Newsletter – Dec 2019

LAST UPDATED: 21-NOV-2019 649

PLEASE NOTE: Newsletter may be undergoing updates during the publishing period. 

Proposed Minutes
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Announcements

  • PLEASE NOTE: Next meeting is

TUESDAY 5-NOV 2019 CANCELLED

in lieu of Holiday Potluck Party 

    • Holiday Potluck Party on 12-DEC-2019 Boca Chase Clubhouse

    • PayPal available for 2020 dues, donation, and purchased items
    • 2020 Membership Dues will be accepted 1-October 2019
    • Monday analog nets move to 146.82- PL110.9

 

Calendar


CLICK TO VIEW CALENDAR

CLICK TO VIEW EVENTS

Shack Hosting Events

The following events are planned. Any organization who desires to use BRARA facilities shall contact a board member and provide specific details. CLICK HERE FMI

NO UPCOMING SHACK HOSTED EVENTS SCHEDULED 

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday 12-DEC-2019 Holiday Potluck Party 
Approximately 6pm to 8pm with setup about 5pm, we are hosting the F2019 Holiday Party at Robert Eng’s W1ENG club house. On behalf of our members, we offer our thanks and appreciation to Robert for offering this facility.

This event is potluck and folks will need to tell us what foods they are bringing.

Please watch for details over the coming days.

This Month’s Speaker

GIVEN THERE IS NO DECEMBER MEETING, THERE IS NO SPEAKER

Ham Shack News

  • Station-1 Amp temporary replacement is inline
  • Station-1 IC-7600 working normally
  • Station-2 In use, see Larry K4KGG for training
  • Station-3 IC-7600 working normally
  • Station-3 Yaesu Amp and tuner working normally
  • Station-4 FT-1000MP working normally
  • Station-5 TESTING STATION
  • Station-6 Various VHF/UHF radios are working normally with exception of IC-706

 

Annual Toy Drive:
Request for unwrapped toy donations

In cooperation with the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club a donation box will be located at The Shack.  Please consider bringing an unwrapped toy to the Radiator Grille on the 26-OCT-2019.

Our appreciation to Mike Ross N4ANO who is one of our members as well as Blue Knights. Mike suggested we provide a donation opportunity and for sure, its with welcome hearts and thoughts our members offer up such gifts.

SHACK ITEMS WE NEED
We are in need to replacing the HF tuner for station-1. If a willing member is able to help finance or donate such an item, our club members and The Shack would be so very grateful and it would help protect our HF assets.

Please see Bruce KO4XL, Art WA8VSJ or Ed N2II for details.

ITEMS FOR SALE

CLICK FOR DETAILS

Special Projects

The following are project status

  • Satellite TOWER BASE installation POSTPONED until Fall of 2019
  • Satellite ANTENNA and radio installation TBA
  • DMR repeater internet access IS AT REPEATER AND BEING FINE TUNED

CLICK HERE for DMR Repeater and Antenna Installation Status

How to use PayPal for BRARA member business

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

  • 2020 DUES accepted starting October 1 2019
  • First time members join for the remainder of 2019 and 2020
  • Dues amounts have not changed from last year.

CLICK FOR DUES FMI

Report (by Ed N4II)

TBA

Ed N4II

Dx Operating News and Information
CLICK TO READ MORE

The very latest information on DX Operating News, including DXPeditions, DXCC, and QSL information

Contests and Special Events
CLICK TO READ MORE

Looking for upcoming contests and special events from around the world?

Hamcation


Save the date 8-February 2020

We will begin taking reservations to travel to Orlando in a large van.

New Website Capability

No new capabilities

Member Online Auction is LIVE

Please stay tuned for updates

Public Classified Section is LIVE

Please stay tuned for updates

Please note: items are Negotiable 

Training Video 

  • No new Training videos

Training Classes
CLICK FMI

Free Laurel VEC Testing
CLICK TO READ MORE

About Our Members

We honor and remembered our members who have passed

  • Keith McPhail K3SKM
  • Linda Lindeman N4JNL
  • Sidney Gogel W2FUR
  • Bob  Dobski KB8WJF
  • Nob Fox W1VEI
  • Myron Goldstein WA2PWJ CLICK FOR OBIT 

Good and Welfare


If you know of an amateur or their family dealing with health issues or may have lost someone, please let us know. Robert.K K3SUH is our go to person to send a communication in the form of a card to the person or family.

CLICK HERE to email details.

New Membership Form
CLICK FOR MEMBERSHIP APP AS PDF

  • KN4GML Nikko Pabion
  • N1JIW Joseph Wiesenfeld
  • WA2ROA Henry Seidner

Statistics

  • 30 Member renewals for 2020
  • 163 paid members
  • 3 new members
  • 7 pending online applications
  • 6 silent keys
  • 130 regular members
  • 4 associate members
  • 22 family members
  • 1 lifetime

Our Scheduled Nets

COORDINATED NETS BEING REFORMED
We have modified the Voice Com NCS Script making it brief and changed the theme of the net to technical support, projets, and announcements.

CLICK HERE FOR REVISED NCS SCRIPT

BRARA Net Update – 145.29 moving to 146.82
The BRARA 145.29 repeater located at the Social Security building in Boca Raton FL near RT95 and Yamato has been experiencing audio issues for a few months.  Given this, the two nets that occurs Monday on that machine will transition on a temporary basis to the GCARA 146.82(-) PL110.9 repeater located near the Boca Regional hospital in Boca Raton FL.

