External display output on the IC-7610 makes instruction easy.

How time does fly. It seems like just last week I made a post about my Field Day adventures in and around the Atlanta area. I explored the concept of Field Day as Amateur Radio’s open house and spending time with several different groups to learn what makes Field Day special for them. In truth, of course, it’s been a full 12 months and yet another Field Day is in the log. This year, I took Field Day on the road and spent the weekend with a marvelous group of young men and women up in the Boston, Massachusetts area.

I landed in Boston on Friday morning and made fast tracks towards my destination: New England Sci-Tech. This is a STEM education and Maker Space located just outside of town in a suburb called Natick. I had learned about Sci-Tech and their youth Amateur Radio club, Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society or STARS, from a friend earlier in the year. I reached out to the facility and they were kind enough to agree to let me join them for the event.

As I walked through their front door, I was greeted by a host of friendly faces, chief among which was Bob Phinney, K5TEC, the president of New-England Sci-Tech. Bob proceeded to give me the full tour of his facility and, while we were walking around, he made a great point that would become the primary theme for the weekend. You see, Bob believes, correctly in my opinion, that Amateur Radio is the ultimate STEM activity.

STEM, for those unfamiliar with the term, stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Those four topics are fundamental building blocks for research, development, and innovation. Instilling a passion for them in our youth is an absolute necessity if we want to continue pushing the bounds of human knowledge and understanding. How, though, do we make these topics appealing in a world with so many other distractions vying for time and attention. The answer, or at least one answer, is through Amateur Radio.

Think about it. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. What activity can dovetail perfectly into any of these four avenues? Amateur Radio.

Science: Our hobby is chock full of scientific interest, from atmospheric sciences informing us about propagation, band conditions, and even to physics informing us about how our newly built antenna might resonate.

Technology: I could go on for hours about the new advancements that SDR technology is bringing to the Amateur Radio table with products like the IC-7300, IC-7610, and the new IC-9700, but that’s a different blog post maybe in the future.

Engineering: Designing and building antennas, or modeling your antenna array for best performance during the big contest. Even laying out your shack for ease of use and accessibility is an engineering exercise.

Mathematics: Math is the core of all of the above and is certainly the most commonly applied of the bunch in our hobby. Good luck figuring out how long that dipole should be without a little math sprinkled in!

The members of STARS take all of these topics to heart and apply them to their passion for Amateur Radio. Most of the STARS team that I met over the weekend are involved in other activities at New England Sci-Tech, a couple have even graduated school and recently gone off to careers in the RF communications industry. The Sci-Tech facility offers spaces for pursuing interests in astronomy, woodworking, 3D printing, and aerospace projects among others. Right in the middle of it all though is the radio room- the place where it all comes together.

For Field Day, however, the radios came out of the radio room and spent the weekend with us outside. We operated as a 3A. We had dedicated stations on 20, 40 and 80 meters, two IC-7610s and one IC-7300, as well as an IC-9100 for a VHF/UHF station. Finally, we had another IC-7610 serving as the GOTA station.

The setup was fantastic, we made use of retrofitted TV broadcast van with a pneumatic mast to get our 6 and 20 meter antennas in the air and then spent some time getting extendable masts raised and shooting lines up into trees for stringing up 40 and 80 meter OCF dipoles. We had a lot of antennas up in the air but thanks to a good layout and some bandpass filters we had minimal. Saturday afternoon rolled around and the contacts started rolling in.

Our 20 meter operating station. Complete with an extendable pneumatic mast.

While having a good time on the air was one of our primary goals for the weekend, education and outreach were always at the forefront of our mind. We held public visitation hours on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons with the intent of bringing in as many people as possible to experience the hobby. This was a great success and the GOTA tent was almost always filled with people anxious for their turn at the mike. It seems like every time I walked past that tent there were exclamations of “I talked to California!” or “Wow, all the way in North Dakota?” coming from excited kids and new hams.

There were presentations throughout the day as well, both from myself and others, talking about the technologies of Amateur Radio and about Amateur Radio in general. We had, as out auxiliary power source, a bicycle which could be lifted up so that the back wheel spun a motor to charge a battery. Good cardio to work off our lunches and a great learning experience for visitors. All in all, while we had a great time on the air, we had an even better one sharing the joy and passion of our hobby.

I managed to grab some on-air time on Saturday night!

