Monthly Archives: May 2010

I would like to wish a Happy and Safe Memorial Day to everyone, especially my friends, family, and those that have done business with me at Alan Spicer Marine Telecom.

and remember what Memorial Day is for! It’s not an acronym for “Barbeque and Beach Day”.

Memorial Day 2010 is here, and the time has come to pay respect to the men and women who have fallen in combat over the course of American history.

—

Alan Spicer

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

+1 954 683 3426

Contact made by KA4UDX with VE1FO/VE9 – on DXpedition to Campobello Island on 20 meters 14.260 Mhz

http://www.w1npp.org/

VE1FO/VE9 Campobello Island DX-pediton May 29-31 2010; KB1IRZ and N1URA to join Halifax Amateur Radio Club

http://www.qrz.com/db/VE1FO

VE1FO/VE9 QRZ.COM image

7) Campobello Island DX-pedition – VE1FO/9

Several members of the Halifax Amateur Radio Club and friends will be celebrating spring 2010 with their now annual Ham Radio “Spring Fling”. 

Where:  Campobello Island, New Brunswick – IOTA NA-014 // CisA-001
When: Friday May 28 – Monday May 31, 2010
The Team includes six couples – Dick Grantham (VE1AI) and Sandra; Scott Wood (VE1QD) and Sue; Ken McCormick (VY2RU) and Ella (VE1PEI); Howard Dickson (VE1DHD) and Jean; Gary Bartlett (VE1RGB) and Bev; and Cory Golob (N1URA) and Beckie (KB1IRZ). 

Our callsign will be VE1FO/9.

We will be operating both SSB and CW on 80, 40, 30, 20, and 15 from the Island Chalets located near the bridge to Lubec Maine and the Roosevelt Compound.

A special QSL card will be printed for this DX-pedition.

QSLing:

1. For QSL’s outside USA and Canada, please send one IRC or $2 US for direct reply. Cards without s.a.s.e. will be answered via the bureau.

2. For USA direct QSLs – please do NOT send a s.a.s.e. with a US stamp on it; they are not valid for use in Canada. You may however send a s.a.s.e. with the proper amount of Canadian postage, or 1 IRC, or $2 US (with tax Canadian postage to the USA is now $1.15 and the Canadian dollar is now at par with the US dollar; our group is small and we can not afford to cover the difference if only $1US is sent for a direct QSL response).

3. Bureau cards will be answered via bureau as usual.

Direct QSL requests should be send to the attention of:

Howard Dickson – VE1DHD
Halifax Amateur Radio Club
PO Box 663,
Halifax, N.S.  B3J 3T3
CANADA

Campobello Island is located at 44º  51’48.05”N  & 66 º 58’44.66”W near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, and lies off the south-east corner of New Brunswick and the south-east tip of the state of Maine.   There is a car ferry connecting Campobello to the mainland by way of Deer Island New Brunswick, but it only runs during the summer months; so to get to Campobello Island at other times of the year, Canadians need a passport and must travel through the United States entering over the Roosevelt Campobello International Bridge from Lubec Maine. 

 
A Bit of Campobello History:

Campobello had had a rich and varied History, the French being the first European settlers in the early 1700s, but the Treaty of Utrecht placed Campobello under English control in 1713. Settlers of Scottish and Irish descent arrived on the Island from New England in 1765, and in 1767, Captain William Owen received an island land grant from the Governor General of Nova Scotia and named the island Campobello.

Trade in the early days included cured fish, lumber and potash shipments to England, shingles and cordwood to Boston, and a West Indies market for salt pollock in exchange for rum. Commercial activity included brickyards, sawmills, a tannery and a soap factory. A strong market for fish existed in New York and the manufacture of wooden boxes for shipping fish became a significant industry.  By 1850, the Island population had increased to 865d, and by 1862 to 1,039. 

The late 1860′s were not good years on Campobello. Corporate business folded, shipping and foreign trade declined dramatically, and there were few, new settlers. Campobello’s shipping and trading had pretty well ceased by 1871 when a new industry developed in the late 1870′s, with a resurgence in the 1920s – rum running.  A second new industry bloomed during the 1880′s, when Campobello became a popular summer vacation destination  for the wealthy on the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada. Boston and New York businessmen constructed luxurious hotels and well-to-do families from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Ottawa and Montreal escaped to Campobello for the summer. 