Please note the new BRARA DMR repeater is behaving just fine and can be used by those with DMR radios locally on TG-311027.

NET DETAILS FOLLOW

SUNDAY
8.00pm ET SEFL DMR Tech-Net
GCARA 443.3500+ CC-11 TS-1 TG-3112529 (NO CHANGE)

MONDAY
7.00pm ET Voice  Com Net
GCARA analog 146.82- PL110.9 (TEMPORARILY RELOCATED)

7.30pm ET DMR BrainWaves Not-A-Net
BRARA LOCAL 442.875+ CC-1 TS-2 TG-311037

8.00pm ET SoCounty NBEMS Net
GCARA analog 146.82- PL110.9 (TEMPORARILY RELOCATED)

Other Local Analog Repeater Nets

  • Daily 6.00 pm SEFL Traffic 146.61 MHz
  • Tue 7.30pm CERT Plan-B 145.29- PL110.9
  • Fri  7:30 pm SATERN Net WARC 147.285 + PL-103.5 CANCELLED

Club Repeaters

  • 144.390 APRS Repeater (NOW ACTIVE)
  • 145.070 Packet Repeater (OFF LINE)
  • GPS Location: 26.39724 –80.09485

From this past Sunday net a few very informed DMR technical experts suggested anyone using a mobile DMR hotspot such as a Pi-Star to use the Texas server 3102. The reason is this server is much more stable and not experimental like some others.

Please read Bernie’s BLOG post on further details that applies to us all.

WHAT IS TGIF TALKGROUP

On Fridays at 8.30ET on TG-31665 is the TGIF Net. In order to participate, you have to change you pi-start DMR Master from 3102 to TGIF_Network om the drop down list and update your pi-star settings. Once the pi-star has recycled and is operating normally, connect to you hotspot on TG-31665 and enjoy the net. When you are done, change the DMR Master back to 3102. Have fun.

TGIF CONNECTION UPDATE

I reached out to one of my friends at BM to find out about TGIF. TGIF is not part of BM and is not on their network. They are apparently using a software made by Ty Weaver to host their system and a product called HB Link. The HBLINK is what allows your hotspot to connect to it and basically emulates a Brandmeister server type connection. This being the case the only way to reach their TG is connecting to their server or linking through someone else who has a connection.

Regards,
Bernie NY4Z

GCARA DMR REPEATER AND HOTSPOT PACKET DROPOUT
GCARA have adjusted their DMR repeater to use DMR server 3102. This should help reduce te DMR packet dropout. Our many thanks to GCARA and the group of folks who implemented this change.

Local DMR Repeaters
CLICK FOR REPEATER LIST

Scheduled DMR Nets
CLICK FOR DMR NETS

  • Sun 8.00 pm TG-3112529 SeFL FL Tech Net
  • Mon 7.30 pm TG-311037 BrainWaves NotANet (LOCAL ONLY)
  • Wed 9.00 pm TG-3  NA Tech Net
  • Thu 8.20pm TG-31777 NotQuiteRight Net
  • Sat 12.00 noon TG-1 WW
  • Sat  8.00 pm TG-310035 GCARC KnowItAll Net

South East Florida (SEFL) DMR Tech Net: With the new DMR Brandmeister Repeater installed and awaiting internet access, that repeater DMR ID is TG-311037. At a future date, we will be transitioning from TG-3112529 to TG-311037. A whole lot of communication and monitoring will occur well before this happens.

South East Florida (SEFL) DMR Tech Net: Sundays  at 8pm on TG-3112529 which is the DMR ID for N4BRF our club callsign. You may also access the Gold Coast ARC DMR 70cm Repeater on 443.3500 CC-11 to join the fun. A new code plug has been provide to enable members to access the GCARC TG-3112529. See our HOME page for the codeplugs. 

BRARA DMR BrainWaves NotANet: On Mondays at 7.30pm on TG-311037 to local user only until IP is available and after which it shall continue but open to all DMR amateurs. The purpose is to use the repeater plus test radios, codeplugs, audio and have fun. There is no NCS so just find an opening and announce yourself.

BRARA Open House

We meet every Wednesday and Saturday morning between 09:30 and 13:00 for our Open House, and for any work that needs to be done at the Shack. Anyone interested in exploring Amateur Radio is encouraged to stop in for a visit.

Newsletter Guidelines

Thanks for all who submitted articles and I hope you continue to do so. We’re also looking for new writers as well. Here are some guidelines for article submissions.

  • Text should be in MS Word or equivalent, saved as a .DOC file
  • Write your best stuff, but don’t sweat the grammar. That’s why there’s an editor.
  • Please submit pictures/illustrations as separate files, don’t embed them in the text.
  • Be sure to submit clear, in-focus photos

Club Ham Shack

West Delray Regional Park
10875 West Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33446

Board of Directors Scheduled Meetings

We hold scheduled monthly Board meetings at 12:00 Noon at the Shack on the Sunday preceding the next General Meeting.

Donations and Contributions

 

 

 

Contributions to BRARA— a 501(c)(3) organization—are tax deductible as charitable donations. As you complete your membership renewal or begin your year-end tax planning, please consider making a donation to BRARA.

