Transcript Northern California DX Club

Welcome to
Northern
California DX Club
January 21, 2010
Tonight’s Agenda
• Club Business
–
–
–
–
–
Introduction of Officers
Introductions of Members
New members
DX news
QSTs
• The status of the sunspot cycle
• Feature Presentation
– The Physics of DX, Cliff Stoll, PhD, K7TA
• NCDXC Raffle
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 2
NCDXC Officers for 2009/10
• Officers
– President
– Vice Pres
– Secretary
– Treasurer
Craig Bradley
Phil Steffora
Russ Bentson
Jose Picazo Jr.
AE6RR
K6TT
K6KLY
WT6X
• Directors
– Steve Jones
– Jim Abraham
– John Eisenberg
– Risto Kotalampi
N6SJ
W6EB
K6YP (Past President)
W6RK (Ex Officio)
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 3
Introductions of Members
& Guests
• Do to the large crowd tonight we are
forgoing the normal “go around the
room”
• Does anyone have any special guests
that they would like to introduce?
• Any special announcements?
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 4
New members?
• Secretary’s Report
– Russ, K6KLY
– Russ has applications…
– Membership Voting?
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 5
Badges we have Badges!
• If you have ordered a badge see
our Secretary – Russ, K6KLY
We Don't Need No Stinking Badges!
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 6
DX NEWS
YI9PSE – IRAQ 2010
• April 2010
• 3 NCDXC Members on the team
– Team Leader – N6PSE, Paul Ewing
– NI6T, Garry Shapiro
– K9YC, Jim Brown
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 8
YI9PSE – IRAQ 2010
• The NCDXC Board of Directors has voted
to award the YI9PSE IRAQ DXpediton a
contribution of:
$2500
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 9
DX Contests
• CQ World-Wide WPX RTTY Contest
– February 13-14
– Start at 0000 UTC Saturday (4PM, Friday
PST)
– End at 2359 UTC Sunday (4PM, Sunday
PST)
– Exchange – Signal Report & Serial Number
– For rules see
• http://www.cq-amateurradio.com/RTTY_WPX_Rules_2010.pdf
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 10
DX Contests
• ARRL International DX Contests
–
–
–
–
Start at 0000 UTC Saturday (4PM, Friday PST)
End at 2400 UTC Sunday (4PM, Sunday PST)
Exchange – Signal Report & State
See http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2010/intldx.html
for rules
– Many good DX locations will be activated
– Many of them will be on the air in the days before and
after the contest
• CW Weekend – February 20-21
• Phone Weekend – March 6-7
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 11
QSTs
DXer News
• New Editor – Phil Verinsky, W6TQG
• W6TQG, Phil has taken over from K6TT,
Phil starting with the January issue
• Please help Phil follow in Phil’s footsteps
by contributing content!
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 13
NCDXC Net
• Every Thursday 8pm
• Except on monthly meeting nights (3rd
Thurs)
• On W6TI repeater, 147.360 MHz, PL
110.9
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 14
Next Month’s Meeting
• Thursday, February 18th
• Holder’s Country Inn
–DeAnza Blvd, San Jose
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 15
Next Month’s Meeting
• Show & Tell
– Awards, Projects, New Radio “toys”, etc.
– Let me know what you
are bringing in advance
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 16
NCDXC Club Store
• Check out the new club
store on the web site:
http://ncdxc.org/
• T-Shirts
• Coffee Mugs
• Mouse Pads
• Stickers
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 17
Tonight’s Raffle
• Mike W6WZ & Carolyn
WB6ABC have some great
prizes!
– 1st Prize: Yaesu VX3 HT
– Many other prizes as well
• Got Tickets?
– see Carolyn or Mike
– 6 for $5 - 12 for $10 - 24 for $20
• GOOD LUCK!
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 18
Additional QSTs
• Amateur Radio Technology Day
– Saturday, January 30th
– 8AM to 9PM
– At SLAC
– http://www.fars.k6ya.org/
• Does anyone have any other short
announcements they would like to make?
• Flea Market?
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 19
Our Sunspot Cycle
Cycle 24 where are you?
Spotless Days
•
•
•
•
•
Current Stretch: 0 days
2010 total: 2 days (11%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 772 days
Typical Solar Min: 485 days
• Updated 19 Jan 10
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 21
SOHO MDI Continuum Latest
Image
Big sunspot 1040 has just
disappeared over the sun's
western limb, leaving the
visible disk of the sun blank.
This condition may be
temporary, however,
because old sunspot 1039 is
fast approaching from the
east.
Credit: SOHO/MDI
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 22
The Farside of the Sun
This holographic
image reveals no
sunspots on the far
side of the sun. The
holographic
technique used to
map the farside is
evidently not
sensitive enough to
detect farside spot
1039.
Image credit: SOHO/MDI
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 23
The Last 5 Months
Things are definitely picking up!
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 24
Prognosis
• The current improvements in the SSN
and SFI haven’t produced much
improvement in DX yet…
• Hopefully the seasonal changes will
improve conditions as we approach
the equinox on March 20
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 25
Feature
Presentation
The Physics of DX
Cliff Stoll, PhD, K7TA
RAFFLE
TIME!
• Does anyone need tickets before we
start?
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 28
Thanks for Coming Tonight!
• Next Meeting
–Thursday, February 18th
–Holder’s Country Inn
NCDXC Jan 10
Slide 29