NARUG QSL stamp (1972)

 

A relatively rare QSL stamp issued by NARUG (the National Amateur Radio Union of Greece) circa 1970.

 

Amateur Radio in Greece (1954)

 

Extract from Fall 1954 Amateur Radio Callbook

 

SV-GREECE

EUROPE - ZONE  20 

QSL  cards  may  be  sent  via:  Mrs.  Tavaniotas,  17-A  Bucharest  Street. 
Athens,  Greece 

SV0WA  Earl  J.  Beller,  APO  206,  c/o  PM.,  New  York,  N.Y.,  U.S.A. 
SV0WB  JUSMAGG  Amateur  Radio  Stn.,  APO  206,  c/o  PM.,  N.Y.C.,  U.S.A. 
SV0WC  Maurice  W.  Black,  APO  206,  c/o  PM.,  New  York,  N.Y,,  U.S.A. 
SV0WD  Jesse  D,  Newman,  APO  206,  c/o  PM.,  N.Y.,  N.Y.,  U.S.A., 
SV0WF  Grady  M.  Smith,  APO  206,  c/o  PM.,  New  York,  N.Y.,  U.S.A. 
SV0WG  Courier  Radio  Club,  USCGC  Courier,  APO  206,  c/o  P.M., New  York,  N.Y.,  U.S.A. 
SV0WH  Joseph  D.  Deneke,  Halfsee,  Hq.,  NATO,  APO  206,  c/o  PM, New  York  City,  U.S.A. 
SV0WJ  Air  Attache  Radio  Club,  APO  206,  c/o  PM.,  N.Y.,  N.Y.,  U.S.A. 
SV0WK  James  F.  Hicks,  c/o  Air  Attache,  APO  206,  c/o  PM., New  York,  N.Y.,  U.S.A. 
SV0WL  Adolph  T.  Beyers,  APO  206,  c/o  P.M.,  N.Y.,  N.Y.,  U.S.A., 
SV0WM  Marvin  L. Carmichael,  APO  206, c/o  P.M., N.Y. , N.Y.,  U.S.A., 
SV0WO  Louis  F.  Kruse,  APO  206,  c/o  PM.,  New  York,  N.Y.,  U.S.A. 
SV0WR  William  L.  Sawyer,  APO  206,  c/o  P.M.,  N.Y.,  N.Y.,  U.S.  A., 

 

Fortune cookie!

 

 

 

      A novice asked the Master: "Here is a programmer that never designs,
documents, or tests his programs.  Yet all who know him consider him one of
the best programmers in the world.  Why is this?"
 

    The Master replies: "That programmer has mastered the Tao.  He has
gone beyond the need for design; he does not become angry when the system
crashes, but accepts the universe without concern.  He has gone beyond the
need for documentation; he no longer cares if anyone else sees his code.  He
has gone beyond the need for testing; each of his programs are perfect within
themselves, serene and elegant, their purpose self-evident.  Truly, he has
entered the mystery of the Tao."

                                              -- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"

Vintage digital HF modes

Three nice youtube videos by K2MO, with vintage FSK HF digital modes.

1. LA9OK AMTOR BBS 

 

2. A 20 m PACTOR QSO between KN4YJT (FL) & K2MO (NY)

3. PACTOR I vs. Clover II data transfer comparison

Archie is back !

The old "archie" search engine is available once again at serialport.org via a special web interface!

The URL is https://archie.serialport.org/

Watch the full story of tracking down old internet programmers and sysadmins, of the rediscovery of archie source code in Poland and of installing it on a server, on this youtube video:

 

For now this archie indexes freeware archives saved on hobbes.serialport.org 

The archie server currently indexes 3 other ftp sites of the serialport project:

ftp.freebsd.org 
ftp.dbit.com
ftp.adobe.com

For some background reading on archie, see the relevant article in Wikipedia.

 

 

ARLX002 Armed Forces Day crossband test 2024

SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX002
ARLX002 Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Scheduled for May 11

ZCZC AX02
QST de W1AW Special Bulletin 2 ARLX002
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 9, 2024
To all radio amateurs
SB SPCL ARL ARLX002
ARLX002 Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Scheduled for May 11

The US Department of Defense (DOD) is hosting this year's Armed
Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test on Saturday, May 11.

For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken
part in this event, which is an interoperability exercise between
amateur and government radio stations. The event is open to all
licensed amateur radio operators and will not impact any public or
private communications.

The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way
communications between military communicators and radio stations in
the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111.

