM Bandplan And Split Frequency Guide For 10 Meter Repeater Frequencies

Page-8: My Guestbook, Webrings And Search Engine

Here is a great site from the ARRL on an introduction to Amateur Radio and what it can do!

Quick callsign lookup:

Callsign lookups provided by
qrz.com

REGARDING BROADBAND OVER POWER LINES: (BPL)

RE: BENTON COUNTY'S "Project Durango"

ARRL BULLETIN

QST de W1AW Special Bulletin 10 ARLX010 From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT July 20, 2009 To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX010 ARLX010 WALTER CRONKITE, KB2GSD (SK)

Legendary CBS newsman Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, who held the title of ''Most Trusted Man in America,'' passed away Friday, July 17 after a long illness. He was 92. The avuncular Cronkite anchored the CBS Evening News for 19 years until 1981 when he retired. During that time, he reported on such subjects as the Kennedy assassinations, the Civil Rights movement, the Apollo XI lunar landing, Vietnam and the Vietnam-era protests, the Arab-Israeli Six Day War, Watergate and the Begin-Sadat peace accords.

Cronkite, an ARRL member, narrated the 6 minute video ''Amateur Radio Today''http://www.arrl.org/ARToday/ Produced by the ARRL in 2003, the video tells Amateur Radio's public service story to non-hams, focusing on ham radio's part in helping various agencies respond to wildfires in the Western US during 2002, ham radio in space and the role Amateur Radio plays in emergency communications. ''Dozens of radio amateurs helped the police and fire departments and other emergency services maintain communications in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC,'' narrator Cronkite intoned in reference to ham radio's response on September 11, 2001. ''Their country asked, and they responded without reservation.''

Walter Leland Cronkite was born in St Joseph, Missouri on November 4, 1916, the only child of a dentist father and homemaker mother. When he was still young, his family moved to Texas. ''One day, he read an article in ''Boys Life'' about the adventures of reporters working around the world -- and young Cronkite was hooked,'' said his obituary on the CBS Web site. ''He began working on his high school newspaper and yearbook and in 1933, he entered the University of Texas at Austin to study political science, economics and journalism. He never graduated. He took a part time job at the Houston Post and left college to do what he loved: report.'' (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/17/eveningnews/main5170556.shtml)

In 1963, it was Cronkite who broke into the soap opera ''As the World Turns'' to announce that the president had been shot -- and later to declare that he had been killed.'' CBS called it a ''defining moment for Cronkite, and for the country. His presence -- in shirtsleeves, slowly removing his glasses to check the time and blink back tears -- captured both the sense of shock, and the struggle for composure, that would consume America and the world over the next four days.''

One of Cronkite's enthusiasms was the space race. In 1969, when America sent a man to the moon, he couldn't contain himself. ''Go baby, go.'' he said as Apollo XI took off. He ended up performing what critics described as ''Walter to Walter'' coverage of the mission -- staying on the air for 27 of the 30 hours that astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were on the moon. In 2006, NASA honored Cronkite by giving him their Ambassador of Exploration Award. ''His marathon, live coverage of the first moon landing brought the excitement and impact of the historic event into the homes of millions of Americans and observers around the world,'' NASA said in a news release announcing the award. Cronkite was the first non-astronaut and only NASA outsider to receive the award. (http://www.arrl.org/?artid=6130.)

Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML, was Cronkite's radio engineer at CBS for many years. ''I had many chances to discuss my favorite hobby, ham radio, with 'the world's most trusted anchor man,''' he told the ARRL. ''Gradually, his interest increased, but on finding that he had to pass a Morse code test, he balked, saying it was too hard for him; however, he told me he had purchased a receiver and listened to the Novice bands every night for a few minutes. At the CBS Radio Network, Walter would arrive 10 minutes before we went on the air to read his script aloud, make corrections for his style of grammar and just 'get in the mood' to do the show. In those days Rich Moseson, W2VU, was the producer of a show called ''In the News,'' a 3 minute television show for children voiced by CBS Correspondent Christopher Glenn. On this day, Rich was at the Broadcast Center to record Chris' voice for his show and had dropped by my control room to discuss some upcoming ARRL issues.'' At the time, Mendelsohn was the ARRL Hudson Division Director.