Please donate to BRARA via Amazon Smiles:
Search for:  Boca Raton Amateur Radio Association

CLICK HERE TO SMILE AT BRARA

Planned Giving: Please also consider BRARA when updating or initiating planned giving (including charitable gift annuities, bequests and gifts or retirement plan assets) and other assets.

Apparel Donations

  • $10 donation–BRARA Name Plate with your Call Sign

For More Information

Website:    www.brara.org  Twitter: BRARA@N4BRF  Instagram: #BRARA_N4BRF

Facebook:    CLICK VIEW FACEBOOK

Please be advised that the above are the official BRARA social media sites. No other social media sites are recognized by BRARA.

Newsletter Contributions

Got an idea for an article? Or constructive critique? Want to share club news and events? How about writing a short 30-minute project idea? Your submissions to the Radio Flyer are needed to help keep this one of the best club newsletters in South Florida.

Please send articles to   BRARA@BRARA.org

Ham Shack Access Rules

To obtain a key to the BRARA Ham Shack you must be a member in good standing for a minimum of one continuous year, hold a valid FCC Amateur Radio License, and complete a short training session with one of the Club officers.

Address

the Radio Flyer
P.O. Box 480162
Delray Beach, FL 33448-0162

Copyright and Protection

Copyright © 2019 Boca Raton Amateur Radio Association (BRARA).

Reproduction of material from any BRARA web page without written permission is prohibited.

Regards and 73 from The Shack
de N4BRF

2019 Winterfest Boat Parade

The Winterfest Boat Parade will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2019 and we are looking for volunteers to staff the positions up and down the 12 mile Parade route.

This email is only going out to those who worked last year to give you the first opportunity to work the position you had last year.  If you volunteered this past year and would like your same assignment, please let me know as soon as possible.  If you are unable to volunteer this year, please let me know so that I can open up that spot.  Another email will go out toward the end of this week to fill the remainder of the positions.

I will need the following information:

  • Your full name and call sign
  • Snail mail address (for Winterfest invitations)
  • Cell phone number
  • Position you worked last year OR position you would like to work, pending availability

When I receive your email, I will reply and acknowledge that I received it.  If I do not reply, please send it again as your email may have been “eaten” in Cyberspace.

Your assistance is so appreciated – we can’t do this without you!  THANK YOU in advance!

Parade dates to mark in your calendar:

Monday, December 9, 2019 – Install antennas at the Riverside Hotel (9:30 am to approximately 1:00 pm)  If you can help, let me know.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019 – Training meeting with this year’s updates and Dinner for those working the parade (5:00 pm until approximately 8:30 pm)  All are required to attend.  (If you are unable to make it, let me know in advance)

Saturday, December 14, 2019 – Parade Day!  Parade starts at 6:30 pm.  Arrival time depends on your assignment.

Looking forward to another great Winterfest Boat Parade!  THANK YOU once again!

Carol

 Carol Sjursen, KJ4AWB
Winterfest Boat Parade Communications Chair
Broward County ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator
Broward County RACES Officer
954-803-6338 (Mobile)
888-491-7613 (eFax)
www.BrowardARESRACES.org
https://www.facebook.com/BrowardARESRACES/

Thank you for volunteering for the .  Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Some of you have asked about ARES vests which help identify you as a ham operator on the bridges as well as other locations up and down the 12 mile parade route.  If you wish to order a vest (not mandatory, but suggested), you can order them directly from Mike Spivak at Mike’s Electronics.  Most of us have ordered the second selection below with the pockets.  Mike’s address and phone number are at the end of this email.

We are still in need of ham operators for the parade.  If you know of anyone who may be able to help out, please have them get in touch with me so that I can give them an assignment.

I will send additional emails as time gets closer.

Remember the following dates:

Monday, December 9th – antenna installation at the hotel – contact me if you are able to help (9:30 am to noon or 1:00 pm) – thank you to those who are already helping out that morning

Wednesday, December 11th – mandatory training dinner – pick up of your credentials – details to follow

Saturday, December 14th – Winterfest Boat Parade

Thanks again for all of your support!

Carol

Carol Sjursen, KJ4AWB
Broward County ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator
Broward County RACES Officer
954-803-6338 (Mobile)
888-491-7613 (eFax)

www.BrowardARESRACES.org

https://www.facebook.com/BrowardARESRACES/

If the vests were to be ordered by individuals from ARRL the shipping cost would be around $12.00 each. There are two types of vests. They are available in five sizes MEDIUM, LARGE, X-LARGE, 2X-LARGE and 3X-LARGE

ARES Deployment Vest (Mesh) $16.00 ea. + $1.12 FL sales tax TOTAL $17.12??

Mesh vest with large front and back reflector panels. Imprinted with “AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS” on one side and the ARES logo on the other.

ARES Deployment Vest with Pockets (Solid) $25.00 ea. + $1.75 FL sales tax TOTAL $26.75

Neon vest with front pockets and front and back reflector panels. “AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS” on one side and the ARES logo on the other.

All orders must be paid in advance.