The annual DOD message will be transmitted via RTTY on 14.667 kHz at
1400 and 2000 UTC. These tests provide opportunities and challenges
for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a
tightly controlled exercise scenario. Military stations will
transmit on selected military frequencies and announce the specific
ARS frequencies monitored. All scheduled times will be in Zulu, and
all scheduled frequencies will be upper sideband (USB), unless
otherwise noted.
Information on frequencies, times, and other technical information
can be found at DoD MARS - Armed Forces Day at,
https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day


The Battleship IOWA Amateur Radio Association (BIARA) and the ship's
Innovation, Engineering and Technology Team will activate NEPM,
which was the ship's original radio station call sign from 1942
until 1997. It was reassigned to the ship in 2015. The activation
will begin at the same date and time as the Armed Forces Day
Crossband Test, from 1400 to 2000 UTC. All SSB operations are USB
only for transmit and receive.

Assigned transmit and expected receive frequencies are:

* 4.0435 to 3.943 MHz USB
* 6.9035 to 7.295 MHz USB
* 9.9440 to 10.113 MHz CW
* 14.4635 to 14.343 MHz USB
* 18.2930 to 18.143 MHz USB

Information for QSL cards and contact information is available at
Armed Forces Day QSL request form at,
https://www.usarmymars.org/armed-forces-day-qsl-card-request 

NNNN
/EX

The Cavity Magnetron: the device that won WW2 ?

 

 

 

 Very interesting video about WW2 radar by Curious Droid on YouTube! 

 

Radio User magazine RIP

 

We Have (Bad) News!

I received the latest issue (December 2022) of Radio User magazine, with a letter that this is the last issue of the magazine, which is merged with Practical Wireless. According to the circular, Practical Wireless will publish some articles in the areas until now covered by Radio User. 

 

Postcrossing (2)

Great news: The first two postcrossing postcards arrived today, one from Germany and one from Canada. 

 

The German card was franked with the German 2022 "Postcrossing" stamp (Michel 3722) of  €0.95, a new addition to my collection.

 

The Canadian card was an anniversary card for World Postcard Day 2022!

In the past five weeks I sent 8 postcards, 6 have already been received by their recipients and two are still traveling. 

 

US Rail Tank Car videos

 1. Rail Tank Car 101

 

2. eRAIL COMMERCE Tank Car 101 Training Video

 

3. Modern Day Rail Tank Car Safety

 

4.Tank Car Loading and Unloading

 

Various videos for the DOT111 and related US specification rail tank cars (tank wagons)

5. Rail car loading rack fire (firefighting training)

 

Δυο νέα βιβλία!

Στην σημερινή μου επίσκεψη στην έκθεση IPMS Hellas 2022 είχα την ευκαιρία να προμηθευτώ δυο ιστορικά βιβλία εκδόσεως 2021

 

"Υπόγειες Ναυτικές Οχυρώσεις στην Αττική (1936-1944)" του Κωνσταντίνου Κυρίμη, έκδοση Ελληνικού Ινστιτούτου Ναυτικής Ιστορίας, 2021 (χαρτόδετο, 216 σελίδες). Μια URBEX εξερεύνηση και καταγραφή των ναυτικών οχυρώσεων στην Αίγινα, Φλέβες, Ναύσταθμο Σαλαμίνος, Σ.Ν.Δ. και Υπουργείο Ναυτικών. Περιλαμβάνονται βασικές πληροφορίες για τα έργα και αναλυτική αποτύπωση των υπογείων εγκαταστάσεων.

"Οι Διαβιβάσεις στο Έπος του '40", του φίλου Χρήστου Νοταρίδη, SV0FY, Ταξιάρχου (ΔΒ) ε.α., εκδόσεις Ινφογνώμων, 2021 (χαρτόδετο, 391 σελίδες). Πολύ αναλυτική και αξιόλογη προσπάθεια για την ιστορία των Διαβιβάσεων του Ελληνικού Στρατού σαν τμήμα του όπλου του Μηχανικού, η οποία σπανίως, και μόνο αποσπασματικά, καταγράφεται στις ελληνικές ιστορικές πηγές.

Greece: World Postcard Day stamps

 

 

On October 6, 2022, Hellenic Post (ELTA) issued a set of four stamps for the World Postcard Day, October 1st, 2022 in both regular and self-adhesive forms.  Although related, the stamps don't bear the Postocrossing logo. Each stamp bears no face value but is rated for "PostCards Worldwide" and its current price is €1.00 at the post offices. The stamps will be on sale until October 5, 2024.

 

Postcrossing

 

Last week I decided to have a go with Postcrossing. It is an interesting project of exchaging postcards with some Internet support.

Of course I am an old timer in radio QSL cards, but this project is much different. The cost is not trivial, as sending a single card from Greece currently costs about €1.30 - €2: €1 for ELTA postage and €0.30 to €1 for the card itself.

As I am a rookie, I make mistakes related to the rules and the etiquette of the project, but I am learning fast. 

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcrossing

 

 

According to Wikipedia, we are part the peak of postcrossing excanges, but activity is still quite strong.

