Category Archives: ARRL Ohio Section

Related to the ARRL Ohio Section.

One of the responsibilities of the Technical Coordinator in the Ohio Section is to submit something for the Section Journal. The Section Journal covers Amateur Radio related things happening in and around the ARRL Ohio Section. It is published by the Section Manager Tom – WB8LCD and articles are submitted by cabinet members.

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

You can receive the Journal and other Ohio Section news by joining the mailing list Tom has setup. You do not need to be a member of the ARRL, Ohio Section, or even a ham to join the mailing list. Please sign up!

If you are an ARRL member and reside in the Ohio Section, update your mailing preferences to receive Ohio Section news in your inbox. Those residing outside the Ohio section will need to use the mailing list link above. Updating your ARRL profile will deliver news from the section where you reside (if the leadership chooses to use this method).

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

I’ve been the Webmaster for a handful of ham radio sites since about 2005 (excluding my own personal site). Dale’s Tales for December 2022 really hit home. That’s how I became webmaster for most of those sites. Complaining about the accuracy and timeliness (lack-there-of) on posting information to the club’s site. It is the way people interested in the club or a prospective ham radio operator – first interact with the club. If the site hasn’t been updated in years, newsletters aren’t current, hey the autopatch hasn’t worked in 20 years but still detailed on the site, I’m moving on to the next club’s site. Consider it the first impression the club makes on a new or prospective club member. Much like a job interview, first impressions count.

While I’m not here to talk about keeping websites updated – though every club and organization should, I’m here to talk about a related topic: SPAM.

Also referred to as “junk mail” they are unsolicited messages, usually sent in bulk. The name Spam came from a Monty Python skit about the canned product of the same name.

If you’ve ever put an E-mail address out onto the Internet, you know the barrage of spam messages inevitably received. Plain text E-mails are harvested by bots that scour pages on the Internet, looking for: username@somedomain.com. One day, that address will be harvested too. Once collected, they’re used by spammers directly or sold to spammers by data miners. The receiving end sees endless messages about dating sites, vitamins, Black Friday deals and the like. These messages are easy to spot. Most are caught by spam filters. Ones that make it through feel like a personal space violation.

Webmasters, such as myself, use techniques to minimize that harvesting. Those include contact forms and captchas where the user fills out a form with their name, callsign, subject, whom they want to contact, and message. Captchas are those things where you have to click all the images containing a crosswalk, select all images with boats, or type some words. This, along with monitoring interactions with the captcha dialog provides a confidence level the submission is by a real human being (not a bot) before the message can be sent. Another technique is to encode E-mail address in a method not recognizable to a bot. When a user clicks the link, the result returned to a browser is a usable E-mail address. Some Content Management Systems (CMS) handle this automatically or with the assistance of a plugin. QRZ requires a user to be logged in to see E-mail addresses, saying a bot wouldn’t have a QRZ account. I use a substitution method on my personal site making the user complete two relatively simple tasks:

Callsign@a-r-r-l.net (callsign found elsewhere, remove dashes)

Another variation uses: K8JTK(@)arrl(dot)net. When a bot harvests the address above, the spam message is sent to a domain that doesn’t exist (a-r-r-l.net). A real ham would know what a callsign looks like. They substitute my callsign for “Callsign” and remove the dashes in the domain name, voilà.

Those techniques are good for keeping E-mail harvesting spam bots at bay on web pages. PDFs, such as club newsletters, are still an issue because there is no easy way to mask E-mail addresses. All this falls apart when humans are paid to bypass techniques put in place to stop the machines from harvesting. Spammers have gotten very creative. Not only harvesting E-mail addresses but techniques used to reel people in.

Most of the ones I receive that make it through look like the message below. Achieving the result of my site linking to crap commercial site legitimizes the commercial site. This leads to additional traffic and improved search result ranking for the commercial site. Search engines take into consideration the legitimacy of a site by how many other sites it considers reputable, are linking to that other site. Don’t fall for these! I have [redacted] parts of the message to not give press to these spammers and scammers.

Subject: jeffreykopcak.com
From: [redacted, company name] 
Date: 8/18/21, 6:43 PM
To: Jeffrey < [redacted, another E-mail address] >

Hi Jeffrey,

I hope you're doing well! I came across your page and noticed you included some information about security resources and password protection:

https://www.jeffreykopcak.com/posts/

I thought you may be interested in a guide our team created on ways to protect your family and home with the internet:

https://www. [redacted, company name commercial site] .com/blog/harnessing-the-internet-to-keep-your-family-and-home-safe

With the rise of smart home technology, tracking devices and general online communication, the need to have access to high-speed internet and increased safety precautions is more important than ever. We wanted to help provide more information on steps families can take to improve their security.

Our guide includes

Tips on Surveillance Systems and Securing Your Internet Connection

Using the Internet to Stay Safe

Alternative Internet Resources

Would you consider adding our resource to your page that I listed above to help spread awareness on online safety?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you have a chance to take a look!

Gratefully,

Jess

Jess [redacted, last name]
Communications Coordinator at [redacted, company name]
info @ [redacted, company name] .com

First sign this is a scam, I didn’t ask for or solicit this type of content. Second, the link they refer to on my site is a listing of all postings I’ve made to my site. They don’t reference a specific post meaning they didn’t read anything. Their search terms landed on my “all posts” page. References to “security resources” and “password protection” were likely OSJ articles I wrote. Third, I’ve looked at some of these provided links (on a VPN of course), the information is generic garbage containing basic information and often links to their other garbage posts.

If I’m in a mood, I’ll E-mail them back saying ‘sponsored content is $300K/per link/per year.’ No takers, lol.

This is one of the best I’ve seen:

Subject: [redacted, ham club webmaster's name] and [redacted, ham club president's name], [redacted, ham club name]
From: Stacey [redacted, last name] <s[redacted, last name] @ [redacted, their club] .org>
To: [redacted, E-mail addresses]
Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:58:48

[redacted, names of ham club officials],

My name is Stacey [redacted, last name] and on behalf of the [redacted, their club name] for Girls, I wanted to let the [redacted, ham club name] know your web page was a big help to our club! This one - [redacted, ham club web page]

For the month of December, our club is exploring the history of innovations in science and technology with a 'famous inventors and inventions' lesson. The girls are currently learning about the history of the radio, including early broadcasting techniques and amateur radio, and how it impacted society. Your web page led us to some great information on amateur radio to incorporate into our lessons, so the girls requested I reach out and let you know :)

As a thank you, I wanted to pass along this reading on the history of the car radio our member Nicole found. It's a fantastic timeline of radio and audio systems throughout the years, covering the early stages for military use and evolving into the radio we know today with the invention of the vacuum tube. The additional reading on historical broadcasting and the golden age of early radio was really neat for the kids to learn about too. This is it... https://www. [redacted, commercial website] .com/articles/the-history-of-the-car-radio/

Nicole was very excited to share it with you! She thought it would make a wonderful addition. Will you let me know if you're able to include it for her? I know Nicole would be delighted to see she could help! (We meet Thursday evening, if you can add it by then!) She's really enjoyed working on this project and is even in the works to get her HAM license! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Wishing you a very Happy Holidays,
Mrs. [redacted, last name]
https:// [redacted, their club] .org

There weren’t the usual red flags. It’s well written. Their club could be completely legitimate. It’s about kids (won’t somebody please think of the children!) and they gave a name to their member, Nicole, to humanize her. They mention ham radio a couple different times meaning they read the site or the person writing this has familiarly with the subject.

Red flags: The E-mail address this message was sent to, I’ve never used anywhere. The person harvesting E-mails strung together some text. They did not even grab the E-mail address that I use on that site. One could have surmised the text they saw equated to an E-mail address. As it turns out, they guessed correctly. Second, the ‘commercial website’ is an auto title loan agency and the content of the article is not well detailed. But I could enter to win prizes in their holiday giveaway! I am not spamming the club’s visitors with links to a loan agency. If I saw links like these on another club’s site, I’m not joining. Third, the implication of a deadline or sense of urgency (by Thursday evening). This is the same way people get scammed by those calls where ‘there is a warrant out for your arrest and you must pay $X00 now or the sheriff will arrest you in 10 minutes.’ I ain’t buying it! DELETE!

If I had to guess, assuming their “club” is completely legitimate, in an attempt to raise some cash, they are involved in soliciting traffic for commercial sites. They get paid by the number of sites that post the URL driving traffic to that site and/or increase that site’s’ search ranking. Their campaign deadline was Friday and the reason for the urgency getting links posted by Thursday evening. Did I mention I could enter to win 30+ prizes in their holiday giveaway?

I write about this to bring awareness to the rest of the ham radio webmasters and club officials. These solicitations come across looking legitimate. Do not get taken by or caught up in these scams. If these links have been posted to the club’s site, remove them like yesterday. The club isn’t asking for these solicitations, posting them can’t be beneficial to the organization.

Thanks for reading. Happy New Year! 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Computing, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – November 2022 edition

November 27, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

Even though it happens once a month, Windows Updates are a pain. On “Patch Tuesday,” the second Tuesday of each month, Windows users hold their breath. Will my machine come back from the brink? Sometimes issues are bad enough where updates are released “out of cycle” or “out of band” meaning at other times during the month. This month was one example. An update caused more issues requiring a follow up patch to be released after 11/8. Depending on the operating system used, the pain came in different ways.

Performing a Windows 7 fresh install today, Windows Update will not work. It’s broken. The way updates were released and authenticated changed drastically from Service Pack 1 to the point Windows 7 went end-of-life. This installation procedure brings Windows Update to a working state, if you need to build a Windows 7 machine for some reason. Note: since Windows 7 has completely reached end-of-life, Microsoft is not releasing updates and it is recommended to use a supported operating system. Once you get past that, checking for updates 87.5 times and applying the 8,392 updates for the next 6 hours was always fun.

Windows 10 has streamlined updates where there aren’t nearly as many updates on a fresh install and the process doesn’t take nearly as long. Due to users putting off or just not applying updates on older versions of Windows, updates and reboots are now forced on users. Forced to the point where users claimed their machines rebooted while they were actively using it, loosing hours of work. Instead of the user choosing when to apply updates or do a reboot, they implemented a band-aid allowing the user to set when they’re likely to be using the computer. This does not help as options are severely limited. Then there’s the quality of updates. Crashes, Blue Screens of Death (BSOD), broken functionality, missing documents and files, printing problems, hardware and device issues are regular occurrences.