Best regards,

Mike WB4RFC

 MIKES ELECTRONICS
1069 NW 53 STREET
FT LAUDERDALE, FL 33309
P 954-491-7110
F 954-491-7011
800-427-3066
M-T-T-F 9AM-2PM
W-S 9AM-NOON

DMR: Adding New TG and Channel

Adding a talkgroup and a channel to your codeplug using the software for your radio

After opening your codeplug software and reading your radio’s codeplug into the software save the file to your computer as a backup just in case then go to the talkgroup section. Scroll to the bottom and add the new talkgroup to it by clicking on the empty line and then entering the talkgroup number and assign a name to it and set it as a group call.

Adding a channel to your codeplug

Go to the channel section of your codeplug and scroll to the bottom and add the new channel to it by clicking on the blank line and then entering the needed information to cause it to be usable such as the rx frequency, the tx frequency, that it is digital, the color code for the repeater or hotspot, the time slot and the talk group name you want to access. Now go to the zones section and add the channel to the zone or zones you want it in. You have now added all the information necessary to be able to access the new channel from a zone or zones on your radio.

Write the new codeplug to the radio and check it out. If all went well and you can access the new channel and talkgroup you entered save the new codeplug file to your computer as your new codeplug.

Al AF4FA

ARRL’s Southeastern Division election results

A new Director and Vice Director have been elected in the ARRL’s Southeastern Division, based on results from ballot tabulations on Friday, November 15, in the 2019 ARRL Board of Director elections.

Director
Mickey Baker      N4MB         2,132 votes
Greg Sarratt      W4OZK        1,739 votes
Vice Director
James Schilling   KG4JSZ       1,356 votes
Jeff Stahl        K4BH         1,281 votes
Joseph Tiritilli  N4ZUW        1,209 votes

2019 Holiday Party Directions to Greenbriar Clubhouse

The BRARA Holiday Party will be held at the Greenbriar Clubhouse.

The address of the clubhouse is 10525 180th Place S. Boca Raton FL

CLICK FOR MAP DETAILS

Directions If Your Starting Point is North or at Clint Moore Road:
(ie Clint Moore Road, Atlantic Ave (Delray), Boynton Beach Blvd, etc)
– Take US 441 (State Road 7) south.
– Pass the traffic light at Clint Moore Road
– At the next traffic light (one block south of Clint Moore Road), turn right onto Boca Chase Drive into the Boca Chase Sub-Division. There is a waterfall fountain on the northwest corner. The entrance way is has a median with 2 lanes on both sides.
– Continue with Boca Chase Sub-Division Instructions below.

Directions If Your Starting Point is South of Clint Moore Road:
(ie Yamato Road, Glades Road, Palmetto Park Road, etc)
– Take US 441 (State Road 7 north.
– Pass the traffic light at Yamato Road.
– Pass the blinking traffic light for the fire station.
–   At the next traffic light (one block south of Clint Moore Road), turn left onto Boca Chase Drive into the Boca Chase Sub-Division. There is a waterfall fountain on the northwest corner. The entrance way is has a median with 2 lanes on both sides.
– Continue with Boca Chase Sub-Division Instructions below.

Boca Chase Sub-Division Instructions:
– After entering the Boca Chase Sub-Division, continue down Boca Chase Drive.
– At the second right, turn right onto 180th Place S. The is a sign on the corner for Waterberry Homes and Greenbriar.
– The road will curve 90 degrees to the left.
– Continue down 180th Place S. The Greenbriar Clubhouse is located after the 3rd right (after 105th Avenue S.) on the right side. It is the building with a pyramid looking roof.
– Park on the street in front of the clubhouse. Please do not park on the grass or in the driveway of the clubhouse.
– There is additional parking in the tennis court which are located right after 180th Place S. Curved to the left, on the left had side. You will have to walk to the clubhouse (about 3 blocks).

Greenbriar Clubhouse Address: 10525 180th Place S.
Greenbriar Clubhouse Phone: 561-488-1923

BRARA 2019 Holiday Party Potluck Dinner

WHEN
Thursday 12-DEC-2019 Holiday Potluck Party

TIME
Approximately 6pm to 8pm with setup at 5pm

WHERE
Boca Chase Greenbriar Clubhouse
10525 180th Place S. Boca Raton FL     (near Clint Moore and RT441/SR7)

CLICK HERE FOR DETAIL DIRECTIONS

WHAT TO BRING

An appetizer, main dish, drinks, deserts or a cash donation.

Before commiting to an item, please review the 2019 Holiday Party Potluck Signup List.

Attendees who do not bring an item are asked to make a donation to help offset our costs.

Suggested amounts:  $15 per person     $25 per couple     $10 per child under 14

CLICK HERE TO VIEW POTLUCK ITEMS

CLICK HERE TO SIGNUP FOR THE HOLIDAY PARTY

Please let us know no later than  

Monday 9-Dec-2019

HELPING HANDS
We will need helping hands to setup and cleanup.

Our obligation is to ensure the clubhouse is properly cleaned for our security deposit refund.

FOR QUESTIONS:
John.C N1QFH EMAIL: wirehead52@gmail.com TEXT 207-239-0268

Thank you for your kind offerings.

de N4BRF

Adding time servers to windows 10

To check the accuracy of the time on the computer goto www.time.is

If there is more than 0.5 second error then here is a fix.

Adding time servers to windows 10

Type “Control Panel” in Start search and hit Enter to open the Control Panel of your Windows 10 PC.

Type “Date and Time” in the search box and click on the result.