James Roosevelt, father of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, first visited the Island in 1883, purchased several acres of land and had a summer home constructed; other wealthy visitors did the same.

With the opening of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Bridge in 1962, the island become more accessible and now over 100,000 people visit Campobello each year. 

The fishing industry –  the harvesting of lobster, scallops, clams, sea urchins, herring, cod, pollock, mackerel and pen-raised salmon remain the mainstay of Campobello, although tourism is a steadily increasing Campobello industry.   

* Alan’s note – the distance to their “portable” DXpedition location is approximately 1480 miles from my location. The QRZ.COM location would not be correct because they are portable on a DX Expedition…

Campobello Island – Geography from Google Earth

Campobello Island – Geography from Google Earth #2

—

73 de KA4UDX, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

+1 954 683 3426

Contact on 20 meters – 14.240 Mhz with Amateur Radio Special Event Station W9IMS

My HRD logbook with the entry for W9IMS

Info on: http://www.qrz.com/db/w9ims

W9IMS

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club

PO BOX 18495

Indianapolis, IN 46218-0495

USA

W9IMS QSL Card Collection *their QRZ.COM image file

—

73 de KA4UDX, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

+1 954 683 3426

* I posted this back in October 2009 so it’s time for a refresher…

http://blog.marinetelecom.net/2009/10/29/545/

That’s the link to the previous post. * Just $499.00 for the base unit. Antenna and Coax Cable adds about $300 for typical marine installations. That’s using top quality LMR400 low-loss coaxial cable with N-Connector terminations, and Digital Antenna Marine Omni Directional WiFi Antenna and Stainless Steel Antenna Mount. 400 mW tx power – for around 2000 mW (2 Watts) effective power with antenna gain around 9 dBi.

We found out what works … reliably … and affordably … for Marine WiFi Hotspot Sharing and we built our system based upon it. Using industry standards for compatibility for Onboard Networks and for Ease of Installation with other existing Marine Internet Systems … we created “Lightspeed” for Yachts of all sizes.

* Noone can promise you how far a WiFi Hotspot Sharing System will work, but you can put the best system on your marine vessel and that way you know that *your half* of the equation (it takes 2 wifi systems to tango, yours on the boat, and the other one at the marina that you are trying to connect to)  is *good*. If you still can’t connect, then chances are that something is wrong on the marinas half. It might be that their signal isn’t that strong (doesn’t project very far) or is “directional” – mean that they are using “sector” antennas to only cover a certain compass degree area. Let’s say they cover 120 degrees … if you are out of that sector … and too far away … you will probably not connect. But with our system – we’ll bet – that you’ll connect many more times than not.

* Savings can be had – Least Cost Scenarios – where you choose which Internet Connection System will provide the lowest cost and the fastest speed for a given geographic location. Vessels that travel only the U.S. Coasts might consider Cellular 3G as well: http://www.marinetelecom.net/Ericsson_W35 – or This WiFi System if you know you will always be in range of WiFi – or Both to have the best of both worlds. 3G Cellular is good in most places in the U.S., but WiFi is often faster … and doesn’t eat up your megabytes (and thusly your gigabytes) allowance on Cellular Internet. Vessels that travel the islands off the U.S. Coasts should be aware that 3G Cellular is very expensive … unless you have an add-on plan from your cellular provider to cover it. WiFi can be used, whenever available, to give fast speeds and inexpensive (often FREE) Internet to the whole boat… Cellular 3G, outside of the U.S., can supplement that when WiFi just isn’t available. Just make sure you ask about International Internet Roaming Coverage Plans.

We also realize that many vessels have VSAT (Mini-VSAT, Tracphone V7, Inmarsat Fleet Broadband) … usually the cost of operating these systems continuously is very expensive. If you tag-team our WiFi Hotspot Sharing System, and 3G Cellular Internet, with your Satellite System then you can “take back control” of your Internet Expense Dollars.