I heard on a podcast once, speaking of a botched Windows 10 update which removed ‘old files’ from users documents and pictures folders. Beta users reported the exact problem to Microsoft before the problem became widespread. The commentator made the remark that Microsoft’s attitude was: only a small number of users reported the problem, we’re not going further investigate or solve the problem. When Microsoft rolled out the update to all Windows users, the ‘small number of users’ became a very large angry mob of users. Microsoft didn’t invest the time to resolve, what they thought to be, a fringe case and resulted in a lot of negative press.

As hams, we often have Windows machines at remote locations (towers, buildings, club houses, shacks). Whether these are running Echolink, Winlink Express, Wires-X, or some other service that requires a Windows machine. An Echolink node can be run on a Linux-based solutions such as AllStar or SVX Link. Wires-X and RMS Express require Windows.

The out-of-control nature of forcing Windows Updates and reboots cases grief for the owner, admin, or Technical Committee. The machine will be left at a site logged in and running desired applications. When Windows Updates happen, often a reboot is required and the machine automatically reboots. If the admins follow good security practice and set a password for the account, after rebooting the machine will stop at the logon screen. Prompting someone to enter the correct password. While waiting for a log on, the service provided by the machine will remain offline until the program can be restarted. Nodes will be offline for any local users wanting to access those resources or remote users wanting to connect into the node.

The developer could create a Windows Service which are background programs able to start at boot. Services are not allowed to interact with the desktop since Windows Vista. Changing settings would be a problem if the program can’t interact with the desktop. Doing automatic logon isn’t a great option, even if the machine locks automatically after a minute. Need access to the machine? Just reboot it. Automatic logon would only be viable if the machine is secured in a locked cabinet or room.

Clubs have reached out and I’ve provided options for gaining control of Windows Update. One way is to disable Windows Update until someone is available to run updates manually. Disabling automatic updates will allow services to remain available while providing the flexibility of doing updates when an admin is available.

Disabling updates does not mean ‘never run updates.’ This is to control when updates happen and have scheduled downtimes. An admin must remember to run updates on a regular schedule – during a club meeting or site visit, for example. Not updating the system can have consequences including the network connection being disabled due to machine compromise in situations where the machine is on the site’s shared Internet, a corporate network, or school’s Internet connection.

The first place I search when looking for Windows suggestions, tips, and tricks is TenForums as they have good tutorials. There are SevenForums and ElevenForum for the respective OS versions. There one will find a tutorial How to Enable or Disable Automatic Updates for Windows Update in Windows 10. Windows 10 Home has no built-in way to disable automatic updates and requires a program like Wu10Man to manage settings. The program is open source.

The second option in the post is for clubs running Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise editions. In these versions there is a built-in way of disabling updates by way of the Local Group Policy Editor. No additional software required, my favorite.

To open the Local Group Policy Editor, start by pressing the [Windows key] + [R]
For Open, enter: gpedit.msc
Click OK
In the Local Group Policy Editor left pane, navigate to: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update
On the right pane, double-click Configure Automatic Updates
To disable automatic updates, select Disabled
Click OK
Close the Local Group Policy Editor

For other configuration options of Automatic Updates, see steps 5 & 6 in option #2.

Going into Start -> Settings -> Update & Security, Windows Update will say in red “Some settings managed by your organization” and “Your organization has turned off automatic updates.” Though “Last Checked” will show a recent time, it will say “You’re up to date” regardless if updates are available for the system or not.

To manually update Windows, click Check for updates in that same Settings window. Windows Update will begin by checking for updates. Then download and install available updates.

Leave plenty of time for updates to finish. Reboot when required. Log on, apply other program updates, and restart necessary programs. Programs that should start after log on can be added to Startup Items. Machines with Solid-State Drives will apply updates in about a half-hour. Spinning drives, especially slower ones (4200/5400 RPM), will take much longer to apply. SSD and MVMe drives will apply updates quicker due to their much faster read/write speeds. Gain control over Windows Updates to gain control of nodes and services going down randomly until the Tech Committee can arrive on site.

WTWW, a shortwave station run by hams, gained a following in the community for carrying ham radio related content – original programming, simulcasted live shows, and podcasts. As of November 9, 2022, it has gone silent. According to a report by Amateur Radio Newsline, “Ted Randall, WB8PUM, cited difficulties in meeting the station’s ongoing expenses. Based in Lebanon, Tennessee, WTWW provided a wide range of programming at 5.83 MHz along with music and amateur-radio content at 5.085 MHz.”

The station went on the air in 2010. The flagship show “QSO Radio Show” broadcast live from Hamvention for many years going back to the Hara Arena days. The station ceased transmissions on shortwave but has plans to remain online with broadcasts available on their website. They hope followers make the transition from shortwave to web content.

I discovered another service like Hamshack Hotline and Hams Over IP, called AmateurWire. It was started around the same time as Hams Over IP. AmateurWire is available for general amateur use. In correspondence with the administrator, Roger – KE8LCM, this is an experiment for him learning how to run a VoIP service.

My direct extension on AmateurWire is 1140 if you would like to reach me. There is a trunk between AmateurWire and the Hams Over IP service, meaning users of each service can dial users on the other service. To reach a Hams Over IP user from AmateurWire, prefix the Hams Over IP extension number with 304. My DVMIS extension is 9004 which has links to Hamshack Hotline, Hams Over IP, and 12 other ham radio networks.

‘Tis the season for Santa nets! Get children, grandchildren, and neighborhood kiddos in touch with Santa! The Santa Net is held every evening between Thanksgiving and Christmas on 3.916 MHz at 8:00PM eastern time.

If HF is not available, the DoDropIn Echolink conference is hosting the Santa Watch Net on Christmas Eve! It begins at 6:00PM eastern on the 24th and runs about 4 hours.

Based in Colorado, and available on Echolink, is Santa on the Air. It runs now through December 9th. Times vary, see their QRZ post.

Third party traffic is always on the nice list for all Santa nets!

Thanks for reading. Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Computing, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – October 2022 edition

October 30, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

Two years ago, I wrote an article for the OSJ dealing with “cyber hygiene” – practices and precautions users take to keep their data safe and secure from outside attacks. I didn’t rehash it last October since most of the article was still relevant. For this year’s “Cyber Security Month,” it’s time for an update. I still encourage everyone to re-read that article in the October 2020 OSJ or on my website as 95% of it is still best-practice for normal people.

The browser is still one of the most utilized pieces of software in modern computing and one of the most attacked. Users hanging on to Internet Explorer are finding it harder and harder to visit modern sites as new encryption standards are recognized and made industry standard. Using an End of Life browser, users are seeing a lot of “This page can’t be displayed” because it doesn’t support current methods of protecting communication.

Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera remain good choices. Brave browser is a good alternative if you don’t want to use a native Google browser. It’s based on the Chromium project for those who want a privacy-focused browser. Before jumping to Brave, some things to be aware of before you have a jarring first impression. There are ads – mostly for cryptocurrency. Why recommend an ad supported browser for crypto-what? Unlike Chrome, which makes money on user’s data, Brave pays the bills with safe ads (opposed to malicious ones that would infect your computer). They can be turned off. If ads in a browser are not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other browser options but note Brave took top spot for privacy in terms of phoning home:

Used "out of the box" with its default settings Brave is by far the most private of the browsers studied. We did not find any use of identifiers allowing tracking of IP address over time, and no sharing of the details of web pages visited with backend servers (Leith).

Pi-Hole and 3rd party DNS services, such as Quad 9, are good options for blocking ads, tracking, annoyances, and malicious content at the network level. To go a step further and block unwanted social media, games, messaging apps, dating sites, or streaming services or entire categories of sites, freemium services like NextDNS and AdGuard offer additional blocking options. Advanced features including newly registered domain blocking, typo-squatting domain blocking (domains registered by squatters taking advantage of type-o’s made when users are inputting a site’s URL), parked domains, and entire top-level domain blocking go above Pi-Hole and other free services.

Free tier gives you a limited number of DNS queries. With devices that freak out when they can’t phone home or heck, the cloud providers used by my workplace, you’ll blow through the free tier quickly. With a yearly plan, the price is around $1.75/month. OpenDNS has a completely free tier with basic blocking. Their blocking of services and categories is also a premium option.

Note devices with hard coded or manually entered DNS for other services (such as the popular Google DNS 8.8.8.8) will bypass these protections. A router/firewall with the ability to intercept and re-direct traffic (also called internal port-forward or inside NAT) will stop requests from reaching other DNS services and redirect them to the service of choice.

LastPass, in 2021, decided to make their free tier limited to a device of a single type. Mobile or desktop, not both. To sync between both, a premium account was needed. Granted $3/month isn’t a huge amount (you can give up one coffee), users opted for a service called Bitwarden. It is an open-source password manager offering unlimited devices for free and a family account for $3.33/month with unlimited sharing. An option that appeals to me is the self-hosted option where you are in-control of your data.

KeePass remains a strong choice for managing password databases, especially offline. I recently moved to a fork called KeePassXC. Its lineage came from KeePass in that KeePassX was a fork of KeePass, KeePassXC is a fork of KeePassX. It too is free, open source, and databases are compatible between KeePass and XC if you want to try or use both. I like KeePassXC better due to its cross-platform support and TOTP/2FA integration.

Beyond my 2020 article, I would like to address the issue of administering devices remotely. In particular, devices we leave at remote sites or have in “the cloud.” Whether that is an AllStar node, EchoLink/SVX, Wires-X, router, controller, mesh node, or digital mode reflector. Though I’m writing this in the context of ham radio devices, this applies to anything – including devices on home networks. I hate the idea of devices, which provide services to a very small group, being available to anyone on the Internet. It’s dumb, terrible security practice, hygiene, and there are better options.

‘Well, my device is password protected!’ Most don’t change the default password on their device. Ones that do many have purchased from a dud company that ignores vulnerabilities for 3 years that, in theory, would allow anyone access to their camera, Wyze.