Click on the ‘Internet Time’ tab and hit on the ‘Change Settings’ button.

From the drop-down menu, select, say, time.nist.gov as the Server and hit the ‘Update now’ button.

If you receive any error, try using pool.ntp.org as your time server and then hit the Update Now button.

Make sure you select the checkbox saying, Synchronize with an internet time server.

Now Change time synchronization interval in Windows 10 Registry

A windows 10 computer synchronizes with a time server to update the clock at specific intervals. On stand-alone systems the update interval is 1 day. If you want your computer to synchronize the time more frequently, you can achieve that by changing the value for a registry key.

  1. Open registry editor. (Type regedit in the search box)
  2. Open the following registry path.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient

  1. Right click the key SpecialPollInterval and select modify.
  2. Select Decimal as Base. The default value in the Value data box will be 86400 which is the poll interval in seconds (86400 seconds = 1 day).
  3. Enter a new value in the Value data box. For example if you want to set the poll interval to two hours, enter the value 7200 or 3600 to set the interval to one hour.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Close registry editor and restart your computer.

DMR: Choosing a pi for your pi-star hotspot

Bud Talbot W0RMT

An important question to consider when building a pi-star based hotspot is what version of raspberry pi to use. You have three basic form factors to choose from: the zero, A+, and B+. The pi-zero is the smallest of these three, followed by the A+, and then the B+. The latest versions are the pi-zero W (or WH, which just has the header soldered on), the pi-3 A+, and the pi-3 B+. Other important factors to consider besides size are power consumption (very important for portable setups), boot time, wireless connection strength, and time required to switch configurations.

pi Specs

First let’s look at some published specifications for each of these models. Below is a nice chart from http://socialcompare.com/en/comparison/raspberrypi-models-comparison

From this chart, you can see that both the pi-3 A+ and pi-3 B+ have quad core processors clocked at 1.4 GHz. The difference between these two computers in terms of system resources is the RAM: the pi3 A+ has 512 MB while the pi-3 B+ has 1 GB. Note that the A+ form factor also lacks the RJ45 ethernet port, and only has 1 USB port. Neither of these is really a huge limitation for a hotspot in my opinion. That said, I do like to connect my pi-3 B+ based hotspots directly to the ethernet when available. The pi-zero is much smaller, but also has only a single core processor clocked at 1 GHz with 512 MB or RAM. So we can expect it to be slower in terms of performing operations. But for that tradeoff, you should see significantly less power consumption. Another important difference is in the WiFi: the A+ and B+ support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11 b/g/n/ac protocols, while the pi-zero only supports 802.11n over 2.4 GHz. This is likely to be an important factor as well.

Testing Procedure

In order to look more deeply at power consumption, I set up a test where I compared the three different raspberry pi options (zero, A+, and B+) using the same mmdvm hat (an N5BOC simplex board) and the same instance of pi-star (v 4.0 RC3) installed on a micro SD card (Patriot class 10 16 GB), and using the same power supply.

I then measured voltage (V) and current (I) over time using a small, inline USB meter (the UM25C). One nice thing about the UMC is that it interfaces with a PC over bluetooth so that you can record V and I versus t and view a graph and output data on the PC. This is a screenshot of testing for the pi-zero:

For each of the raspberry pi models tested, I ran three trials where I booted the pi and let it run for 15 minutes. I set the pi-star image up for D-STAR, and used the voice announcement as my “ready indicator for boot time.” I recorded the following parameters:

  • Boot time
  • 15 minute capacity used (in mAh)
  • 15 minute energy used (in mWh)
  • steady state voltage and current
  • pi load averages at 15 minutes (1’, 5’ and 15’ loads- see this linkif you’re not familiar with these metrics. Remember the pi-zero has a single core while the A+ and B+ have 4 cores)
  • Temperature (open case) after 15 minutes. Note that future testing should probably be in closed case which is more typical of operation. But that also introduces many more variables for each form factor (e.g. air space in case, ventilation in each case, etc).
  • Wifi signal strength (in dBm – see this linkif you’re not familiar with this measure). I measured this as signal strength received by my Ubiquiti networks access point, as read through the Unifi interface. For VoIP protocols, we really need at least -67 dBm. A lower value might work in some situations, but we’d like to see this greater than -67.

Results

parameter

pi-zero W

pi-3 A+

pi-3 B+

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Boot time

(s)

73

80

89

60

56

60

60

55

59

15’ Capacity used (mAh)

53

53

53

61

62

61

162

163

164

15’ Energy used (mWh)

273

274

274

315

317

313

824

824

826

Steady state Voltage (V)

5.12

5.12

5.12

5.12

5.12

5.12

5.06

5.07

5.07

Steady State current (A)

0.219

0.216

0.220

0.238

0.240

0.239

0.651

0.648

0.681

Max current (A)

0.35

0.50

0.90

1’ pi load (@15’)

2.46

2.01

2.26

0.22

0.43

0.06

0.12

0.12

0.12

5’ pi load (@15’)

2.43

2.18

2.21

0.20

0.27

0.14

0.15

0.13

0.12

15’ pi load (@ 15’)

1.65

1.52

1.55

0.11

0.15

0.11

0.11

0.11

0.11

Temp- open case (@ 15’) (°C)

44.5

44.4

45.5

37.6

39.7

38.6

43.5

45.2

44.2

Wifi signal strength (dBm)

-60

-61

-60

-51

-50

-50

-49

-48

-49

Conclusion

So what’s the conclusion? First, let’s look at the data to identify some notable differences.

