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Fallbrook Amateur Radio Renewals

FINAL NOTICE
	Gibbs, Gregory	KI6RXX	1/31/2020
THIRD NOTICE
	Beach, Paul	WA6SYA	2/29/2020
	Borg, Randy	KJ6YPO	2/29/2020
	Skinner, Mark	KF6MZQ	2/29/2020
SECOND NOTICE
	Byers, Jim	KI6OCZ	3/31/2020
FIRST NOTICE
	Costello, Linda	KM6QBD	4/30/2020
	Di Mento, Joe	KD6KUV	4/30/2020
	Durso, Chris	AA4CD	4/30/2020
	Kadan, Kenneth	K1KRK	4/30/2020

There will be no more paper notices mailed due to the rising cost of postage and supplies. All future notices will be sent electronically.

See Members List for your expires date.

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KB6NU’s Monthly Column

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler

By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler” is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein https://quotationcelebration.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/everything-should-be-made-as-simple-as-possible-but-not-simpler-albert-einstein/comment-page-1/ Here’s one way to apply this principle in amateur radio, specifically to code practice oscillators.

A week ago, my friend, Paul emailed me: “I am planning on teaching a two-hour introduction to Morse code to 14 girls ages 8 to 9 [[Paul’s granddaughter is a Girl Scout.]]. I plan on having the girls build a code practice device. I need your help in selecting a low cost buzzer and battery holder. Please take a look around and see would you can find. I would like to limit the power to one or two AA batteries.”

I replied that I’d be happy to help him with the demonstration, and offered the following advice:

“A while back, I built the QRPGuys’ K7QO Code Practice Oscillator https://qrpguys.com/k7qo-code-practice-oscillator It uses a CR2032 coin battery.

“Unfortunately, they don’t sell it anymore, but the assembly manual is still online https://qrpguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cpo_assy_012616.pdf The assembly manual doesn’t call out specific parts, but here are some Amazon SKUs:
• B00J4BK0NS, Black 3V Electromagnetic Type Piezo Buzzer, 20 pcs/$6.58
• B06XF3K4NP, Coin Cell Button Battery Holder, 30 pcs/$9
• B008SNZUYC, 3 Pin PCB Mount Female 3.5mm Stereo Jack, 10 pcs/$5.40
• B071RMD6FD, 1/8″ 3.5mm Stereo Male Connector, 10 pcs/$7

“Batteries are available at the dollar store for about 30 cents each. So, you could do the whole thing for less than $5 for sure, even with a printed circuit board, which I would suggest that we do. Heck, if you ask nicely, the QRPGuys might even give us the artwork, or even better, have some boards still in stock. Even if they have neither, you should be able to get the boards in plenty of time.”

Later that day, Paul replied:

Thanks, Dan, for the information and making yourself available to help. I am just going to use a buzzer, key, and battery. The buzzer has a frequency of 400 Hz.
• https://www.xump.com/science/Buzzer-Leads15V.cfm
• https://www.xump.com/science/ContactKeySwitch.cfm
• https://www.xump.com/science/Single-AA-Battery-Holder.cfm

And this morning, he sent me this photo, noting, “FYI. Also sounds great.”

I think that this is as good an example of “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler” as there can be. I’ve volunteered to help Paul with his class. That will be fun, too.

Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, is the author of the KB6NU amateur radio blog (KB6NU.Com), the “No Nonsense” amateur radio license study guides (KB6NU.Com/study-guides/), and often appears on the ICQPodcast (icqpodcast.com). When he’s not trying to keep things as simple as possible, but not simpler, he likes to build stuff and operate CW on the HF bands.

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Meeting Minutes

Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club
Roy Noon Hall, Fallbrook, California
March 6, 2020

President Jon Bart, K6QVA, called the meeting to order at 1505

The pledge of allegiance was recited.

Jon announced that officers for the coming year need to be elected. Stephen, KC6MIE, made the motion that the existing officers be re-elected for the coming year. Motion was second by Forrest, KK6BYR. There were no other nominations from the floor. Nominations were closed and the existing officers, Jon Bart, K6QVA, President, Ron Patten, KG6HSQ, Vice-President, and Ken Dickson, W6MF, Secretary/Treasurer were re-elected.

Ken, W6MF, gave the following financial report

Checking Balance January 31, 2020	$6,728.09
Petty Cash Balance January 31, 2020	$58.81
Total	$6,786.90
FEBRUARY INCOME
Membership Dues	$100.00
Total	$100.00
FEBRUARY EXPENSES
NONE	$0.00
Total	$0.00
PETTY CASH
Petty Cash Balance January 31, 2020	$58.81
Expenses February 2020	$0.00
Total	$58.81
Checking Balance February 29, 2020	$6,828.09
Petty Cash Balance February 29, 2020 $58.81	$58.81
Total	$6,786.90

At the request of a phone call from Don Warkentein,, W0DEW, Overland, Kansas, Ken ask if any members knew or had any information regarding a ham that at one time lived in the Modular Home Park on Reche Road near Old 395. His name is Robert Koutny, KA6MRO. Don was trying to locate Robert to advise him of a death in his family. No one in attendance knew or had any information regarding Robert.