For clarification, I’m not taking the ports needed for normal user access to the AllStar/Wires-X/EchoLink/reflector/whatever. I’m specifically talking about the ports needed for administrative access. Ones such as SSH and remote desktop. Admins that figured out OpenVPN or WireGuard tunnels or ones that only have local access to admin services, you’re good.

With common admin services open to the Internet, check the logs. Internet miscreants are trying common username and password combinations. Not to mention probes not seen in logs like fingerprinting to figure out which outdated version is running and looking up exploits against that version. Once they get in, they will configure that device to be a cryptocurrency miner (making money for the bad guy), another device in their bot army used for attacking other victims, figuring what other devices they can get into, not to mention backdoors allowing them access at any time. When this happens, that device can no longer be trusted.

Fail2Ban is a popular option that only slows down attackers, doesn’t provide distributed brute-force attack protection, and is not available on Windows. Doesn’t solve the issue of unnecessarily exposing admin services to the Internet. Changing ports is not secure, often called security through obscurity – which is not security. A quick scan of the IP address will reveal the new port. SSH keys with PasswordAuthentication set to “no” is about as good of protection as you can get when wide-open access is needed.

ZeroTier and Talescale are an easy-to-use middle ground between the options of wide-open access and creating your own VPN connections. Both services create secure connections to just about any device including: Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux (including Raspberry Pi), BSD, and some Network Attached Storage devices. The device reaches out to a central server or peer, establishing a private connection. Permitted users are then able to establish connections with that device. A club might have five administrators, all five would have provisioned accounts for access to their club’s remote site devices.

These services are freemium and proprietary (not open-source) but they do have self-hosted options. Once the service is up and running, close the administration service ports in the router. Configure the device to only accept connections for admin services on the ZeroTier or Talescale interfaces.

For web services, such as status pages or dashboards running on devices at remote sites, something to consider is a reverse proxy as an additional layer of protection. Normally: install and configure the device with a web server stack, install a dashboard or status page, port forward 80 & 443, then hand out an IP address to users or provide link on the club’s webpage to that device, maybe using a DNS/dynamic DNS entry. You’re off and running. The device remains exposed to the Internet. Miscreants could send random junk attempting to bypass authentication or flood the connection with bogus data, denying legitimate users’ access (denial of service).

A reverse proxy works by being the point at which users access the site. Cloudflare is one such reverse proxy service and offers a free tier for personal/hobby sites. The proxy inspects traffic to determine if it is legitimate. Legitimate traffic is allowed to pass onto the server. Illegitimate traffic is dropped and never seen by the server, protecting it from possible malicious traffic. An additional benefit is the real IP address of the server or device, at a site or at home, is not easily determined, making the device less unlikely to be exploited.

This protects the device in a different way from that of a private link or VPN like ZeroTier or OpenVPN. The web site is still accessible to anyone on the internet. Having visitor’s setup private links or VPNs for commonly accessible web services is not practical and not something a majority of users will not opt into freely.

The Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society (CARS) asked for one of our technical presentations at their meeting on October 11th. I was able to give a presentation put together by Technical Specialist, Bob – K8MD, on DMR. He was out-of-town but I was able to give his presentation. There was plenty of questions and good discussion after the presentation. I brought one of my hotspots and a DMR radio to demonstrate the AmateurLogic.TV Sound Check Net on my multimode system. The net got started about when the meeting wrapped up which was perfect timing. If your club is interested in this or another technical topic, let me know!

I heard from many hams that found my Hamshack Hotline tip useful in last month’s OSJ, including ones outside our section. Yes, they are reading THE OHIO Section Journal =) Some updates: even long after the DNS entry was removed, phones apparently cached the IP address. Some reported their phone still had green lights though the admin interface contained the old DNS entry. With this information, the phone will likely remain working until rebooted. Additionally, as suspected, other domains were seen. Replacing hhux.wizworks.net with hhux.hamshackhotline.com also worked. Some replaced the entire string with only hamshackhotline.com, leaving off subdomains like hhus (as was shown) or hhux. This won’t work either. The subdomain must remain intact.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – September 2022 edition

September 24, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

I was cleaning out my E-mail inbox, apparently no one else does this, and came across a request from a couple years ago. Mike – AB8MW contacted me wanting to know if it was possible to run multiple copies of Fldigi at one time. The scenario would be one copy for HF and one for VHF/UHF. For example: an EmComm event where they might want to monitor HF frequencies in addition to local VHF/UHF using a single PC.

Starting multiple copies of Fldigi & Flmsg will open multiple windows. Regardless of how many windows can be opened, all use the same user configuration directory to store settings. Mike wanted Fldigi to retain settings for each use. Settings such as soundcard inputs/outputs and rig control (if used). One radio might be using a SignaLink/RIGblaster/other soundcard interface and have no rig control. Another radio maybe using virtual audio cables (typical for SDR radios) and Hamlib for rig control. When multiple Fldigi & Flmsg windows use the same settings directory, last window closed wins. When the program is restarted, those settings are loaded. Additional Fldigi & Flmsg windows have to be configured all over again. Not convenient, especially with many uses on a single PC, in a pinch, or during a real operating event.

Why would someone want to run multiple copies (or instances) of Fldigi programs? Some operators use HF and VHF/UHF differently, including sound interfaces and rig controls. Instead of switching around configurations depending on band, have two instances configured, one for each radio. Other reasons could be a single all-band all-mode radio is used but have very different operating styles, personalities, or users – like in a club setting. Operating styles could be EmComm and contesting, or using different macros. Monitoring multiple repeaters or multiple HF frequencies during an EmComm exercise would be desired or any combination of these examples. Creating separate instances will allow each to have its own configuration settings.

Keeping separate settings is very doable, but it takes some work. There are additional issues when adding Flmsg (or other Fldigi programs) to the mix as one would use for NBEMS. Flmsg & Fldigi use a local IP port (often referred to as a “socket”) to facilitate communications between programs. The default IP and port for Flmsg to Fldigi is 127.0.0.1:7362. 127.0.0.1, also referred to as loopback or localhost, is a reserved IP address. This IP address is used by programs to communicate with other programs and services running on the same system. In Flmsg, when the operator hits AutoSend, it’s a crapshoot which Fldigi window will transmit the message when multiple windows are open. A message intended for VHF could go out over the HF radio. Not good, as that causes unnecessary confusion to other stations. Each pairing of Fldigi & Flmsg needs a unique set of IP ports.

According to the author of the Fldigi suite, Dave – W1HKJ, port/socket parameters for Fldigi, Flarq, Flmsg and Flamp are specified on the command line. Other TCP ports are configured in the Fldigi Configuration options under Misc -> TCP-IP sessions. There is some overlap between command line options and graphical interface options including KISS, ARQ, and XML settings.

When AB8MW originally contacted me, we worked out the configuration details over E-mail and he was going to get it working. I, of course, said ‘I am going to write this up’ and never did. That is until I came across those messages and finally sat down to document a procedure. My procedure outlines changes needed to run multiple instances in a NBEMS operational situation for both Fldigi and Flmsg. This might be useful for those participating in the upcoming October SET. This will also work for Fldigi instances without the use of Flmsg. The posting is on my site: Running multiple instances of Fldigi and Flmsg.

My write up labels one instance for “HF,” a second instance for “VHF/UHF.” There is no limit on how many instances can be created. I’ve heard stations using as many as six. The problem becomes manageability. When a setting is to be changed universally, it has to be done independently for each separate instance. When a new version is installed, shortcuts must be updated manually.

Multiple copies of Fldigi & Flmsg transmitting messages independently

My process creates separate directories for both Fldigi and Flmsg to save their settings. Copying of existing configuration settings is accomplished, if desired. Then creating and customizing shortcuts to use specific configuration directories. Finally, making unique configuration changes for each instance.

Running multiple instances of Fldigi programs is completely doable. It takes a little effort to configure the directories, IP ports, and settings. Once configured, clicking AutoSend in Flmsg will send that message to the paired Fldigi instance. I even show how to send messages received on HF to the VHF instance and vice-versa. No more guessing if it will go out over the correct radio!

If you were an early adopter of Hamshack Hotline and no longer have a green light for the HH extension, you probably need to make a configuration change. Another symptom, when the phone is rebooted, the phone gets stuck on “Checking DNS” and never moves past that screen.

Back when HH first started, the domain name wizworks.net was set by HH in the configuration file loaded onto everyone’s phones. The US server was hhus.wizworks.net. Since then, they transitioned to using the domain hamshackhotline.com, where the US server was changed to: hhus.hamshackhotline.com. The hhus.wizworks.net DNS record has been removed and is now invalid (NXDOMAIN). If a HH configured phone or device has stopped working around the end of August, check the registration domain.

In a web browser, go to:
http://<IP Address of phone>/admin/advanced/
Click the “Ext 1” tab – or whichever extension Hamshack Hotline is configured
Under “Proxy and Registration” look for: (1) Proxy & (2) Outbound Proxy
If they show: hhus.wizworks.net, change both to:
hhus.hamshackhotline.com
Click Submit All Changes

Cisco SPA phone configuration changes for Hamshack Hotline

The phone will reboot and be back online again after about 60 seconds. Verify the Hamshack Hotline extension is now green. Green means the phone was able to register successfully with the Hamshack Hotline server. If that doesn’t work, having trouble, or not sure, open a ticket with the Hamshack Hotline Help Desk.

I discovered this issue after powering down the shack due to storms. When I powered the phone back on, it stayed on the “Checking DNS” screen. I figured something fried during power off or the power supply was dying. There was no change after changing network cables and power sources.

I found the phone was getting an IP address by looking at my router/firewall and seeing an IP address handed out by DHCP. This meant it was accessing the network and I could do a packet capture. Packet captures capture network data for analysis and troubleshooting. These shed light on network problems such as DNS issues, firewall blocked traffic, packet size/MTU, retransmissions, etc. A capture won’t show problems with the application itself because it just looks like regular traffic/packets on the wire. Captures are often run on routers or firewalls as they are passing the traffic to and from the Internet or other networks. A switch with ‘port mirroring’ can send copies of data to a separate Ethernet port. A device connected to the mirror port, such as a PC with Wireshark, captures the traffic.