  • Boot time: the pi-zero is about 20 s slower than the pi-3 A+ and B+
  • Power consumption: the pi-zero uses the least power, but the A+ doesn’t use much more. The B+ is a hog by comparison.
  • Maximum current on boot: again, the B+ has the largest, but it is still under 1 A. This surprised me, as I expected maximum current draw to be greater.
  • Operating temperature: the A+ has the clear edge here. It’s not working as hard as the pi-zero (reference the load averages) and it’s larger board may dissipate heat better.
  • Wifi signal strength: the zero really lags in this metric. The A+ and B+ have a 10x stronger wifi signal. This is a big deal.

Bottom line: I think the pi-3 A+ is probably the best in terms of boot time, low energy consumption, operating temperature, and wifi signal strength. And in terms of form factor, it’s not much larger than a pi-zero. I think that once we see some good case options for A+ based hotspots, we’ll notice a proliferation of ham hotspots built on the pi-3 A+. I know I’ll be migrating mine over to the pi-3 A+ from the pi-zero’s. I do think the pi-3 B+ board still has great utility in situations where power consumption is not an issue, like on the desktop in the shack where you are likely plugged into mains power and might want to connect to the network via ethernet.

Thanks for reading.

Bud

Newsletter – Nov 2019

LAST UPDATED: 2-NOV-2019 1443

PLEASE NOTE: Newsletter may be undergoing updates during the publishing period. 

Proposed Minutes
CLICK TO VIEW MINUTES

Subscribe
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Announcements

  • Next meeting is TUESDAY 5-NOV 2019 PBC West Boca Library
  • PayPal available for 2020 dues, donation, and purchased items
  • 2020 Membership Dues will be accepted 1-October 2019
  • Hosted Events: Scout JOTA was weekend of 19+20-OCT
  • Holiday Party on 12-DEC-2019 Boca Chase Clubhouse
  • Monday analog nets move to 146.82- PL110.9
  • Bruce KO4XL Road Tests the Raspberry Pi 4 CLICK HERE TO READ

Calendar


CLICK TO VIEW CALENDAR

CLICK TO VIEW EVENTS

Shack Hosting Events

The following events are planned. Any organization who desires to use BRARA facilities shall contact a board member and provide specific details. CLICK HERE FMI

NO UPCOMING SHACK HOSTED EVENTS SCHEDULED 

HOSTED EVENTS:  JOTA by Ralph W1DAR and Bruce KO4XA

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday 12-DEC-2019 Holiday Potluck Party 
Approximately 6pm to 8pm with setup about 5pm, we are hosting the F2019 Holiday Party at Robert Eng’s W1ENG club house. On behalf of our members, we offer our thanks and appreciation to Robert for offering this facility.

This event is potluck and folks will need to tell us what foods they are bringing.

Please watch for details over the coming days.

This Month’s Speaker

Erik Olmer W4EJO on shelter communications (rescheduled from October)

Ham Shack News

  • Station-1 Amp temporary replacement is inline
  • Station-1 ICOM IC-7600 off line for repair at Station-2
  • Station-1 has gently used and donated IC-7600
  • Station-2 being used to repair IC-7600
  • Station-3 FT-1000 is working normally
  • Station-4 FT-897 is working normally
  • Station-5 FT-1000MP is new and uses offset dipole on VHF tower
  • Station-6 Various VHF/UHF radios are working normally with exception of IC-706

Two new floor chair protectors have been placed at HF stations 1 and 2. Outside debris has been removed to PBC recycle facility thanks to Walt W4WCD. Ralph W1DAR was our Radiator  Grille coordinator and recently cleaned and repaired our Weber Q3000 grill.  The fence gate door has been raised for smoother operation and to meet PBC needs. The shack has been decluttered and reorganized to open up more space. Art WA8VSJ and Bruce KO4XL are addressing the various HF issues such as tuners, amps, switches and radios.

 

Annual Toy Drive:
Request for unwrapped toy donations

In cooperation with the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club a donation box will be located at The Shack.  Please consider bringing an unwrapped toy to the Radiator Grille on the 26-OCT-2019.

Our appreciation to Mike Ross N4ANO who is one of our members as well as Blue Knights. Mike suggested we provide a donation opportunity and for sure, its with welcome hearts and thoughts our members offer up such gifts.

SHACK ITEMS WE NEED
We are in need to replacing the HF tuner for station-1. If a willing member is able to help finance or donate such an item, our club members and The Shack would be so very grateful and it would help protect our HF assets.

Please see Bruce KO4XL, Art WA8VSJ or Ed N2II for details.

Special Projects

The following are project status

  • Satellite TOWER BASE installation POSTPONED until Fall of 2019
  • Satellite ANTENNA and radio installation TBA
  • DMR repeater internet access IN-PROGRESS

CLICK HERE for DMR Repeater and Antenna Installation Status

How to use PayPal for BRARA member business

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

  • 2020 DUES accepted starting October 1 2019
  • First time members join for the remainder of 2019 and 2020
  • Dues amounts have not changed from last year.