If you live in the Boston area or even if you’re just up for a visit, I would encourage you to stop by New England Sci-Tech to check out all of the great things they’re doing. Wherever you are, though, you can do your part to help promote our wonderful hobby. Work with your local schools if they’re receptive, work with your local scout troops. Do anything that you can to help the world see what we already know, that Amateur Radio is the ultimate STEM activity!

– Will

Many of the advances over the last 35 years for amateur repeaters have come from the land mobile or commercial radio world. For instance, the use of tone and tone squelch to allow repeater frequencies to be reused across a geographical area that previously was not possible. This was a great advancement and allowed more people to have their “own” repeater. However, I feel that the latest phase in digital has brought in a dangerous trend that few understand, and as a result, there are several fundamental freedoms that ham radio operators are unknowingly giving up!

What is Ham Radio Freedom?

Part 97 gives U.S. ham radio operators a lot of freedom. We can pretty much talk to whomever we want, on whatever band our license allows, to wherever in the world propagation allows. Our most basic license freedom, the technician license, allows operation on any band six meters and above, with a few HF CW privileges.

Through the years, the way we have communicated with friends has advanced. First we communicated within a few miles via simplex. Then it progressed to repeaters for a wider coverage area. Next RF bridges allowed us to communicate hundreds of miles. Then the internet opened up the world! Using IP links, we could communicate around the globe. The RF became digital, allowing for clearer signals, with a standard audio level, to traverse the globe by directing the signal destination based on how you programmed your radio. Following this, we expanded even further with the ability for our voice communications to find someone based on their callsign. Again, with the most basic amateur radio license you have a sense of being part of a global community.

As history repeats itself, so does the progression of amateur radio communications as land mobile technology crosses over. Since it is used in the commercial world, and we are just a bunch of hams, this must mean the land mobile technologies are better. Or are they? While ham radio is a hobby, and we are a group of experimenters, it is natural to try something new. But do not take somebody’s word for it. Investigate what is happening and ask yourself, what am I giving up?

What is in Your Code Plug?

In hamspeak, years ago, we shared a repeater list that everyone would painstakingly program into their radio. With the advent of computers we would email those lists to each other. In more modern radios we email the memory channel program file that we open in our software, make our tweaks, and upload into our radios.

The non-ham friendly repeaters use radio IDs rather than callsigns for radio identification. Additionally, there are features in the code plugs that enable land mobile type functions like Talk Groups, Stun, Kill, Monitor and other functions that make sense for commercial radio use.

Some of the land mobile functions, that are vital in the commercial or public safety world, are used to disable a radio of someone who was either being belligerent on the repeater or issuing false reports. Looking through the eyes of a repeater owner, I could see how these functions could be a helpful and perhaps even a necessary tool. But in the spirit of amateur radio, Part 97 outlines how to handle these situations. While they are not as immediate as we like, they are a lot more amicable. Additionally features like Monitor, which are helpful in a work environment where you have a lone worker situation, really does not have a place in Amateur Radio. I know I would not want a System Operator opening the microphone on my radio without my knowledge.

Why Are These Functions Necessary?

I’ve covered several terms that are vital for a land mobile environment. You should ask yourself, do these functions belong in amateur radio? With a wonderful hobby, that many call the original social media, don’t you wonder if these features are being used to exclude you? Or do you wonder if you are still part of a ham friendly technology?

Who Controls the Keys to the Kingdom?

After a digital repeater seminar at a recent hamfest, it was surprising to hear how one local repeater owner, with almost 70 repeaters, had become the traffic cop of his repeater system. He was instructing users on the importance of his repeater system, and how users should be more respectful of his efforts to provide a repeater network in the case of an emergency. As various members and I discussed some of the nuances of the system owner, one of the users talked about how dead the repeater system had become, the question of user exclusion became the topic of discussion.

I asked did he know how many talk groups were programmed into the system? I pointed out that talk groups in the commercial radio world were wonderful for separating various departments on a conventional, one channel repeater. But as we talked, it seemed this land mobile feature set was actually being used to segregate a ham community into various social cliques. As I have traveled and asked some of these questions, more and more hams are commenting on how controlling many of these digital systems are becoming, and many hams do not notice they are not in the “cool kids” clique. Is that in the spirit of Ham Radio?

How Does this Impact Amateur Radio?

As Amateur Radio is a hobby, and spectrum is valuable to commercial entities, using commercial technologies that control, limit, and segregate users into social cliques, what message are we sending to those who want our spectrum?

That’s just one more factor among many that you should be considering as you implement land mobile radio protocols in your amateur radio communication. Do not forget to always ask yourself; is it ham friendly?