For my phone not finishing its boot, I identified the issue immediately in the capture. The phone was requesting the record for hhus.wizworks.net. The DNS server responded with “no such name.” That means the DNS record for hhus.wizworks.net, which ties the name to an IP address, does not exist. It was removed, as my phone worked previously.

Packet capture: first line is the DNS query for hhus.wizworks.net. Second line is the response “no such name”

Since my phone had an IP address, I could access its web-based configuration making the changes above. I probably could have guessed the new domain name. However, I was even luckier. I setup Hamshack Hotline on my softphone a couple of months earlier and their documentation had the new server name. Simply changing domains from “wizworks.net” to “hamshackhotline.com” was the only change I made.

A while back they told everyone to re-provision their devices. I thought I did. Thinking later, I probably didn’t because I configured additional extensions on my phone. Either way, making that change resolved my issue and my phone is operational once again.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – August 2022 edition

August 28, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

When it comes to digital communications, especially in the Ohio Section, efforts have been focused on DMR. Repeaters are pricier than other digital modes. An abundance of end-user devices available from a variety of vendors, at fairly inexpensive prices, is a winner for users. DMR, being a commercial standard, was adopted to ham radio. Those that have not spent time to understand how a codeplug works and how to modify them ‘are just a bunch of appliance operators’ is a common argument. To link the majority of Ohio’s DMR repeaters, a network had to be chosen. Ohio standardized on Brandmeister.

What is BrandMeister? “BrandMaster/BrandMeister is an operating software for Master servers participating in a worldwide infrastructure network of amateur radio digital voice systems.” Stating that amateurs can and do use it for D-STAR and Wires-X, its main focus and selling points are related to DMR linking.

In the early days of DMR in ham radio, networks were setup identical to their commercial system counterparts. Repeaters had certain talk groups on specific time slots. Limited to 16 talk groups because that’s how many channels were available on the radio’s selector knob. Owners had little to no options for customizing talkgroup offerings. For example, if you were in eastern Ohio, a repeater might have Indiana statewide whether you wanted it or not. There were no such things as hotspots, at least as hams know and understand them. Like most new things, early adaptors did this for fun and no one really knew if DMR would take off and be accepted by the masses.

Three things helped DMR take off in ham radio: cheap radios, hotspots, and Brandmeister. Brandmeister turned commercially implemented DMR networks on their heads. Made it more like ham radio. A repeater owner could put any talkgroup on any time slot. Any user could make private calls to other users on any timeslot. Even make up a talkgroup number, hit transmit, and if another user was on that same talkgroup number, communication happened automatically. Later, simultaneous data messages and APRS were implemented. Being able to use ham developed gear, like the DV4mini and OpenSpot devices, was a huge draw. Hams familiar with commercial implementations of DMR were questioning ‘how could Brandmeister pull this off without causing chaos in the ham radio streets?’ Especially the ‘pick your own talkgroup number.’

With the explosion in popularity came use and abuse. Brandmeister had to start making decisions and decided to follow the strictest definitions of standards. You can still make up your own talkgroup but it is generally frowned upon. DV4Mini sticks were banned due to poor software – this was reversed after G4KLX wrote compatible software. There was a hissy fit Brandmeister threw about using DMR IDs starting with 1. Everybody and their mother, brother, and daughter requested talkgroups. No more 5-digit talkgroup numbers are assigned. Bridging to other digital modes, networks, and analog systems is verboten, explicitly forbidden on world-wide, regionals, and statewide talkgroups. Brandmeister considers 3, 4, and 5-digit talkgroup IDs under their control, as defined by the MCC numbering standard. 6-digit repeater IDs or 7-digit user IDs, the assigned owner can do whatever they want as Brandmeister sees themselves as “guests” for those IDs. There are more do’s and don’ts in the BM USA wiki.

For a good long time, development and, I would argue, interest by the development team was stagnant. There were long standing issues with many parts of the system, including the online audio web portal, Hoseline. For years it would not work correctly, had long audio delays or no audio at all, or the URL would simply be unavailable. Around June 2021, a new and much improved Hoseline appeared. Featuring a new and modern interface with the ability to monitor multiple talkgroups at a time.

Improvements in the name of security were made later the same year. Each Brandmeister hotspot user needed to generate a “hotspot password” for each DMR ID. This change impacted every Brandmeister user. I was contacted well into 2022 about users whom were unaware of this change.

Not-so-well-known changes affected some misconfigured hotspots and users of DVSwitch and MMDVM bridging. Master servers started checking parameters such as RXFrequency and TXFrequency in MMDVM. If the device was a hotspot, Brandmeister logic said if those two fields are not the same value, the device it must not be a hotspot because hotspots are simplex. If a hotspot (or DVSwitch/MMDVM Bridge) had RX Frequency not equal to TX Frequency, the device would be blocked from transmitting because it was deemed misconfigured. In order to work, they both had to be the same. Also, if either parameter was 0 – as in no RF output, such as an Internet link – also no work-y.

It’s their network and I really want to like them. Their decisions are making it hard for sysadmins to continue using Brandmeister. Communication regarding nearly all back-end changes have been poor to nonexistent. Changes affecting all users are publicized, even though a good percentage hit me up months later saying ‘all of a sudden my hotspot doesn’t work anymore.’ Sure, some changes might only “affect a small number of users,” post something in the groups.io. Instead admins are left to figure out, on their own, why the Brandmeister link is not functioning without being aware of changes on their end. Something about not peeving off your users, which they seem to be doing a lot lately. I get that they’ve had to make hard decisions and many policies are a result of the users whom abuse the system. Brandmeister probably received pressure from other network and talkgroup owners who want to quash analog cross linking. When the Brandmeister network was originally a ‘do-anything network,’ it’s not easy when they start pulling-back on those abilities.

August 19th, a major code upgrade was rolled out which implemented additional changes paving the way for better dashboard integrations, APIs, and hopefully more new features. If you setup your hotspots or applications with a Brandmeister API key prior to August 19, 2022, new keys are required. I was able to generate Brandmeister API v2 keys for Pi-Star: 4.1.6 / Dashboard: 20220819 and OpenSpot3 with firmware v62.

I was not able to save the API v2 key on an original OpenSpot (1) with the latest firmware available (0142). I was seeing the error message “Couldn’t save API key (Bad Request).” According to the support forums, they won’t be getting support for v2 either. New keys are supported on the 2, 3, and 4 OpenSpot models. If you had previously generated a v1 API key, it will continue to work for as long as Brandmeister allows.

I do not know if previous versions of Pi-STAR have been updated to support v2 API keys. To update a Pi-STAR to the latest revision, backup the existing configuration, download v4.1.4 on the Pi-Star site, flash to a new or the existing SD card. When configured, run update/upgrade and repeat, from the Configuration -> Expert option, until there are no more updates for both tasks. Pi-STAR cannot be upgraded version-to-version through the updater/upgrader.

Go to Configuration -> Expert -> under Full Edit, BM API. If you have an apikey entered these need to be updated, specifically apikeys that are 128-characters. It will look something like:

MWaztB3EcHWBEW@D$2gb89Y2kvvE4leSr.33Gey74d0IYVSKU58YGMSFmPHD.Q1fECUkIcj7E4leSr.33Getkjshdf987ywe2irligr908SFIdlsfkj08934sasdlveg

The 128-character API keys will continue to work for an undetermined amount of time. Follow the Brandmeister blog post to generate updated API keys. If you don’t have an apikey entered and don’t want one, you don’t need to do anything.

What alternatives are there to Brandmeister? Networks such as DMR+ and FreeDMR are popular in Europe/UK. HBLink reflectors are available but only offer a few select talkgroups. TGIF is a smaller DMR network implementation. They do not have many restrictions on device configuration. Though TGIF does have an “Ohio” talkgroup, it’s not the same everyone knows and loves on Brandmeister. As an admin, TGIF is much easier to work with. Running a linking system that has links to Brandmeister, TGIF, and HBLink, users don’t use alternative options, even though they complain about Brandmeister. Brandmeister is what they know and love. They won’t venture out to use other, more stable options, therefore remaining appliance operators.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – July 2022 edition

July 31, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

Seven operators activated Special Event Station W8B on July 16, 2022. Operating team consisted of: Technical Specialist Bob – K8MD – Bird employee and mastermind in planning the event, K8FH – Fred, K8TV – Ken, KC8NZJ – Mat, NF8O – Dave, KE8BKI – Stephanie, and K8JTK. This Special Event commemorated 80 years of Bird Electronic Corporation and 70 years of the Model 43 Wattmeter.

In 1940, J. Raymond Bird developed a way to quickly and accurately measure forward and reflected power in coax transmission lines. In April 1942, Bird Engineering Company was founded in Cleveland, Ohio. According to an old sign on their website, the original location was on E. 38th street. Later, the company renamed to Bird Electronics Corporation. After securing important contracts in the late 1950’s, they located to their current facility in Solon, Ohio. Bird was instrumental in the Mercury and Apollo space programs during the 1960’s, supplying radio-tracking equipment and loads for equipment testing. Today, Bird manufactures and packages test equipment, signal boosters, analyzers, and recording equipment.

70 years of the Bird 43 Wattmeter (Bird)

In 1953, the Bird 43 RF Wattmeter was introduced and quickly became the industry-standard tool for RF power measurement. A staple in many ham shacks, the Bird 43 is popular in commercial and broadcast industries as well. During the 1970’s, Bird provided critical and affordable test equipment to ham radio operators during emergencies which helped Bird become a household name. The 43 is popular because it can measure a wide range of frequencies, 450 kHz to 2.7 GHz between 100 mW to 10 kW, using plug-in elements. These elements are commonly referred to as “slugs.” The meter is an insertion-type, meaning placed in-line of the transmission line, measuring forward and reflected power.

Started out as a dreary, rainy morning. When I left my QTH, the sun was starting to make an appearance. Rain held off for us to operate 7 hours before another round was on its way. Three portable stations were operational. Two HF by K8MD and K8FH, and one VHF/UHF by K8TV. The HF antennas were portable turnstile dipoles with a fabricated or Spiderbeam center mast. These are quickly deployable and go up in about 20 minutes. The VHF/UHF was a commercial antenna on a fabricated mast that rose just above one of the unloading docks.