''When Walter walked into the studio, I started to set the show up at the behest of our director, Dick Muller, WA2DOS,'' Mendelsohn recalled. ''In setting up the tape recorders, I had to send tone to them and make sure they were all at proper level. Having some time, I grabbed ''The New York Times'' and started sending code with the tone key on the audio console. For 10 minutes I sent code and noticed Walter had turned his script over and was copying it. We went to air, as we did every day, at 4:50 PM and after we were off, Walter brought his script into the control room. Neatly printed on the back was the text I had sent with the tone key. Rich and I looked at the copy, he nodded, and I told Walter that he had just passed the code test. He laughed and asked when the formal test was, but I reminded him that it took two general class licensees to validate the test and he had just passed the code. Several weeks later he passed the written test and the FCC issued him KB2GSD.''

Mendelsohn helped Cronkite make his first Amateur Radio contact: ''Having passed the licensing test, Walter was now ready to get on the air. His first QSO was on 10 meters about 28.390 MHz. He was nervous and I called him on the phone to talk him through his first experience. As we talked on the air, a ham from the Midwest come on and called me. Acknowledging him, I asked the usual questions about where he was from, wanting to give Walter a bit of flavor of what the hobby was about. I turned it over to Walter, and following his introduction, the gentleman in the Midwest said, 'That's the worst Walter Cronkite imitation I've ever heard.' I suggested that maybe it was Walter and the man replied, 'Walter Cronkite is not even a ham, and if he was, he certainly wouldn't be here on 10 meters.' Walter and I laughed for weeks at that one.''

In 2007, ARRL Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, presented Cronkite with the ARRL President's Award. This award, created in 2003 by the ARRL Board of Directors, recognizes an ARRL member or members who ''have shown long-term dedication to the goals and objectives of ARRL and Amateur Radio'' and who have gone the extra mile to support individual League programs and goals. Cronkite was selected to receive the award in April 2005 in recognition of his outstanding support of the ARRL and Amateur Radio by narrating the videos ''Amateur Radio Today'' and ''The ARRL Goes to Washington'' (http://www.arrl.org/pio/VTS-video.wmv.) ''It was quite a thrill to make this presentation to Cronkite,'' Fallon said. ''He has long been recognized as the 'most trusted man in America,' so lining our causes to his face, name and voice has been a great help.''

Cronkite is the recipient of a Peabody Award, the William White Award for Journalistic Merit, an Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the George Polk Journalism Award and a Gold Medal from the International Radio and Television Society. In 1981, during his final three months on the CBS Evening News, Cronkite received 11 major awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1985, he became the second newsman, after Edward R. Murrow, to be selected for the Television Hall of Fame.

A private memorial service was scheduled for July 23 in New York City. Cronkite will be cremated and his remains buried in Missouri next to his wife Betsy, who passed away in 2005. A public memorial service will be held within the next month at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Walter and Betsy Cronkite Foundation through the Austin Community Foundation (http://www.austincommunityfoundation.org/), which will distribute contributions to various charities the couple supported.

As Cronkite said on March 6, 1981, concluding his final broadcast as anchorman: ''Old anchormen, you see, don't fade away, they just keep coming back for more. And that's the way it is.''

THE COLUMBIA BASIN NET

This Informal Net Meets Nightly At 7:00 P.M. On 3.960.0 KHz. Every Night! Stop by and say "hello".

THE OFFICIAL CBN WEB SITE

National Homeland Security Knowledgebase

NOAA SPACEWEATHER

SOLAR ACTIVITY MONITOR

Solar X-rays:

Geomagnetic Field: >

TEXT OF THE WWV SOLAR INDICIES BROADCAST

INTERNATIONAL Q SIGNALS
(In Case You Can't Remember Them All)

CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR RECENT UPGRADE If you have just recently upgraded your License, you can check this long list to see when you are in the FCC database, so you will know when to start expecting your new License in the mail.

The Amateur's Code

The Radio Amateur is:

CONSIDERATE Never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL Offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationaly and internationally.

PROGRESSIVE With knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.

FRIENDLY Slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED Radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC Station and skill always ready for service to country and community.

--The original Amateur's Code was written by Paul M. Segal,W9EEA in 1928.

CHECK OUT MY LINKS ON PAGE - 4 There is a page where you can take a "practice" written exam of your choice on the first link that is listed.

AMATEUR RADIO ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
The International Space Station has Amateur Radio onboard ! Scanner listeners can hear the communications from the ISS when they pass over ground stations on the east and west coast of the United States. Listen to 143.625 mhz. This has been a long time Russian downlink for their space communications. Monitor the NASA channel at the same time to get a translation. Look for Amateur Radio activity on 145.800 mhz.