* Call Today about Systems for Sale … Install yourself, or ask about Installation here in South Florida.

* * * * As always – Marine Store and Marine Dealer / Installer inquires are wanted!

* For marine vessels we can quote individual systems, or the complete setup. So call and get started today – and enjoy a less expensive Marine Internet “Experience” tommorow.

* It doesn’t take that long! You’ve got the time! … and the Weather is Great! This is a great time of year to upgrade or overhaul your Marine Voice and Internet Communications Systems! You can be done in DAYS, not WEEKS!

* Ericsson W35 does Cellular Voice for PBX Systems or standard RJ-11 2-wire Telephone Systems (parallel wired twisted pair) – and Voice over IP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Telephone can be used with the WiFi Hotspot Sharing System to also *add* Voice Telephone Savings to your benefit!

* * * * I should also remind everyone that we do Computer Services as well for marine vessels. Navigation Computers, Office Computers, Laptops … Replacements and Upgrades. We do Onboard Networks … replace those “Not Working So Well” wireless gizmos in your onboard network with *the good stuff* and make all of your wireless laptops, smarty phones, and other portable things very happy!

= = Referrals are always appreciated So please recommend us if you’ve worked with us before, or suggest us if you have not. Everyone knows one other yachter or boater … private boat, charter boat, or fishing boat. You may not need anything that I’ve been writing about in this post … but your friend or associate just might! Thanks in Advance!

= = You don’t have to be in Florida … although that would let us do a full-service and install for you, we can also provide remote consulting services for yourself or your marine electronics installer. Make sure to ask about that!

—
Alan Spicer

DBA Alan Spicer Telcom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
Computer Services, Wired/Wireless Networking,
Cell/Sat/Landline Communications, General Consulting…
Marine, Business, Small Office and Home Office (SOHO)

* Cost Savings and Integration of Multiple Internet Technologies
on board Sail and Motor Yachts * Documentation, Operating
Instructions, and Support after the Sale *

* http://www.marinetelecom.net/
* http://www.internetforyachts.net/
* http://www.wifiyacht.net/
* 954-683-3426

Mobile Internet! Step up to the HSPA 3G Fast Internet!

Ericsson W35 released in the USA. This you’ve gotta SEE!!
Better looking presentation than W25 (you might not want to
hide this one in the Doghouse!) + High Speed Upload which
the W25 did not have.

http://www.marinetelecom.net/Ericsson_W35/

Livewire: Access Controller (Service Selector):
http://www.marinetelecom.net/Livewire_Service_Selector/

Click on my card thumbnail to download my Business Card Image.

Keep it for yourself, pass it on to others! Thanks!

* Any Questions ?  Telephone 954-683-3426

Alan Spicer

2009 / 2010 Flyer

Please Take One!

Please Give One! To Someone Else !

P.S. No animals were hurt … and certainly no OIL was SPILLED in the making of this commercial advertisement.

… but Order Now! Before (in case?) the Oil gets here!

Contact made (yesterday): HI3/AD7GW on 15 Meters Amateur Radio Band by KA4UDX. I now have 5 contacts into the Dominican Republic on the 40 Meter, 20 Meter, 15 Meter, 10 Meter, and 6 Meter bands. Two of them are a a repeat contacted station with different dates and frequency bands.

* Special Note: HI3 indicates his actual location as his call sign is a U.S. Call Sign indicating that he was licensed in the state of Colorado:

http://www.qrz.com/db/ad7gw

AD7GW

BRIAN R HEARN

9308 Fallen Rock Rd

CONIFER, CO 80433

USA

* See HI3:
http://www.ac6v.com/prefixes.htm

HIA-HIZ Dominican Republic
…… HI Dominican Rep (ITU Zone 11 CQ Zone 08) [lat 18.3 long -69.9] (start 11/15/45}
            HI1 Isla Beata
               HI2 Isla Saona, Isla Catalina
               HI3 Duarte, Espaillat, La Vega, Monsenor Novel, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Sanchez Ramirez,     Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez
               HI4 Dajabon, Monte Cristi, Valverde
               HI5 Baoruco, Barahona, Independencia, Pedernales
               HI6 Azua, La Estrelleta, San Juan
               HI7 El Seibo, Hato Major, La Altagracia, La Romana, San Pedro de Macoris
               HI8 Distrito Nacional, Monte Plata, Peravia, San Cristobal, Santo Domingo
               HI9 Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Samana
               HI0 Club Stations

* I don’t have my confirming QSL card from him yet … so I will post his QRZ.COM card image.