Plan was to be on the air by 1000 local. Setup went quick and W8B was operational around 0900 testing the equipment with a few initial contacts. We operated from the outdoor employee patio of Bird. Operators were treated to a tour of the factory by K8MD. It was nothing short of impressive. In order to test manufactured products, there are high power broadcast transmitters for dummy load testing and plenty of test equipment that any ham would love to have in their shack. Most products, including the 43, are made, tested, and shipped from the Solon, Ohio location.

K8MD, Katie Wright, Dana Svilar, Terry Grant, and NF8O

After the tour, we met executives Katie Wright – Director of Strategic Development, Dana Svilar – Manager of Marketing Communications, and CEO Terry Grant. They were interested to see the setup and how the event was progressing. We explained and demonstrated the digital station. Sideband contacts were made and they heard from hams that own a Bird 43.

The bands weren’t the best to start out. On 40m, we’re logging contacts. Then, like a light-switch, there was nothing, including on FT8. Katie was trying to coordinate a contact with N1KSC, Kennedy Space Center Amateur Radio Club, with some close friends of hers. For a good while, they were hearing us 59 but we did not copy them at all. Right about noon, K8MD finally established contact. There was still plenty of QSB but he got them in the log. Katie even got on the radio to say a few words during the exchange!

K8TV operated the VHF/UHF station. He was making contacts on repeaters in Lorain (close to 40 miles at our 1100 ft elevation) and surrounding counties, including making simplex contacts. K8FH operated the CW station. NF8O made quite a number of sideband contacts in the afternoon despite the up-and-down band conditions. K8MD, KC8NZJ, and myself operated FT8 throughout the day.

Bird graciously bought us lunch from a local pizzeria and we received swag for coming out and playing radio. We operated until 1600, a little past that on the digital station, and started to strike the equipment. We were on the road home around 1700.

164 contacts were made: CW: 5, SSB: 37, FM: 26, FT8: 96. Thanks to K8MD who planned the event. Bird Electronic Corporation for allowing us to operate from their facility and their hospitality. If you made contact with W8B, you will receive a QSL card, designed by Dana, as a thank you.

Striking the last antenna for W8B: KC8NZJ, K8TV, KE8BKI, K8FH, and NF8O

One of the many things on my ham radio “do-more-with” list is AREDN mesh. I have a MikroTik RouterBOARD hAP ac lite node I setup some time ago. I haven’t done much with it due to not having any real way to get a high-profile node and no other nodes are around me. It’s been running in the shack with a tunnel to W8ERW & Sandusky ARES. I haven’t advanced much on “now what?” after the initial exercise of flashing a node with AREDN’s firmware.

If you have an AREDN node and haven’t updated in the last few months, start planning an upgrade. AREDN implemented many projects which have made considerable improvements to the firmware. The original Broadband-Hamnet was written in Perl and AREDN continued to build on and maintain Perl code. A conversion from Perl to the Lua programming language has been completed. This conversion recovered a lot of memory by removing large Perl libraries. Nodes will now run code optimized for embedded devices. Memory saved by the conversion means the tunnel package and iperf3 (speed testing) are now bundled with the base firmware. Previously, both had to be installed manually after each upgrade.

Upgrades and selecting the correct firmware should be much easier too. Nightly builds are available for testing new features or tweaks in the firmware. Though, “nightlies” as they are called, are pre-alpha releases. According to the project, theirs are pretty stable. This doesn’t mean they should be installed on production nodes in hard-to-reach places in case something goes sideways.

Link Quality Management has been added to help optimize networks and drop links that cause network problems. Nodes with poor SNR, too far away, or prone to many retransmissions can be dropped automatically. These cause poor performance for nodes without those issues. An example: a high-profile node has to account for all connected nodes. If a node 40 miles away from its location its connected, it must wait for acknowledgments from all connected nodes. Should that node 40 miles away not be able to receive messages or messages can’t be delivered back to the high-profile node, this degrades speed and performance significantly. The high-profile node must wait for responses and possibly keep retransmitting the same message to that node until a response is received. LQM will drop nodes that do not meet quality criteria. This feature is turned off by default, unless it was configured previously.

These updates, network design basics, and demo of the next generation user interface are covered in a recent LAXNORTHEAST meeting. That meeting is available on YouTube featuring AREDN representative Orv – W6BI. He deployed the mesh backbone in Ventura and western Los Angeles Counties. His presentation isn’t introductory but is beneficial for those who have setup and maintain a node.

A radio that covers ALL ham radio voice digital modes? Reality or vaporware? Projects, like the DV4 Mobile, have been vaporware. Taking a swing at the market this time is the Connect Systems CS800D PLUS. It claims: to store 520,000 contacts and 64,000 channels, have the ability to do DMR, FUSION, DSTAR, P25 and NXDN, make its own code plug on the fly, and many more features yet to come. Consider me intrigued. OK, it doesn’t do most of this out-of-the-box. Essentially the CS800D PLUS is the CS800D today, a DMR and analog dual-band mobile radio. Features will be added ‘without the manufacture’s cooperation’ and ‘firmware will be done by the Amateur community.’ Not really sure how that is going to work since the existing firmware isn’t open sourced, documented, or have documented hooks/APIs. Additionally, the “all digital modes” comes via a “co-processor or your laptop to allow you to add digital modes not currently in the radio.”

I have the CS800D but purchased one of these anyway to see if this actually comes to fruition, especially the ‘all the digital modes’ part. If not, it or my 800D will appear on the used market! I envision this radio will utilize a NW Digital Radio DV3000 or DVMEGA DVstick on a Raspberry Pi or computer using a serial connection between the radio and computing device. This would provide off-radio encoding/decoding of digital modulation and analog frames. No working proof of concepts or documented working setups have been posted as of this writing. Posted documents mostly show how to convert codeplugs between the CS800D and CS800D PLUS. Firmware for the CS800D PLUS is not backwards comparable with a CS800D, according to Connect Systems. The CPS will work with both radios but the firmware is not compatible due to CPU and memory differences.

Flying under my radar was the release of the SharkRF openSPOT 4. After reading up, it’s another incremental release. What’s new in the 4? Improved battery life (up to 30 hours), multi-core CPU, new WiFi module, and split into two offerings: openSPOT 4 and openSPOT 4 Pro. That’s it, near as I can tell. It’s probably due to chip shortages, but the openSPOT 4 is available now where as the openSPOT 4 Pro is due to ship again August 20th.

What’s the difference between the 4 and 4 Pro? Hardware cross mode capability and price. The openSPOT 4 rings in a € 249.00 ($254.14 USD) and the 4 PRO at € 319.00 ($325.59 USD, both conversions as of this writing). First introduced in the openSPOT 3, SharkRF hotspots are the only ones with the ability to cross mode D-STAR with DMR, C4FM, and NXDN networks. The 4 does not have the capability to cross mode D-STAR with other networks, the 4 Pro does have this capability. As with other openSPOT releases, the release of the OS4 end-of-life’s the previous model. The openSPOT 3 will probably get some firmware updates here-and-there but don’t expect many more based on past experience. I liked the openSPOT 3 for what it was. The 4’s are another pass for me because this release that doesn’t offer much more features than my openSPOT 3.

Nearly as soon as the OSJ went to publish last month, the wording about DroidStar no longer being available for iOS was removed. It appears the issues of concern were resolved. DroidStar is back in TestFlight and I heard from iOS users that it was working for them again.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – June 2022 edition

June 26, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

As Technical Coordinator for the Ohio Section, I oversee the section’s group of Technical Specialists. The Specialists and I are here to promote technical advances and the experimentation side of the hobby. We encourage amateurs in the section to share their technical achievements with others in QST, at club meetings, in club newsletters, at hamfests, and conventions. We’re available to assist program committees in finding or providing suitable programs for local club meetings, ARRL hamfests, and conventions within the section. When called upon, serve as advisors for RFI issues and work with ARRL officials and other appointees for technical advice.

Technical Specialists are a cadre of qualified and competent individuals here for the “advancement of the radio art,” a profound obligation incurred under the rules of the FCC. TS’s support myself and the section in two main areas of responsibility: Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Technical Information. They can specialize in one or more areas or be generalists with knowledge in many technical areas. Responsibilities range from serving as consultants or advisors to local hams or speaking at local club meetings on popular topics. In the Ohio Section, there are 14 qualified specialists able and willing to assist.

RFI/EMI (electromagnetic interference) includes harmful interference that seriously degrades, obstructs, or repeatedly interrupts a radio communication service such as ham radio or public service agencies. RFI sources range from bad power insulators, industrial control systems, other transmitters or poorly made transmitters, personal devices like computers, monitors, printers, game consoles, to grow lights, failing transformers, and poorly made transformers – including one’s hams brag about getting from China for a few dollars. Our Technical Specialists can offer advice to help track down interference or locating bozo stations. Technical information is wide-ranging, everything from antennas to Zumspots.

How can we help? The knowledge and abilities of YOUR Technical Specialists are really quite impressive. Here are examples:

Antennas (fixed, portable, and emergency operation type) and feedlines
Antenna systems such as towers, guying, coax, and baluns
RF and tower safety
Grounding
Propagation
Electronics and circuits
Tube technology, aka boat anchors
Voice and data modes – including D-STAR, DMR, Fusion, NXDN, P25, APRS, IGates, packet, MT63, FT8/4, Olivia, PSK, and using programs like Fldigi
NBEMS – Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System
Computers, Windows and Linux, Raspberry Pi
Embedded devices
Networking: IP networks, AMPRNet, routers, firewalls, security, mesh, and microwave
Repeaters, controllers, and high-profile systems
Internet and VoIP linking systems – Echolink, AllStar, HamVoIP, DVSwitch, and PBX/Asterisk
RFI detection from power lines and consumer devices including working with governmental agencies to track down interference
Professional certifications such as Motorola Certified Technicians, Certified Journeyman Electronics Technician, General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL), and Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) affiliations

This impressive list of qualifications is an available resource to all in the Ohio Section. Looking for guidance in one or more of these areas? Need a program for your club meeting? How about a technical talk or forum at a hamfest? Assistance or direction on a project? My contact info is near my picture and on the arrl-ohio.org website. I’ll assist getting you in touch with an appropriate Technical Specialist.