CLICK FOR DUES FMI

ARRL CANDIDATE ELECTION DETAILS

  • CLICK HERE  for Jeff Stahl K4BH SE Div Vice-Director Statement

Report (by Ed N4II)

We received QSL cards from last fall 2018. Ed said we got new contacts for confirmed 287. Rolled over 251 CW contacts. Worked tough to reach stations on FT8. WAS added 1 state. Got 19 more QSL from 2019 FD.

Ed N4II

Dx Operating News and Information
CLICK TO READ MORE

The very latest information on DX Operating News, including DXPeditions, DXCC, and QSL information

Contests and Special Events
CLICK TO READ MORE

Looking for upcoming contests and special events from around the world?

Hamcation


Save the date 8-February 2020

We will begin taking reservations to travel to Orlando in a large van.

New Website Capability

No new capabilities

Member Online Auction is LIVE

Please stay tuned for updates

Public Classified Section is LIVE

Please stay tuned for updates

Please note: items are Negotiable 

Training Video 

  • No new Training videos

Training Classes
CLICK FMI

Free Laurel VEC Testing
CLICK TO READ MORE

About Our Members

We honor and remembered our members who have passed

  • Keith McPhail K3SKM
  • Linda Lindeman N4JNL
  • Sidney Gogel W2FUR
  • Bob  Dobski KB8WJF
  • Nob Fox W1VEI
  • Myron Goldstein WA2PWJ CLICK FOR OBIT 

Good and Welfare


If you know of an amateur or their family dealing with health issues or may have lost someone, please let us know. Robert.K K3SUH is our go to person to send a communication in the form of a card to the person or family.

CLICK HERE to email details.

New Membership Form
CLICK FOR MEMBERSHIP APP AS PDF

  • KN4GML Nikko Pabion
  • N1JIW Joseph Wiesenfeld
  • WA2ROA Henry Seidner

Statistics

  • 30 Member renewals for 2020
  • 163 paid members
  • 3 new members
  • 7 pending online applications
  • 6 silent keys
  • 130 regular members
  • 4 associate members
  • 22 family members
  • 1 lifetime

Our Scheduled Nets

COORDINATED NETS BEING REFORMED
We are adjusting the content and format of the Monday night Voice Com net. This means shortening the NCS script and refocus on the net content. For example, we used to have checked in stations provide project updates and address questions. Please join us the next few Mondays as we poll those station offering ideas and feedback.

BRARA Net Update – 145.29 moving to 146.82
The BRARA 145.29 repeater located at the Social Security building in Boca Raton FL near RT95 and Yamato has been experiencing audio issues for a few months.  Given this, the two nets that occurs Monday on that machine will transition on a temporary basis to the GCARA 146.82(-) PL110.9 repeater located near the Boca Regional hospital in Boca Raton FL.

Please note the new BRARA DMR repeater is behaving just fine and can be used by those with DMR radios locally on TG-311027.

NET DETAILS FOLLOW

SUNDAY
8.00pm ET SEFL DMR Tech-Net
GCARA 443.3500+ CC-11 TS-1 TG-3112529 (NO CHANGE)

MONDAY
7.00pm ET Voice  Com Net
GCARA analog 146.82- PL110.9 (TEMPORARILY RELOCATED)

7.30pm ET DMR BrainWaves Not-A-Net
BRARA LOCAL 442.875+ CC-1 TS-2 TG-311037

8.00pm ET SoCounty NBEMS Net
GCARA analog 146.82- PL110.9 (TEMPORARILY RELOCATED)

Other Local Analog Repeater Nets

  • Daily 6.00 pm SEFL Traffic 146.61 MHz
  • Tue 7.30pm CERT Plan-B 145.29- PL110.9
  • Fri  7:30 pm SATERN Net WARC 147.285 + PL-103.5 CANCELLED

Club Repeaters

  • 144.390 APRS Repeater (NOW ACTIVE)
  • 145.070 Packet Repeater (OFF LINE)
  • GPS Location: 26.39724 –80.09485

From this past Sunday net a few very informed DMR technical experts suggested anyone using a mobile DMR hotspot such as a Pi-Star to use the Texas server 3102. The reason is this server is much more stable and not experimental like some others.

Please read Bernie’s BLOG post on further details that applies to us all.

WHAT IS TGIF TALKGROUP

On Fridays at 8.30ET on TG-31665 is the TGIF Net. In order to participate, you have to change you pi-start DMR Master from 3102 to TGIF_Network om the drop down list and update your pi-star settings. Once the pi-star has recycled and is operating normally, connect to you hotspot on TG-31665 and enjoy the net. When you are done, change the DMR Master back to 3102. Have fun.

TGIF CONNECTION UPDATE

I reached out to one of my friends at BM to find out about TGIF. TGIF is not part of BM and is not on their network. They are apparently using a software made by Ty Weaver to host their system and a product called HB Link. The HBLINK is what allows your hotspot to connect to it and basically emulates a Brandmeister server type connection. This being the case the only way to reach their TG is connecting to their server or linking through someone else who has a connection.

Regards,
Bernie NY4Z

GCARA DMR REPEATER AND HOTSPOT PACKET DROPOUT
GCARA have adjusted their DMR repeater to use DMR server 3102. This should help reduce te DMR packet dropout. Our many thanks to GCARA and the group of folks who implemented this change.