 

 

Heaven & Hell Thermodynamics

The temperature of Heaven can be rather accurately computed.  
Our authority is Isaiah 30:26, "Moreover, the light of the Moon 
shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall 
be sevenfold, as the light of seven days."  Thus Heaven receives 
from the Moon as much radiation as we do from the Sun, and in 
addition 7*7 (49) times as much as the Earth does from the Sun, 
or 50 times in all.  The light we receive from the Moon is one 
1/10,000 of the light we receive from the Sun, so we can ignore 
that... The radiation falling on Heaven will heat it to the 
point where the heat lost by radiation is just equal to the heat
received by radiation, i.e., Heaven loses 50 times as much heat
as the Earth by radiation.  Using the Stefan-Boltzmann law for
radiation, (H/E)^4 = 50, where E is the absolute temperature
of the earth (-300K), gives H as 798K (525°C).

The exact temperature of Hell cannot be computed... [However]
Revelations 21:8 says "But the fearful, and unbelieving... 
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone."
A lake of molten brimstone means that its 
temperature must be at or below the boiling point [of 
Sulphur], 444.6°C.

We have, then, that Heaven, at 525°C is hotter than Hell at 
445°C.

                -- From "Applied Optics" vol. 11, A14, 1972

Helios Airways Flight 522

 

On Sunday August 14, 2005, Helios Airways flight 522 (5B-DBY, Boeing 737-300) with incapacitated crew crashed at Attica under very unusual circumstances.   The last 10 minutes of UHF radio communications between a pair of HAF F-16 which intercepted the flight and the HAF Control Center have been available online. 

Fake news about Oxygen!

 

Generating oxygen by heating the potassium chlorate mixed with a small portion of manganese oxide.

Oxygen is a very toxic gas and an extreme fire hazard.  It is fatal in
concentrations of as little as 0.000001 p.p.m.  Humans exposed to the
oxygen concentrations die within a few minutes.  Symptoms resemble very
much those of cyanide poisoning (blue face, etc.).  In higher
concentrations, e.g. 20%, the toxic effect is somewhat delayed and it
takes about 2.5 billion inhalations before death takes place.  The reason
for the delay is the difference in the mechanism of the toxic effect of
oxygen in 20% concentration.  It apparently contributes to a complex
process called aging, of which very little is known, except that it is
always fatal.

However, the main disadvantage of the 20% oxygen concentration is in the
fact it is habit forming.  The first inhalation (occurring at birth) is
sufficient to make oxygen addiction permanent.  After that, any
considerable decrease in the daily oxygen doses results in death with
symptoms resembling those of cyanide poisoning.

Oxygen is an extreme fire hazard.  All of the fires that were reported in
the continental U.S. for the period of the past 25 years were found to be
due to the presence of this gas in the atmosphere surrounding the buildings
in question.

Oxygen is especially dangerous because it is odorless, colorless and
tasteless, so that its presence can not be readily detected until it is
too late.
 

                                                    -- Chemical & Engineering News February 6, 1956

Μην ταΐζεις το αδηφάγο κήτος!

Σταμάτα. Πάρε μια βαθιά ανάσα. Κάνε πίσω. 
Πιθανότατα έχεις φτάσει σε αυτήν τη σελίδα γιατί θεάθηκες να απαντάς σε έναν παράφρονα σε κάποιο δημόσιο χώρο συζήτησης, όπως μία λίστα ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου ή ένα forum. Με πολιτισμένο και υψηλής πνευματικότητας ύφος, έδινες μια δίκαιη ευκαιρία ακρόασης στις παλαβές ασυναρτησίες του (φαινομενικά) ανισόρροπου μουρλού, με την ελπίδα να εκλογικεύσεις το βλαμμένο σε μια πολιτισμένη συζήτηση.

Αυτό είναι αξιέπαινο και τιμητικό για σένα, αλλά το σχέδιο θα λασπώσει και θα σου γυρίσει πίσω σαν μπούμερανγκ. Απαντώντας σε αυτά τα άτομα, το μόνο που πετυχαίνεις είναι να τα ενθαρρύνεις. Κάθε ήρεμη, λογική, και προσεκτικά διατυπωμένη απάντηση που γράφεις, απλά γεννά ακόμη ένα ασυνάρτητο κατεβατό από το μανιακό παράφρονα. Το καλύτερο που έχεις να κάνεις είναι να σταματήσεις να απαντάς αυτήν τη στιγμή. Η μόνη διέξοδος είναι να διακόψεις τον κύκλο.