Cisco SPA-514G desk phone for Hamshack Hotline and Hams Over IP

Many in our section have a Hamshack Hotline extension. Hamshack Hotline is a Voice over IP system using the same technology, called a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), many businesses utilize for their phone systems. Recently, another similar service appeared called Hams Over IP (HoIP, IP as in IP address). It’s not as catchy or easy to rattle off as HamShack Hotline. Best I’m able to tell, the service started around the time of Dayton. Unfortunately, like many clubs that have formed and split over the years, political issues at HH mounted and led to the formation of another service. Hams Over IP formed out of some former Hamshack Hotline admins and engineers. It’s obvious from their site, this was rushed as they really only have a ticketing system and Discord linked on their site as of this writing. A Wiki can be found by searching the interwebs. BLF monitor and BLF bridge monitors are available too.

If you want to read the dirt and s-slinging, those can be found on their respective social media pages and sites. A post (group membership required) in the non-affiliated Hamshack Hotline groups.io stated “A few months ago Hamshack Hotline dismissed a number of directors of their corporation and several moderators of their facebook and discord server for reasons that remain unknown. When that happened I heard from the impacted parties as well as other supporters to create our own network, and thus Hams Over IP was born.” HoIP will continue to co-exist with HH though, they are two completely different and separate networks. Existing HH extensions and trunks will continue to work as they have in the past. Here comes the “but.” Those on the HHUX (experimental) server will be repurposed with a HoIP extension. One user posed they received an email from HH about the server change. Reading between the lines, the owner of the HHUX server was one of those dismissed. Their server was removed from the HH network, taken with them in the turmoil, and brought over to HoIP.

Regardless of the political landscape, I have a Hams Over IP phone extension: 100095. HoIP doesn’t (at least at this time) have a way to put a URL in the browser to configure a desk phone, such as a Cisco SPA, like HH does. It took a little effort to get my Cisco phone configured as there appears to be IP banning mechanisms on the server for failed registrations and those using VPNs.

Like HH, HoIP has “RF Link” extensions. These are reverse autopatch extensions connecting into an Asterisk server, most often an AllStar node connected to a repeater or Internet hub. The Hams Over IP extension into the Interlink System I maintain is: 15010. Same controls are used for RF links, *99 to TX and # to unkey/RX. A system like mine is a way to bridge not only HamShack Hotline and Hams Over IP but other networks: AllStar Link, Echolink, DMR (HBLink, BrandMeister, and TGIF), D-STAR, M-17, NXDN, P25, System Fusion, and Wires-X.

Both HamShack Hotline and Hams Over IP are now using PJSIP where one extension can ring multiple devices (up to 5, I’ve heard). Back when HH started, it was a requirement for an approved Cisco phone to be brought onto the network before one could receive credentials for the “unapproved devices” or experimental server used for soft phone apps like Groundwire or other VoIP hardware devices. Each device would have a different extension. Calling one extension would only ring that device, not any others. Both my HamShack Hotline (4293) and Hams Over IP extensions will now ring my Cisco SPA-514 in the shack and Groundwire on my smartphone. I’m unsure about consolidating extensions, might want to open a ticket with HH to find out if that’s possible.

DroidStar for iOS is fini – done, no more. Development will continue on the Android and Windows versions. DroidStar is a smartphone app allowing hams to connect to ham radio digital and VoIP networks using only an app. Late last year, changes to the app removed the built-in vocoder (voice encoder). iOS, or iPhone Operating System, is a tightly controlled ecosystem of Apple mobile devices (phones, tablets, smartwatches, TV, etc.). Anyone doing development or app validation knows you cannot load an app on an Apple device out-of-nowhere. It must be loaded through the Apple App Store. A testing and feedback program called Test Flight is available to developers who pay for an Apple Developer account, $99 currently.

Most iOS users never use Test Flight as it is a beta program. The program allows users to test apps and provide feedback to the developer before an app is qualified and published in the App Store. Apple doesn’t want developers to forever use Test Flight circumventing the scrutiny and validation of the App Store. Test Flight apps have a limited lifetime of 90 days. The app can be made available again, though users have to rejoin the new beta version in order to have access to the app for another 90 days. This is the mechanism DroidStar was using making a version of the app available to iPhone users – and not through the App store.

Development of the app has come to an end, at least for now. Posted on the project’s Github page by the developer, the older MacBook Pro used for development is no longer eligible for the latest macOS version. Apple requires an iOS Software Development Kit (SDK) version only supposed by later versions of macOS. There are no planned upgrades to support this development effort. There is a chance someone else could maintain an iOS version as the project can be forked for continued development.

With July around the corner, my favorite event, 13 Colonies Special Event will be on the air July 1st (9 am) – July 7th (midnight). TM13COL will be making a return again this year as the third bonus stations in addition to WM3PEN and GB13COL. A station does not need to work all 13 colonies to receive a certificate. The three bonus stations do not need to be contacted for a clean sweep. Good luck!

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – May 2022 edition

May 29, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

70 years of Hamvention. Themed the “Reunion” after 70 years have passed since the first Hamvention on March 22, 1952. This year also marked the return after a two-year hiatus. Thousands of hams, family, friends, and enthusiasts descended on the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio for the convention, May 20 – 22nd. The ARRL Letter states this event brings $30 million to the economy of Dayton and surrounding region.

According to the DX Engineering recap, the count is 31,367 attendees this year. Down 1,075 from 2019, which for the crap we’ve had to put up with the last two years, still quite the showing of attendees. I was hopeful the crowds would be huge and worthwhile for vendors and flea market. My dad – N8ETP and myself attended Friday and Saturday. The Friday crowd seemed like a Saturday crowd, especially at lunch time around the food trucks! We hit the indoor exhibitors. Saturday seemed a little on the lighter side. Could have been the storms and rain Friday night into Saturday morning that kept some away. Hamvention wouldn’t be complete without spring storms! We hit the flea market Saturday and might have missed the larger indoor crowds. If you did the indoor exhibitors just right and found shaded seating areas to rest, I was able to skate by without sunscreen Friday.

The ARRL had their large exhibit area as per usual. There I got to talk a moment with our previous Section Manager, now Vice Director of the Great Lakes Division, Scott Yonally – N8SY. While talking with Scott, a ham stopped by and said he really enjoyed my articles right here in the OSJ. Always appreciate that. I asked if he wanted to see anything and he commented about SDR. It has been awhile since I talked about Software Defined Radio or used them for any projects. Stay tuned. Had a good chat with the Ohio Section Public Information Coordinator and Editor of the ARRL Letter, John – KD8IDJ.

I popped in and talked to Tony Milluzzi, KD8RTT, Advisor for the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program. I became licensed when I was in high school. One of the things I looked for in a college was a university that had a ham club or, at least, one associated with the university. Still wanting to be radio-active, I wasn’t going to have mobile or base station radios on campus. Only being a Technician back in those days, no HF either. An HT was going to be it so having a repeater close-by was my way of communicating. I found the Wood County Amateur Radio Club, which has support from the university with rooftop space and Internet resources from BGSU Information Technology Services. The club now has three repeaters, including a Fusion digital, as well as an APRS IGate on campus. Additionally, while at school, I was involved in efforts to keep college radio clubs active and on the air. Participated in the College Amateur Radio Club and collegiate Echolink nets (both defunct). I’m a big proponent of getting college students, such as engineering students, exposed to and active in amateur radio.

I asked Tony, ‘what is something the rest of the ham radio community can do to make sure collegiate clubs thrive and survive?’ I wasn’t quite as clever with rhyming at the time. He suggested a couple things that might help college clubs such as donating equipment. They may not receive much, if any, funding from the school for radio gear. The bigger benefit, he felt, would be to simply get involved. A few hams can help Elmer and teach students how to setup a station, maintain equipment, or simply teaching new operating modes such as digital. This would help faculty advisors keep the club going as advisors are often a single staff member and they may need time for other responsibilities and career goals. The link to the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program has resources to find college radio clubs, ways to participate in events, and example constitution and bylaws to get a club started.

ICOM booth was on my to-do list to checkout their SHF module prototype I mentioned last month. It was there, not a lot is known which was disappointing. The non-functioning prototype was “under glass” (couldn’t touch or play) shown mounted to a pole, presuming it can be mounted outside close to the antennas to minimize line losses. There was an Ethernet cable from the SHF module plugged into a device that looked like an IC-705. The ICOM representative pointed out that it’s not labeled as a 705 nor could a 705 reach the frequency displayed on the unit (5.780 GHz). The Ethernet cable carries PoE (power over Ethernet), presumably from the control head to the SHF module since the control head was powered. When asked what applications might this be used for or anticipated use cases, the representative didn’t have any. I didn’t know if they’re producing the hardware and leaving it to the ham community to figure out uses. They didn’t have answers so purpose still remains unclear. D-STAR was mentioned, so maybe they’re looking to do RF links that’s not the 10 GHz links they were originally hoping for in the early days of D-STAR repeaters. With a control head that can operate different modes, has filters, speaker, and a waterfall, to me it looks like they’re thinking some kind of operating in or around the Wi-Fi bands – maybe not necessarily for ham radio only.

Early the next day, I got to have an eyeball QSO with AmateurLogic.TV‘s own George – W5JDX. It was the first time we’ve met after helping out with their weekly Sound Check net. We talked about forums that were on-tap and treasures found the first day. We got a picture together so there’s evidence we were there and in the same place. I later got to meet the “Cheap Old Man,” Emile – KE5QKR. Amateur Logic has a weekly net on my DVMIS interlink system that bridges 12 ham radio voice networks.

Saturday’s start was preceded by early morning showers. The paved remote parking lots of the high school and town square really helped out instead of parking on soft grass. Quickly though, the sun came out and it was pretty brutal as temperatures reached the mid-80’s. It was flea market day and we spent the day meandering the inner horse track for some treasure. Want to build a repeater? Want to fix up an old radio? Looking for cheap finds? Want to make new friends? Looking to do something new in ham radio? It’s all out in the Hamvention flea market.