- - This is the latest published UPDATE that is available - -

As Of March 25, 2009

Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, Steps Down from ARISS and AMSAT Duties

Citing personal and professional reasons, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, announced on March 24 that he will be stepping down from all his ARISS duties, effective immediately. Bauer serves as ARISS Program Leader, ARISS International Working Group Chair and as the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation's (AMSAT) Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs, a position he has held since 1991. He is also one of two ARISS USA delegates, serving with ARRL ARISS Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO.

Bauer is currently the Chief Engineer for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA. This directorate is developing the next generation human spaceflight vehicles that will take NASA to the International Space Station (ISS) and then to the Moon, Mars and beyond. He is also providing some backup support to the Space Operations Chief Engineer who supports the space shuttle and ISS programs. "Work responsibilities, which have increased substantially over the past couple of years, coupled with some recent health issues within my immediate family, led me to the conclusion that I could not continue to provide the leadership and passion that has been characteristic of my past support to these amateur radio endeavors," Bauer explained. "This was a very hard decision. I will certainly miss the phenomenal ARISS international team and our mission to inspire the next generation of space explorers using ham radio as our platform. But I thought it would be best to step down at this juncture. Over the past 12 years, we have developed, mentored and matured an outstanding volunteer team with a wide breadth and depth. I am fully confident that they will keep the ARISS program running smoothly without missing a beat."

AMSAT-NA President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, has tapped Will Marchant, KC6ROL, to become the next AMSAT Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs and the AMSAT USA delegate of the ARISS International Working Group. "AMSAT is fortunate that we have a very capable leader in Will Marchant who is intimately familiar with ARISS, our extensive human spaceflight program, and is well respected internationally," Baines said. "Frank's leadership has left a significant mark on the overall ARISS program and the cooperative relationship between Amateur Radio, NASA and other governmental space agencies; however, Frank also ensured that his team evolved to the point where the work that he pioneered will be carried on by those that he mentored and encouraged to take on greater responsibility."

In his new role, Marchant will work with White and the other ARISS International Delegates and the ISS Space Agencies to coordinate the development and operations of the Amateur Radio systems onboard the ISS. White said that she looks forward to working with Marchant in his new role: "He has provided outstanding leadership and support to ARISS from its very beginning, most recently as an Operations Team Leader. He helped pioneer the school group mentor role as part of the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) program in the early 1990s. Frank will be missed tremendously. It is incredible how much volunteer time and effort he put into ARISS educational activities; it was easy to see it was his passion."

With Bauer stepping down from the ARISS International Chairman role, ARISS International Vice Chair Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, will become the ARISS International Chairman, effective immediately. Bertels has been a leader of ARISS from its inception and serves as the Chairman of the ARISS-Europe team. He has established a close relationship between ARISS and the European Space Agency (ESA). This resulted in the development and the installation of ARISS L- and S-band antennas on the nadir of Columbus, the European Space Laboratory. Bertels also chairs IARU Region 1's Amateur Radio Space Exploration Working Group (ARSPEX). "We can understand the reasons of Frank Bauer's resignation," Bertels said, "but we also feel how difficult this decision has been. Frank has inspired a worldwide group of passionate radio amateurs, working together to a common goal. Now it is up to us to continue in the same direction and with the same spirit. That's the best farewell present we can offer Frank."

Bauer's departure represents the culmination of more than 25 years of leadership and support to Amateur Radio activities on human spaceflight vehicles, including NASA-sponsored ham radio activities on the shuttle, Space Station Mir and the ISS. Starting in 1983, he led the Goddard Amateur Radio Club team that provided around-the clock space shuttle retransmissions from the WA3NAN club station. These retransmissions provided the international ham radio community up-to-the-minute information during the flight of Owen Garriott, W5LFL, on STS-9 and subsequent SAREX flights. In the days prior to the Internet, these real-time bulletins and frequent orbital element updates could only be obtained through Amateur Radio.

In 1996, when the International Space Station design development was well underway, NASA Headquarters Education Office Executive Pam Bacon (Mountjoy) requested that the Amateur Radio community form a single, international team to provide one voice for all ham radio development and operations on the ISS. The SAREX Working Group, led by Roy Neal, K6DUE, was tapped to turn this vision into reality. In November 1996, Neal and White, under the auspices of the ARRL, Bauer and NASA's Matt Bordelon, KC5BTL, organized a joint NASA-international Amateur Radio meeting at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. This led to the formulation of the ARISS International Working Group of delegates representing Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the US, leading up to the current day ARISS program.