Ron, KG6HSQ, told of preparations for the Avocado Festival in April and he is still in need of volunteers for that event. He said that the repeaters were operating without any problems at this time. He announced that FARC has a new website and that there is a new item regarding the Lilac Fire now on that site. Ron has renewed our agreement with the website for another year.

Brent, KJ6UMY, introduced John Landry and Mike Kenny, both docents on the USS Midway Museum and both are Navy Veterans. Mike and John will present “The Doolittle Raid” program.

The United States was being attacked by Germany and Japan. Germany was sinking ships from submarines of the East Coast and Japan had some submarine activity on the West Coast of the US. Pearl Harbor had been attacked and the US Military at that time was ranked at #14 in the world. Japan has a much superior Navy and had adopted the “Carrier” approach to warfare rather than the Battleship concept that the US and most countries in the world maintained.

After Pearl Harbor was attacked President Roosevelt wanted to do an attack on Japan. At the time some thought it was a dangerous move due to splitting up the already outnumbered Naval Fleet. Obviously, the planning of the operation was highly secret and Roosevelts initial group was all high level Military and Civilian Government members.

The planning was then turned over to high level military Admirals and Generals. General Spaatz was charged with determining potential targets. Tokyo was chosen as one of the major targets. The Mitchell B25 twin engine bomber was selected because the shorter wingspan length and short-field takeoff ability suited it being launched from an aircraft carrier which was to be the launching vehicle. This type of launching B25’s from a carrier had never been tried before. At this point in the planning Lt. Colonel James H. Doolittle was chosen to command this operation. Doolittle held a Bachelor’s Degree from University of California, Berkeley and a Doctorate from MIT in “aeronautics”.

Extreme secrecy was maintained throughout this process and all the pilots and crewmembers were volunteers that could decide at the very last minute that they did not want to complete the task. The gravity of the mission was explained to them in no uncertain terms. Crews were to be made up of 5 men and there was a total of 80 men that would fly the mission. The crews were not told where the mission was to be. 16 crews made up the Doolittle “Raiders”

The B25’s were stripped down including the removal of radios to lighten the weight. Each was to carry 4 500-pound bombs and had an extra neoprene fuel tank install inside the airplane. After dryland training the planes and men were loaded onto the USS Hornet aircraft carrier on the West Coast, sailed to Hawaii where they joined up with the USS Enterprise and other Naval vessels to form Task Force 16 under the command of Admiral William Halsey.

From Hawaii they set sail toward Japan keeping radio silence between ships. After the ships left port the mission was announced to all onboard. The launch was set to occur at 250 miles off the coast of Japan on April 19, 1942 but the Task Force was spotted by a Japanese trawler 700 miles out and their position was compromised so the launch was made set for 0820 on April 18th. This added an additional 450 miles flight and the consumption of a considerable amount of fuel. Arrangements had been made with China for the B25’s to land at a specified location that was to have a beacon for homing. Due to departing a day early the homing beacon was not on after the bomb drop. The bombs were dropped on pre-designated targets and caused minimal damage but did cause the Japanese to move reinforcements back into Japan from their existing battle lines.

15 Crews reached China and one reach Russia. All 15 crews crash landed at night with no beacon to follow and because of the use of the extra fuel needed to compensate for the extra 450 miles. 77 crew members survived the mission, 8 were captured by the Japanese in China and 3 of them were executed. The B25 that landed in Russia was confiscated and its crew interned for more than a year, but they were “allowed” to escape. Fourteen complete crews of 5 returned to the US except one crewman was killed in action later.

Upon launching the flight Admiral Halsey had been directed to notify Washington. He decided to delay the message for fear of it being intercepted by the Japanese and the task force being located. Within 8 minutes of the launch Admiral Halsey had turned the Task Force to avoid a Japanese pursuit force. The Japanese did respond but they never detected The US Task force and it returned safely to Hawaii.

Lt. Colonel James Doolittle thought he had lost all of his crews and was prepared for court martial. With the good return of crews and under his leadership he was promoted over the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

During the program John and Mike showed many actual photographs of the men, their planes, the training sites, the naval ships and several artist renderings of events that happened on the ship and during the raid. A very well done, informative and educational program.

With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 1715.

Ken Dickson, W6MF
Secretary/Treasurer
Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club