Since getting locked down, I have been playing with commercial gear in the ham bands, mostly NXDN and P25 radios. I was looking to find VHF counterparts to some UHF gear I already own. I found a VHF Motorola CDM1250 for $60 with hand mic. Tried it out, after returning home, on some local frequencies and it seems to work great. Don’t know if I’ll use it as a spare or maybe reignite my interest in APRS. I did find a VHF XTS but the seller was firm on the price, more than I wanted to pay.

We managed to survive a little longer than 4 hours in the flea market. We kept hydrated and layered on sunscreen twice. That was a good call. I thought I got burned after returning to the hotel but it was just some slight redness. Festivities were abruptly interrupted about 2:15p with an announcement of approaching storms known to produce hail and had cloud-to-ground lightning. We missed most of what hit Xenia but got our share at the hotel in Dayton. Rains were coming down horizontally for about 15 minutes and had pea sized hail. Please, for the love of everything sacred, double-check your equipment. There were stations squawking APRS during Skywarn nets. Yes, we’re called “amateurs” but most people look to us as professional operators. Lidding up emergency nets with APRS squawks is neither.

Whether because of the slight possibility of not having the show or the economy and supply chain issues, big names did not make the show. Radio manufacturer Kenwood did not have a booth at the show, neither did Heil Sound. Maybe due to last minute changes and lack of commitments for the reasons above, there was no formal list of vendors in the program. Big tents outside the forum rooms were not present this year. While Heil Sound was not present, I received their mailing indicating they still had specials for the weekend and allowed vendors like DX Engineering, HRO, and R&L to make deals on their products. A mainstay, W5KUB, in the past, streamed his entire trek from Tennessee to Dayton and streamed the entire event. Tom was still there but not streaming. I didn’t see any videos about Hamvention posted to his channel either as of this writing.

K8JTK (left) and AmateurLogic.TV host George – W5JDX (right)

Vendors I know were located in specific areas at past shows were also missing. They weren’t there or maybe cut back their presence. Things were different over previous years at the fairgrounds. That leaves more opportunity for other vendors to make their presence known.

Congratulations to DARA and the 600+ volunteers on a job well done and reunion for Hamvention. If you’ve never ridden the school buses from the parking lots, you probably didn’t know that Xenia Community Schools do not have school the Friday of Hamvention. This is such a big event for the area that school children have the day off. Michael Kalter – W8CI mentioned on the DX Engineering video many did not know that fact. Most, including myself, do not realize how much of an undertaking this event really is. The DARA Hamvention YouTube channel has forums if you missed them or want to review a presentation.

The day before the hamfest started, Ham Radio Crash Course’s Josh – KI6NAZ streamed a Voice of America Hamvention Tour. It is jam-packed tour with lots of history of the station, engineering, model of the antenna arrays – the VOA antennas are no longer standing, and the switching matrix which is still standing. This tour is a fantastic history lesson and a must see for any radio buff on a future visit to Hamvention. Tours were given on Thursday for those that arrived early.

With Field Day coming up, sending 10 messages over RF from a site garners 100 bonus points. This includes Winlink messages. I love to receive messages about setup, stations, operating, or social activities taking place. These can be sent via the National Traffic System (NTS) or Winlink – K8JTK at Winlink.org – to my station. The Field Day rules state messages must leave via RF from the site (7.3.6). It does not state “formal messages” be in any particular format or utilize any particular network. A message to the SM or SEC must be in radiogram format and leave via RF or no credit will be given (7.3.5). If there are any questions about sending or format, send the message using the NTS network or Radiogram form in Winlink Express. Copies of messages must be included with the Field Day report submission for credit.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – April 2022 edition

May 1, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
Login
When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name. Click your Name. This will take you to the “My Account” page.
On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out
To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
Check the box next to “Division and Section News.” If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
Click Save
There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.” You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

Solar Cycle 25 is here. The previous solar minimum was reached around 2018-2019 with the official end of Cycle 24 marked as December 2019. Being locked at home for the last two years didn’t line up with great propagation. I used the solar minimum to catch up on many non-ham radio related projects and things I’ve been putting off, many I’ve written about in these pages. Now that solar activity is on the rise, so goes my operating time – making contacts great again.

I did not have an operational HF station until mid-2014. I upgraded to General and Extra in 2008. Only used these privileges to be an Extra class VE. When my HF station was operational, it was at the peak of Cycle 24. I could hear both sides of a QSO, all check-ins during a Net, and was making sideband contacts with the Middle East. All with 100 feet of wire between some trees in the backyard at 100 watts max. Then 24 started to decline and the bands turned to crap. It was hard hearing all stations on a net aside from a moderately strong net control station. Nets lasted only a fraction of the time. Zero 10-meter contacts made where I had previously spent good parts of weekends operating there. This was my first experience with solar maximums and minimums.

Our nearest star, the sun, goes through cycles of activity that typically last 11 years. Scientists give these cycles numbers. Cycle 24 wrapped in 2019, signaling the start of Cycle 25. Periods of low sunspots are called minimums, while periods of many sunspots are maximums or peaks. Sunspots are areas of reduced temperatures caused by the rising of magnetic fields below the sun’s surface.

What does this have to do with propagation? When the sun is inactive or quiet, the electron density of our ionosphere decreases. This makes contacting DX stations more challenging, even impossible. The ionosphere is responsible for refracting signals, HF especially, over greater distances. When the sun is active with sunspots, it charges the ionosphere making it easier to contact DX stations.

Starting around 2021, I noticed bands were picking up. Meaning it was easier to make longer distance contacts and generally more activity on the bands was observed. These early beginnings of Cycle 25 offer a preview of what’s in store for the remainder.

It’s been very beneficial for me. As of this writing (end of April), I’ve racked up nearly 250 FT8 contacts this month. Many flock to popular watering holes: 20, 40, even 80-meters. I will spend time on the not-as-popular bands here in the US: 12, 15, and 17m. I do this mostly to rack up Logbook confirmations for Worked All States on each band and working toward achieving DXCC in general. One evening on 12-meters this month, I worked 16 FT8 DX stations in under an hour. I can’t ever recall it being that active. It’s hard to find an open spot on the waterfall while operating on 20 & 40 at times.

On the side of sideband, I frequently check into the Cincinnati Liars net. This net is hosted by the West Chester Amateur Radio Association, the same group which has a club station at the VOA museum and gives tours during Dayton. This should be a stop for every Hamvention visitor. I’m able to hear all stations that check-in from the opposite side of the state very well, including a station that frequently checks in from Cedar Rapids, IA. The net typically runs about 8 to 10 check-ins. The net assembles starting at 8pm eastern on Tuesdays around 3.835+/-. Exact frequency can be found using the NetLogger application.

12, 15, and 17-meters typically shutdown by the time I get on the air in the evenings. Recently, they’ve been open hours past sunset. I worked Jersey (the island of) and Kenya which are all-time new ones for me on 17 and 12 respectively.

While sunspots were down, I would have terrible luck at times connecting to Winlink gateways. One time, I was halfway down the list of available gateways before I made a successful connection – well into the yellow of reliability for those HF Winlink users. Last six-months, I’ve had very good luck connecting to Winlink gateways while sending messages using the network. Check out my February OSJ article for information on Winlink nets. Direct peer-to-peer messages to stations in West Virginia and Virginia have been very easy to accomplish as of late.

QRP operators (5w or less) will benefit from these improved conditions. I’ve seen many stations operating Parks on the Air. These stations typically have to operate lower power due to portability requirements of operating on battery or, at least, without amplifiers. It will be easier for QRP and portable operators to make contacts with improved propagation.

It’s a perfect opportunity for regular operators to look at improving their stations as well. New and improved antennas for 10, 12, 15, and 17-meters are relatively inexpensive to acquire or easy to build. Don’t forget about 6 & 10. I’m looking forward to making more sideband contacts with DX entities, which I apparently did early on after setting up my station, though I operate mostly digital now.

Propagation predictions are used to determine the best time of day and frequency to contact a DX station. I use VOACAP to estimate the best time for finding new DX entities/countries. I’m not a contester, however these predictions are used by contesters to point their antennas, taking advantage of best propagation in order to maximize number of contacts and score. A quick tutorial for those unfamiliar with using the VOACAP site:

Circuit Reliability graph of my Kenya FT8 contact on 12m (VOACAP)

Drag the red marker to roughly the TX station location (your location)
Drag blue marker to roughly the RX station location (DX station)
Alternatively: input location/grid/latitude & longitude along the top
To the right, select the mode and power desired
Click Antennas and select antennas that closely match those at the TX and RX locations. If RX station antennas are unknown, leave at defaults.
Check Settings for any specific characteristics to be included in the circuit calculation. I leave them at default.
Finally, click Prop Chart

This presents a Circuit Reliability graph noting probability of reliable communication on a certain band given a time of day. Chart option selects a specific band. The REL (reliability) and REL LP (reliability via long path) lines predict times of reliable communication. More details about VOACAP is available on the main page with a downloadable Windows application for more accurate predictions using specific antenna modeling.

It’s not easy to predict how Cycle 25 turns out, even scientists are not sure if it will be good or bad. If my experience is any indication, it’s looking verrry good. I’ve confirmed a handful of DXCC entities and all-time-new ones for myself. Optimists hope for a return of Cycle 19 from the ’50s. I wasn’t around however an article in the April 2021 edition of QST on Cycle 25 indicated it was spectacular. I’ll be happy with a repeat of mediocre Cycle 24. One thing is for sure, all license classes can benefit and join the fun. Novice and Technicians have access to: CW on a couple HF bands, parts of digital & FM on 10-meters, and of course all of 6-meters. If you’re fortunate to hear our Section Manager speak at a hamfest or forum, he’s stated ‘this might be the last solar cycle that I’ll be around for.’ I’m hoping for many more beyond 25. Either way get on the bands, operate, and have fun!

One of my favorite radio vendors, ICOM has announced the SHF Project. This project is building RF modules for the 2.4 and 5.6 GHz bands with embedded GPS receivers. This means ICOM is likely creating devices used for ham radio mesh networking. Those bands are commonly used for Wi-Fi networks with some non-shared allocations for ham radio. It’s nice to see ICOM is still devoted to the ham radio community buy innovating and coming up with different types of devices. Currently, inexpensive mesh devices from commercial vendors are readily available. Replacing the stock firmware with modified firmware, these devices are easily re-purposed for use with ham radio mesh networks. The ICOM site states there will a demo available in their booth at Hamvention this year. I’m looking forward to seeing their offering.