Since the beginning, the ARISS team of volunteers has developed and deployed ham radio equipment that resides in three modules of the ISS -- the Service Module, the FGB and the Columbus Module, as well as having deployed a short duration satellite in a space suit called SuitSat-1/Radiosskaf/AO-54. These systems enable the ARISS team to inspire more than 15,000 students each year, encouraging them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through Amateur Radio communications with the ISS on-orbit crew. It also introduces these students and millions from the worldwide general public to the fun, exciting, multi-faceted world of Amateur Radio.

- - - - - - - - - - - - The worldwide downlink frequency is 145.800 MHz. The FM voice uplink is 144.490 MHz in ITU Regions 2 and 3 (the Americas and the Pacific) and 145.200 MHz in Region 1 (Europe, Central Asia and Africa).

Information on the ARISS program can be found on the web at, http://www.rac.ca/ariss

The NA1SS worldwide voice and packet downlink frequency is 145.800 MHz. In Regions 2 and 3 (the Americas, and the Pacific), the voice uplink is 144.49 MHz. In Region 1 (Europe, Central Asia and Africa), the voice uplink is 145.20 MHz. The worldwide packet uplink is 145.99 MHz. All frequencies are subject to Doppler shift. The Science@NASA Web site provides location information for the ISS at, http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. Information can be found at, http://www.rac.ca/ariss.

For the latest information on the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight, visit the NASA Web site at, http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html

ARISS is an international project with U.S. participation by the ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. More information is available on the ARISS Web site: ARISS ARISS EXPEDITION ONE HOMEPAGE: (Contains Frequencies and much more.)

Ham-Radio Cam Built For Outer Space

Here is a very interesting news article from MSNBC

RADIO CLUBS AND ORAGANIZATIONS LIST

TRI-CITIES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB: W7VPA

YAKIMA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB: W7AQ

APPLE CITY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB: W7TD (Wenatchee)

PENDLETON AMATEUR RADIO CLUB: W7PL

PENDLETON SKYWARN WEBSITE

WALLA WALLA COUNTY A.R.E.S.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

LAKE CHELAN RADIO CLUB: K7SMX

CHEHALIS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY: WA7UHD

THE RADIO CLUB OF TACOMA: W7DK

CENTRAL OREGON COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB: W7FLO

SPOUT SPRINGS REPEATER ASSOCIATION

TRI-CITIES, WASHINGTON 146.760 MHz. REPEATER PAGE (There are some real neat photos on this page of our local 146.760 Repeater site and the 449.100 UHF Repeater site.)

THE EVERGREEN INTERTIE HOMEPAGE

EVREGREEN INTERTIE SYSTEM INFORMATION PAGE

THE K7PP LINKED SYSTEM

THE INTERNET RADIO LINKING PROJECT (Hear IRLP Live On This Site)

PACIFIC NORTHWEST VHF SOCIETY

KB7RII HAM PARK (This site is related to the Cross State Link System.)

N7JTA / N7LXC LINK SYSTEM FREQUENCIES

This system is about the only reliable system that goes through Snoqualmie Pass. It connects the greater Puget Sound area with Kittitas valley, Wenatchee, Cashmere, Chelan, Waterville, Selah, Tri-Cities, Yakima, Ritzville, Goldendale, and depending on equipment most of Washington State. For more information about the cross-state link, click on this link for the "Half Ton Radio Club" http://www.mikereidconstruction.com/n7jtan7lxclinkpage.htm

This is a SIMPLEX system that will reach into the Seattle,Tacoma, Everett, Woodenville, etc., areas of Washington State and to the Eastern side of the State to the Tri-Cities. Both 2 Meters and 440 are used in this cross state LINK SYSTEM.

This is the latest update on the Link Map

LINKS TO MANUFACTURERS

RADIO MODIFICATIONS WARNING: Performing these mods is at your own risk !

UPCOMING HAMFESTS

News of upcoming Hamfests will be posted here when it becomes available...

TRI-CITIES WEATHER CAM

TRI-CITIES BLUE BRIDGE WEBCAM

(Click On "Pasco" Camera Icon When On Page)

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