Local DMR Repeaters
CLICK FOR REPEATER LIST

Scheduled DMR Nets
CLICK FOR DMR NETS

  • Sun 8.00 pm TG-3112529 SeFL FL Tech Net
  • Mon 7.30 pm TG-311037 BrainWaves NotANet (LOCAL ONLY)
  • Wed 9.00 pm TG-3  NA Tech Net
  • Thu 8.20pm TG-31777 NotQuiteRight Net
  • Sat 12.00 noon TG-1 WW
  • Sat  8.00 pm TG-310035 GCARC KnowItAll Net

South East Florida (SEFL) DMR Tech Net: With the new DMR Brandmeister Repeater installed and awaiting internet access, that repeater DMR ID is TG-311037. At a future date, we will be transitioning from TG-3112529 to TG-311037. A whole lot of communication and monitoring will occur well before this happens.

South East Florida (SEFL) DMR Tech Net: Sundays  at 8pm on TG-3112529 which is the DMR ID for N4BRF our club callsign. You may also access the Gold Coast ARC DMR 70cm Repeater on 443.3500 CC-11 to join the fun. A new code plug has been provide to enable members to access the GCARC TG-3112529. See our HOME page for the codeplugs. 

BRARA DMR BrainWaves NotANet: On Mondays at 7.30pm on TG-311037 to local user only until IP is available and after which it shall continue but open to all DMR amateurs. The purpose is to use the repeater plus test radios, codeplugs, audio and have fun. There is no NCS so just find an opening and announce yourself.

BRARA Open House

We meet every Wednesday and Saturday morning between 09:30 and 13:00 for our Open House, and for any work that needs to be done at the Shack. Anyone interested in exploring Amateur Radio is encouraged to stop in for a visit.

Newsletter Guidelines

Thanks for all who submitted articles and I hope you continue to do so. We’re also looking for new writers as well. Here are some guidelines for article submissions.

  • Text should be in MS Word or equivalent, saved as a .DOC file
  • Write your best stuff, but don’t sweat the grammar. That’s why there’s an editor.
  • Please submit pictures/illustrations as separate files, don’t embed them in the text.
  • Be sure to submit clear, in-focus photos

Club Ham Shack

West Delray Regional Park
10875 West Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33446

Board of Directors Scheduled Meetings

We hold scheduled monthly Board meetings at 12:00 Noon at the Shack on the Sunday preceding the next General Meeting.

Donations and Contributions

 

 

 

Contributions to BRARA— a 501(c)(3) organization—are tax deductible as charitable donations. As you complete your membership renewal or begin your year-end tax planning, please consider making a donation to BRARA.

Please donate to BRARA via Amazon Smiles:
Search for:  Boca Raton Amateur Radio Association

CLICK HERE TO SMILE AT BRARA

Planned Giving: Please also consider BRARA when updating or initiating planned giving (including charitable gift annuities, bequests and gifts or retirement plan assets) and other assets.

Apparel Donations

  • $10 donation–BRARA Name Plate with your Call Sign

For More Information

Website:    www.brara.org  Twitter: BRARA@N4BRF  Instagram: #BRARA_N4BRF

Facebook:    CLICK VIEW FACEBOOK

Please be advised that the above are the official BRARA social media sites. No other social media sites are recognized by BRARA.

Newsletter Contributions

Got an idea for an article? Or constructive critique? Want to share club news and events? How about writing a short 30-minute project idea? Your submissions to the Radio Flyer are needed to help keep this one of the best club newsletters in South Florida.

Please send articles to   BRARA@BRARA.org

Ham Shack Access Rules

To obtain a key to the BRARA Ham Shack you must be a member in good standing for a minimum of one continuous year, hold a valid FCC Amateur Radio License, and complete a short training session with one of the Club officers.

Address

the Radio Flyer
P.O. Box 480162
Delray Beach, FL 33448-0162

Copyright and Protection

Copyright © 2019 Boca Raton Amateur Radio Association (BRARA).

Reproduction of material from any BRARA web page without written permission is prohibited.

Regards and 73 from The Shack
de N4BRF

BRARA Nets

BRARA / N4BRF
www.BRARA.org
DMR TG-3112529
LOCAL TG-311037
EchoLink 826953

SUNDAY
8.00pm ET SEFL DMR Tech-Net

  • GCARA 443.3500+ CC-11 TS-1 TG-3112529
  • Brandmeister TG-3112529
  • Supports all DMR Technical issues
  • CLICK HERE for SEFL DMR Tech Net Script
  • CLICK HERE for Codeplug List
  • CLICK HERE for DMR Support

MONDAY
7.00pm ET Voice  Com Net

  • BRARA analog 145.29- PL110.9 
  • Supports New Hams and local announcements and info
  • CLICK HERE for the VoiceComm Net Script

7.30pm ET DMR BrainWaves Not-A-Net

  • BRARA LOCAL 442.875+ CC-1 TS-2 TG-311037
  • Test codeplugs, radios, audio, have fun
  • This is for local users until IP is available

8.00pm ET SoCounty NBEMS Net

  • BRARA analog 145.29- PL 110.9
  • Practice digital communication
  • CLICK HERE for the So County NBEMS Net Script

Other Tools and Nets

Regards and 73
de N4BRF from the Shack