Speaking of Hamvention and Dayton, assuming governments don’t try to sequester us to our homes, again, I look forward to seeing everyone at Hamvention. It’s been two long years and it will be a welcome return as hamfests have been making a comeback over the last year.

Thanks for reading, get on the air, and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – March 2022 edition

April 3, 2022 Jeffrey Kopcak

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

If you are an ARRL member and reside in the Ohio Section, update your mailing preferences to receive Ohio Section news in your inbox. Those residing outside the section will need to use the mailing list link above.
Updating your ARRL profile will deliver news from the section where you reside (if the leadership chooses to use this method).
Go to www.arrl.org and logon.
Click Edit your Profile.
You will be taken to the Edit Your Profile page. On the first tab Edit Info, verify your Email address is correct.
Click the Edit Email Subscriptions tab.
Check the News and information from your Division Director and Section Manager box.
Click Save.

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

Time. We all use it. Most states change it twice a year. We all have our devices to keep track of it. Some are a little too proud of their device – ‘my WWV synced clock…’ I’ve discussed WWV in the past when it was on the chopping block for the national budget. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. As hams, we coordinate time with other operators. Nets that cross multiple time zones include Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) in announcements. This time, it’s not so much about having the correct time, rather how do computing devices know when they should change the time? I learned there’s one guy that makes sure devices know in what time zone they’re located.

I wondered: who maintains the time zone data on computing systems? Updating Linux systems would occasionally include the “tzdata” and accompanying packages. Well, someone changed their standard to daylight saving cutover again. Yes, it is “daylight saving time” though everyone says “daylight savings time.” Also wondered: what’s the difference when configuring a system’s time zone to be “US/Eastern” versus “America/New_York” or “America/Detroit?” For whatever reason, never bothered to look into it any further. That was until Paul, a co-worker of mine, was talking about a post he had seen describing one guy whom maintains the time zone database. That post is authored by Daniel Rosehill, who originally made a YouTube video about the subject. Daniel’s post is where I began exploring the topic further.

In a non-technical sense, time zones are political. Sure, it starts out with the prime meridian and count consistent offsets from there. Adopting and when to adjust time is left to the state. Most of Arizona is on standard time all year long. Some AZ cities decided to stay on mountain time or pacific time, adjusting when those zones change from standard to daylight saving. Closer to home, Indiana cities that are suburbs of Chicago adjust to central time while the remainder of the state uses eastern. Despite what our terrible media says, there are other conflicts, wars, crisis, clashes, and uprisings going on right now. To say that time zones are not important, try selecting the wrong time zone in a territory that’s in conflict with another territory or a countries time zone that has been deleted as punishment due to a historical event.

The “tz database” is a collaborative effort of information gathered by enthusiasts, done as a hobby or maybe in-conjunction with their job. This database is intended to be used with computer systems, programs and operating systems. The tz database definition of a time zone is “where clocks have agreed since 1970” (theory.html in source). If all clocks in a time zone have agreed since 1970, don’t include more than one zone or locale – even if some disagreed before 1970. The database attempts to record historical time zone and civil changes since 1970. 1970 is also important because it is the UNIX Epoch time (number of seconds that have elapsed since the arbitrary time of 00:00 UTC on 1/1/1970). Time zone data rules before 1970 are “best effort” which may identify a region but not necessary be correct for the entire region.

ICANN organizationally backs the tz database. ICANN approves top-level domains (.com, .net, .org, .io, .edu, .club, .info, .radio, etc.) and other Internet functions is the same group responsible for IANA. IANA oversees IP address allocation, Domain Name System (DNS), as well as other symbols, protocols, and Internet numbers. One guy is the editor and decision maker. His name is Paul Eggert. Paul works as a computer scientist and instructor in UCLA’s Computer Science department. He dedicates his time to maintaining the global time zone system. Eggert also designed the uniform naming convention for time zone locales, such as America/New_York and Europe/Paris.

Comments in source data files read like the history of the world’s stance on time. Referencing articles and texts used in decision making forming their time zone rules. This, well before Google Earth, where locations of importance only could be estimated in other parts of the world by utilizing such ancient technologies called a map or by calling someone on the telephone. States will arbitrarily decide they had enough of summer and change clocks one month earlier than expected (Jordan). Warlords, dictators take out anger on time and decide to change time zones with only four days’ notice – mostly in Africa.

These rules set time and shift standard to daylight saving (and back) on the correct date and time. They contain rules regarding leap seconds and other historical changes used in calculating time zone conversions. A program that can do such a conversion would know March 25, 2022 at 3pm in Ohio (EDT -4) is March 25, 2022 at 4am in Tokyo – which is still on standard time (JST +9). The same day in 1999, both time zones used standard time. Meaning March 25, 1999 at 3pm (EST -5) was March 25, 1999 at 5am in Tokyo.

Why the difference between America/New_York and America/Detroit? Today, both cities observe changing their clocks at the same time. Differences are of historical significance. Detroit has made many changes to time: 28 minus off central time in the 1900’s. Adopted central time in 1905. Michigan did not observe daylight saving time in 1967 like the rest of the US, it decided to begin DST on June 14 at 00:01. A vote in 1968 narrowly repealed DST to take effect in 1969. Observed DST, again, starting in 1973, however changed late in 1975.

New York (City), is the standard for eastern time by which most US states agree. In 1833, New York City Hall time was 3 minutes 58.4 seconds fast of eastern time. Today, selecting either New_York or Detroit will change the time when expected. Comparing historical time is the issue. Ohio’s time has followed that of New York City. All of this is documented in the tz data source code comments for northamerica with accompanying rules written to account for these changes. Selecting GMT-4 would always be 4 hours off GMT all-year round. The appropriate system section for Ohio would be America/New_York. US/Eastern is a link to America/New_York, which either will work though US/Eastern is considered deprecated.

Should legislation, which has already passed the Senate, making daylight saving time permanent, this would create another set of rules for all U.S. locales reflecting this change. Additional rules would be needed for any locales that decide not to adopt the legislation or decide to recognize the change on a different date.

The database is centralized and developed for Unix and Unix-like systems, including Linux and Mac-based computers. Most Internet users don’t understand Linux is quite important in the computing world. While Linux lags behind in the desktop operating system market, favored by hard-core computer enthusiasts. In the server world, Linux dominates, even on cloud infrastructure. Windows systems utilize a mapping between Microsoft Windows time zone IDs and the tz database. This is not perfect as Windows implements less time zones than are present in the database. Changes and releases to the tz database are documented at the tz mailing list.

Most Linux systems store time zone data located in the directory: /usr/share/zoneinfo. Those files are compiled and not human-readable but the operating system uses those files to shift time and for time zone conversions. The Linux command timedatectl will display system time information: local time, UTC, RTC (hardware clock), time zone, and is time synchronized with an NTP server (Network Time Protocol, usually servers on the Internet). It is standard for *nix systems to store the hardware clock in UTC. Philosophy being it is best not to mess with the hardware clock and do the conversion visually for the user. This is noticed on dual boot Linux and Windows systems. Linux will be the correct time but Windows will display (as of this writing) 4-hours fast.

Real Time Clocks are dumb clocks. They have no ability to adjust for time changes on their own. It is understood in the computing world that external facilitates manage the RTC – most often the Operating System – will adjust the system clock with the help of the tz database. Much like an alarm clock, microwave, or wall-clock that need manual adjusting when the time changes or due to drift.

Think of all the systems, devices, and things that rely on time. The tz database is one, very small, piece of technology which hundreds of millions of devices rely. Daniel pointed out in his write up, think of all the startup companies and dubious technologies that claim to change air water into oil, only to vanish into oblivion within a few years. The tz database won’t vanish, because it can’t. Everything relies on this database at the bottom of a very large technology stack.

I’ve seen programs written where developers implement code to account for changes in time zones. Don’t. Just don’t. The best way for a coder or database administrator to deal with time zones is not to deal with time zones. Let the system handle time or include time zone libraries in the project. Where there are time zone issues to fix, there will be more.

Comic depicting modern infrastructure relying on small projects – like the tz database – to perform essential functions (xkcd)

The results are bad and potentially catastrophic when developers attempt to account for time zone changes. It confuses users of the system: why is it changing the time using this one function of the program? The answer is usually something like: the developer stored time in local time instead of UTC, they recognized when this information is sent to a different location across time zones, time would have to be adjusted. However, they implemented hard-coded logic which no longer applies because the state recently changed their rules. Those rules are now wrong and nobody knew or remembered they were there in code.

Upstream systems start making incorrect decisions based on the garbage data received as a result of bugs like these. For example, a customer is charged interest on a payment that was recorded as late but wasn’t actually late. It continues to roll downhill from there.

As Daniel points out, these high-stakes deliberations represent a near Y2K meltdown that must be averted. Every. Time. A single erroneous key stroke could instantly change EST to CST or PST. Magnify the example scenario above by millions of systems which all have the wrong time. Think of all the confusion, missed meetings, missed scheduled jobs, missed TV recordings, incorrectly recorded measurements, incorrectly recorded transaction ledgers, erroneous data, deleted data, and overall impact to the economy (more than our politicians have already managed to do).

Paul (the CS guy, not my co-worker) has gone to sleep each night knowing the world’s computers are using his code to know what time zone they are in. He seems to be handling that pressure in strides and is at least owed a “thank you.”

Regarding my article last month about Winlink nets, some PAT client users have informed me standard Winlink forms are now fully supported. HTML forms support is fully implemented as of the July 2021 release. Those who built a system using KM4ACK’s Build-a-Pi programs will need to update and follow his video to make the necessary changes. New installs of Build-a-Pi will come with the latest configuration of PAT. Installs done through the procedure on the PAT website will have to manually update and make a modification to config.json. New installs should already have this value correctly set.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK

Jeffrey Kopcak, MBA – K8JTK

Category Archives: ARRL Ohio Section

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – December 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – November 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – October 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – September 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – August 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – July 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – June 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – May 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – April 2022 edition

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – March 2022 edition

Ham radio and tech.