HI3/AD7GW QRZ.COM Image

HI3-AD7GW Google Earth Geography

That’s around 776 miles at a bearing around 126 degrees

Skirting the Bahamas, staying north of Cuba, across the Turks and Caicos Islands,

and landing in the Dominican Republic. (Our Radio Signals, that is!)

* Note: Sometimes DX contacts are quite short … to the point … A call sign exchange, signal reports, first names, and off the chase the next far away contact. This is often the case in what is called a “DX Pileup” where one distant station is being called by LOTS of other stations, mostly US. It takes quite a skill (I think I was born with it) to even get in there at all in most DX Pileups. This contact, with HI3/AD7GW wasn’t that way at all. 15 Meters was quite quiet, although we had “propogation” working for us. Sometimes this happens on some bands when *others* don’t learn of the band opening (propogation opening) on a particular band. No pileup occurs, and you can chat away at your leisure. I had that chance on this one and really enjoyed it. I like both ways, the wam bam … get that country, and sometimes the more leisurely chat where you can actually talk about something interesting.

HI3/AD7GW is actually mobile … scroll down the page on: http://www.qrz.com/db/ad7gw and you can see his vehicle and read more about it. That’s pretty impressive. But reminds me of what 11 meters (CB Radio) propogation was like back in the late 70′s to early 80′s where you could talk all of the the US on SSB on 11 meters. Well the same kind of thing seems to be rolling in here recently on the Amateur Radio bands. We’ve had openings on bands that have been dead. Some of this is Sporadic E … possibly weather related … I think I already wrote about that earlier so I won’t duplicate that here. It was a nice longer than expected chat though. And I hope to do it again.

—

73 de KA4UDX,

Alan Spicer

http://www.marinetelecom.net – http://www.wifiyacht.net

communications(at)marinetelecom.net

+1 954-683-3426

PJ7MF – His QRZ.Com Image

http://www.qrz.com/db/pj7mf

PJ7MF – Geography via Google Earth

Contact made today: PJ7MF on 20 Meters Amateur Radio Band by KA4UDX time was around 00:21 Z.

Looks like he is near the airport, Simpson Bay, and Beacon Hill … if his QRZ.COM lat. and long. are correct.

PJ7MF

Marco Ferrante

Sint Maarten Island

IOTA NA-105,

St Maarten, Saba, St Eustatius

—

73 de KA4UDX,

Alan Spicer

http://www.marinetelecom.net – http://www.wifiyacht.net

communications(at)marinetelecom.net

+1 954-683-3426

Amateur stations may not transmit on the 420 – 430 MHz frequency segments if they are located north of Line A.

The Green Bank Telescope at Night

The National Radio Quiet Zone is an area surrounding the National Radio Astronomy observatory.

The National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) was established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Docket No. 11745 (November 19, 1958) and by the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) in Document 3867/2 (March 26, 1958) to minimize possible harmful interference to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, WV and the radio receiving facilities for the United States Navy in Sugar Grove, WV. The NRQZ is bounded by NAD-83 meridians of longitude at 78d 29m 59.0s W and 80d 29m 59.2s W and latitudes of 37d 30m 0.4s N and 39d 15m 0.4s N, and encloses a land area of approximately 13,000 square miles near the state border between Virginia and West Virginia.

More information on the web at http://www.gb.nrao.edu/nrqz/nrqz.shtml

* It’s in the FCC Rules … probably for all classes of Radio Licenses. You wouldn’t want to randomly operate radio transmitter or tranceiver equipment in that area without the appropriate permission.

