Kansas City DX Club
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(Zeroes before Ones!)
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August 29, 2016
Kansas City DX Club Meeting Minutes
Carmack Community Room, Central Resource Library - Overland Park, KS
Note: The secretary was present only for the very first part of the meeting. Thanks to Jeff, AC0E for providing a copy of his presentation for this report. Therefore any important side comments are not included.
Also, the secretary has noted several errors in past reports. You may fire him if you so desire.
Before the meeting was called to order, Don, K0IFO, gave a short briefing on a recent simulation of an emergency response to an earthquake of the New Madrid fault in SE Missouri. This seems especially timely in view of the fact that an Oklahoma earthquake was felt here in Kansas City on the morning of September 3, 2016. He reported that communications worked fairly well but that a debriefing would be held to determine changes to the communications response plan.
The August, 2016 meeting of the Kansas City DX Club was called to order by President Jeff, AC0 C, at 6:05 pm (2305 August 29, 2016 UTC).
Agenda -
- Introductions/Greeting
- Special announcements
- DXing and Contesting
- Presentation by Jeff Blaine, AC0 C, about the modification of a cheap computer switching power supply for general purpose use.
Introductions -
As customary, we all introduced ourselves to the group.
No guests were present. A total of 31 people checked the attendance register.
DXing and Contesting
- DXing for September –
08/25 – 09/03 Pitcairn Is. VP6J Several JA’s
08/29 – 09/05 Macao XX9TYT IK7TYT QRV AASSB
08/31 -- 09/10 Aves Is. YVØV Pretty rare…invest some time
09/07 – 11/25 Pitcairn Is. VP6AH Dl2AH 100 W + Windom, Holiday Style
09/06 – 09/24 Mongolia JT1’s JT1DBS, XC, IF JA’s
09/18 – 09/30 Comoros D6DD OK’s, Fairly rare
09/20 – 09/29 Niue E6 TBA, JA’s
09/24 – 10/03 Solomon Is. H44GC
09/24 – 10/24 W. Kiribati T3ØCOW KCØW on sabbatical, see QRZ.com
09/25 – 10/15 Norfolk Is. VK9NZ ZL’s, QRC Oceania SSB
09/26 – 10/01 Sao Tome & S9BT EA3BT and EA3WL, IOTA AF-023
Principe S9WL 40-6, SSB, CW, RTTY
- Contesting for September
+ All Asian DX Contest, Phone |
0000Z, Sep 3 to 2400Z, Sep 4 |
+ Colorado QSO Party |
1300Z, Sep 3 to 0400Z, Sep 4 |
+ Tennessee QSO Party |
1800Z, Sep 4 to 0300Z, Sep 5 |
+ WAE DX Contest, SSB |
0000Z, Sep 10 to 2359Z, Sep 11 |
+ Ohio State Parks on the Air |
1600Z-2400Z, Sep 10 |
+ ARRL September VHF Contest |
1800Z, Sep 10 to 0300Z, Sep 12 |
+ North American Sprint, CW |
0000Z-0400Z, Sep 11 |
+ ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest |
0600 local, Sep 17 to 2400 local, Sep 18 |
+ All Africa International DX Contest |
1200Z, Sep 17 to 1200Z, Sep 18 |
+ New Jersey QSO Party |
1600Z, Sep 17 to 0359Z, Sep 18 and 1400Z-2000Z, Sep 18 |
+ New Hampshire QSO Party |
1600Z, Sep 17 to 0400Z, Sep 18 and 1600Z-2200Z, Sep 18 |
+ ARRL EME Contest |
0000Z, Sep 24 to 2359Z, Sep 25 |
+ CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY |
0000Z, Sep 24 to 2400Z, Sep 25 |
+ Maine QSO Party |
1200Z, Sep 24 to 1200Z, Sep 25 |
+ Texas QSO Party |
1400Z, Sep 24 to 0200Z, Sep 25 and |
Presentation by Jeff, AC0C
From the AC0C Bench
Got PS?
13.7VDC 45 Amps <$20
For this presentation, Jeff described the $20 supply, linear vs. switching types, noise filtering, bench testing and power supply testing tools.
The $20 supply is available on various online outlets for about $20. The supply was built for the computer server market and can be located by searching for DPS-800. It requires some simple mods and extra wiring and toroidal filtering to become usable as a bench supply in the ham shack. He indicated the usual tradeoffs when considering a switching vs linear supply of cost, complexity, weight, and RFI.
Jeff then showed several spectrum analyzer graphs of the output of commercial amateur switching power supplies vs the DPS-800. Unmodified the DPS-800 was poor but compared quite favorably after filter modifications he described.
Then Jeff talked about his power supply characterization tools – Active load, Passive load, and DC Clamp Meter.
Here are the links that Jeff provided for this presentation:
http://pa0fri.home.xs4all.nl/Diversen/DPS-800GB%20A%20Server%20sypply/DPS-800GB%20A%20PSU%20eng.htm
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1301679
Jeff then showed some photos of various electronics work benches showing that clutter is a relative term. Quite impressive clutter.
As usual Jeff solicited for speakers and ideas for future meetings. Also newsletter content and suggestions are wanted. Send to Mike, AB0X.
The September 2016 club meeting is Wednesday, September 28 at 6:00pm at the Johnson County Central Library.
Charles Hett, K0THN, KCDX Club Secretary
Previous Minutes
No Minutes for December, 2015 - Christmas Party
No Minutes for December, 2014 - Christmas Party
December, 2013 - No Minutes (Christmas Party)
May, 2013 (First Monday in June)
No Minutes for Christmas Party December 2012 Meeting