Θα μπεις στον πειρασμό να δοκιμάσεις μια στρατηγική αντιπαράθεσης, απαντώντας σε κάθε κείμενο του θεοπάλαβου με μια παθιασμένη καταδίκη αυτών που έγραψε. Αυτό θα σε ικανοποιήσει για λίγο, αλλά σταδιακά θα συνειδητοποιήσεις ότι κάνεις μια τρύπα στο νερό. Ο παπαρδέλας θα απαντά με κάτι εντελώς άσχετο, και θα αναρωτιέσαι γιατί μπήκες καν στον κόπο να ασχοληθείς με το φρενοκομείο. Εν τω μεταξύ, κάποιοι άλλοι στη λίστα θα δουν τη "συζήτηση" και πιθανόν να ακολουθήσουν με δικά τους flames, τα οποία δε θα ωφελήσουν σε τίποτα. 

Don't feed the trolls!

Οτιδήποτε θυμίζει αμυδρά μια υποψία αληθινής συζήτησης με ένα τέτοιο λυσσασμένο άτομο, απαιτεί αρκετά προχωρημένα πτυχία και χρόνια επαγγελματικής εξάσκησης, και είναι αρκετά απίθανο οποιοσδήποτε στη λίστα συζήτησης σας να έχει αυτά τα προσόντα. 

Η μόνη λύση είναι να σταματήσεις το πρόβλημα στη ρίζα του: την προσοχή σου. Αυτές οι αποβλακωμένες περιπτώσεις τρέφονται από την προσοχή των άλλων και των απαντήσεων τους. Δεν ενδιαφέρονται για το ποια είναι η απάντηση, αρκεί να λάβουν κάποια απάντηση. Δε διαβάζουν το περιεχόμενο αυτών που γράφεις, το μόνο που βλέπουν είναι το γεγονός ότι έγραψες κάτι. Συνεπώς, η καλύτερη λύση είναι να τους αγνοείς. Μην τους μιλάς. Μην ανταλλάζεις μηνύματα. Μην αναγνωρίζεις την ύπαρξη τους.

Αν πρέπει να απαντήσεις οπωσδήποτε, τότε γράψε ένα μήνυμα μιας γραμμής με ένα σύνδεσμο σε αυτήν την σελίδα, ούτως ώστε οι υπόλοιποι στη λίστα ή το forum να καταλάβουν τι σκέφτεσαι.

Έτσι, όλοι κερδίζουμε.

Ευχαριστίες στο do not feed the energy beast.com 

http://to-adifago-kitos.gr/

NDB logs, Milano, Italy

 

 

A few locals NDB logs at Milano, Italy:

2021-09-14    03:18    345.0    TZO    Trezzo NDB, I
2021-09-14    03:20    364.0    MAL    Malpensa NDB, I
2021-09-14    03:21    386.0    LNE    Linate NDB, I
2021-09-14    03:23    334.0    VOG    Voghera NDB, I

It seems that NDBs are still alive in Italy!

ADF Illustration by Fred the Oyster on Wikimedia Commons

 

Receiving SV1NJX balloon tracker tests

Today, after an announcement on his blog , SV1NJX activated briefly a balloon tracker on 433.708 kHz using CW and FSK (ASCII 7N1, 50 baud, 450 Hz) at about 08:45 UTC. 

The tracker signals were of good strength but with very poor stability, with pronounced chirp in CW and gradual frequency shift on FSK. I managed to decode a few packets using my Icom IC-7100 with DL-FLDIGI 3.21.5 and with an RTL-SDR receiver with SDR# and FLDIGI 4.1.06. AFC was absolutely necessary in order to keep decoding.

$$$$SV1NJX-1,34,08:45:11,38.079212,23.881712,01054,001,0.12,43.0,06,01*82AA
$$$$SV1NJX-1,35,08:45:28,38.079308,23.881735,01044,001,0.12,43.5,07,01*87B3
$$$$SV1NJX-1,36,08:45:44,38.079281,23.881693,01056,002,0.11,44.5,07,01*E6BE

$$$$SV1NJX-1,55,08:55:02,38.079262,23.881783,01052,000,0.32,37.0,07,01*71C6

$$$$SV1NJX-1,90,09:12:02,38.079319,23.881777,01057,000,0.31,36.5,06,01*9C68
$$$$SV1NJX-1,91,09:12:18,38.079288,23.881748,01050,001,0.31,37.5,07,01*F973
$$$$SV1NJX-1,92,09:12:18,38.079288,23.881748,01050,001,0.31,37.5,00,00*7A36

The actual balloon launch will take plane in mid-July 2021.

DP0POL on 14 MHz WSPR

 

 

 

The German research vessel RV Polarstern was received earlier this evening with weak WSPR signal on 14 MHz.

1648  -22  -0.9   14.097059    0   DP0POL        JP12     37   3067
1728  -21  -1.0   14.097059    0   DP0POL        JP12     37   3067

Polarstern currently operates in the Norwegian Sea.