Non-Federal Government Transmitters:
All applicants for non-Federal Government transmitters for certain radio services within the NRQZ are required by the FCC to notify the NRAO Interference Office prior to or simultaneously with the filing of the FCC application. Both a copy of the completed FCC application form and the antenna technical data should be sent to the Interference Office.

——————————————————————————–

Transmitter Evaluation
The NRAO Interference Office reviews all assignments or applications for new or modified fixed transmitters within the NRQZ to insure that the computed power flux density at the reference point does not exceed frequency-dependent thresholds.

* Just for fun I plotted the NRQ in Google Earth. You have to do a bit of conversion of their Lat. and Long. figures, removing the “d” for degrees and changing minutes to a ‘, and seconds to a “. Then convert their latitude and logitude figures into 4 pairs for the Four Corners of the NRQ. It ends up looking like this:

National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) and the Green Bank (National Radio Astronomy Observatory) Telescope

The Latitude and Longitude Coordinates, 4 pairs, that are required to plot this, are:

78 29′ 59.0″ W, 37 30′ 0.4″ N
80 29′ 59.2″ W, 37 30′ 0.4″ N

78 29′ 59.0″ W, 39 15′ 0.4″ N
80 29′ 59.2″ W, 39 15′ 0.4″ N

* Additional information about what you would not want to transmit within there, without permission, is also available on: http://www.gb.nrao.edu/nrqz/nrqz.shtml

* So what do they do there at that big ol’ radio telescope? http://www.gb.nrao.edu/

“Scientists from around the world use the Green Bank Telescope to study virtually all types of astronomical objects known, from planets and comets in our own Solar System to quasars and galaxies billions of light-years away.”

* And we wouldn’t want to interfere with that!

—

73 de KA4UDX,

Alan Spicer

http://www.marinetelecom.net – http://www.wifiyacht.net

communications(at)marinetelecom.net

+1 954-683-3426

Ericsson W35 Marine Pack “Kit”

For deploying 3G Cellular Internet and

Voice on Marine Vessels

$ 860.04 + Shipping and Handling

Quick Overview
Voice/Fax/Internet on your Boat!

High Speed Internet

Downloading weather maps, booking a marina berth or searching for a good restaurant at your next stop is made easier and is much more price friendly with an Ericsson W35 Fixed Wireless Terminal. The Ericsson W35 operates on the 3G/GSM network, and is capable of reaching data speeds of up to 7.2mbps making it faster than standard broadband connections. Connection to your computer is via the W35′s 4 port network hub or wirelessly via a WiFi link.

High Quality Voice

The Ericsson W35 operates over the 3G cellular network but has a telephone socket for connecting a landline telephone handset. Call quality is identical to that of a landline and cordless telephones can be used for wireless roaming around the boat.

What is included in the package:

Ericsson W35

Marine and remote communication is made easy with the Ericsson W35. If accessing the Internet via a landline connection is not possible or convenient, the W35 can operate using the mobile networks to access the Internet. Using the cell network to access the Internet is more cost efficient than using satellite. Most times it can be one fifth of the price of satellite.

Connecting the W35 to your computer is via the W35′s four port router or using Wifi for wireless connectivity.

Laser 746 Marine Antenna

The 746 Marine Antenna is possibly the best multiband marine antenna available in Australia. The Antenna is 86cm High with a 7dB gain

Networks: GSM, CDMA and 3G (NextGTM 850Mhz and 2100MHz)

LMR400 Extra Low Loss Cable

LMR400 cable provides an extremely low loss for runs of up to around 50m.

12V Fly Lead

MCX to N-Female Radio Pigtail

Straight through power cable for connecting the W35 to a 12 volt power source.

Lightning Surge Protector

Protects the W35 from lightning strikes
Model W35 Marine Pack
Manufacturer Ericsson
Frequency 850/1900/900/1800/2100 (WCMDA)

* We also do Marine WiFi Hotspot Sharing Systems, and Marina Hotspot Systems (for the marinas themselves to provide Internet to their dockage partrons) - Please see:

—

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net – http://www.wifiyacht.net

communications(at)marinetelecom.net

+1 954-683-3426