Ray Novak, N9JA
Senior Sales Manager
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast

The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) started the event in 1952 with 600 in attendance, and moved to HARA Arena in 1964, where attendance climbed to near 30 thousand.

Now they have moved to the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. What a fantastic venue and what a great job by DARA in getting this huge event up and running.

Hams to Japan – #H2JA

We’re really excited to hold the Hams to Japan Sweepstakes and wanted to incorporate it into the mix at the Hamvention® booth this year.  A kiosk was placed at the from of our booth, allowing visitors to sign up while at Hamvention®. We have had great participation so far and only expect more until our final drawing. The grand prize drawing, a trip for two to  2017 Tokyo Hamfair or an IC-7300, will announce the second week of July.

Excitement is building and we look forward to sending a ham on a dream vacation to the largest amateur radio event in the world. Enter each Tuesday for a chance to win an Icom radio or the grand prize! Follow our Facebook or Twitter feed for more information.

New Booth

One benefit of coming back to the same place year after year is you know what to expect. Plus, your staff and procedures run like clockwork as you’ve done it so many times before. Not so this year.

It was a new venue, which called for a new booth! We were able to redesign our booth and in the process allow for greater access to the equipment displays, more room for conversations between hams and our staff members. Hats off to our team that made it all work.

New Rigs

“New” was definitely the theme this year, so of course we had to showcase some new rigs. The big attraction was the IC-7610. It has not yet been approved by the FCC, but we expect it to be available this Fall. It’s the next step in the evolution of our direct sampling transceivers, following the success of the IC-7300. You can see the preliminary information on our website and Adam Farson, VA7OJ, has a quick review on his website.

We also brought our new entry level D-STAR mobile ID-4100, and all our other great rigs so attendees could see first hand the quality of our equipment and operate them.

Contest University

We have been a long-time sponsor of Tim Duffy’s Contest University. If you have not yet attended, I highly recommend it. It’s extremely well organized and the information that is shared can really boost your contest scores.

We also provide live streaming video of several of the sessions. You can find the full list on YouTube at Contest University 2017. One of my favorites was the presentation given by Rob Sherwood, NC0B, titled Disruptive Technologies, How They Change Our Hobby.

In this presentation he compares traditional superheterodyne receivers with direct sampling receivers. He particularly notes that this is one of the disruptive technologies that he is seeing today and notes that the IC-7300 has initiated a “tectonic shift” in the technology used in amateur radio. You heard it on this blog first, in my post titled “IC-7300 — A Game Changer.”

Youth Forum

One thing that did not change this year was the Youth Forum. In fact, Carole Perry, WB2MGP, celebrated 30 years of hosting the event. Congratulations Carole!

The 2017 Hamvention® Youth Forum lineup was, as always, fantastic. Here’s the list of presentations:

• Lucas Schroeder, W6LDS (15) “The SharkRF openSPOT”
• Carissa Ferguson, KJ4EZA(17) “Robotics and Ham Radio”
• Dakota Krzysik, KE8CVK(17) “Activations: Islands, Lighthouses, and Ships”
• Grace Lea, KM4TXT(9) “Solar Power Mania”
• Jerome Dinakar, KE0BBQ(16) “Tribute to Ellie Van Winkle”
• Evan Markowitz, KD2IZW(18) “Balloon Based Repeater for Emergency Applications”
• Ruth Willet, KM4LAO(18) “Plugging into Your Valuable Club Resources”
• Chris Brault, KD8YVJ(14) “Getting Started with SDR”
• Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX(13) “Community Services with Ham Radio Communications”

Ham Nation 300th Episode

Bob Heil’s Ham Nation produced their 300th episode “On Location From Hamvention®.” We are a proud sponsor and it was fabulous to be on the show.

Highlights — Too Many to Cover

There were a ton of highlights during the Hamvention®,  too may to cover in a brief blog post. In summary, the overall event went fantastic. It was indeed time for change and it went extremely well. Congratulations to DARA and all the Hamvention® volunteers that made it happen.

We will be back! I guess some things don’t change…

73,

Ray Novak, N9JA
Senior Sales Manager
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast

View the Recording

I’ll provide a quick summary here. But, you can find the recording at the bottom of this blog. It’s divided into four segments to cover the full four hours.

Who Was There?

The three presenters were John Davis, WB4QDX, from Georgia D-Star; Ed Woodrick, WA4YIH, who runs DSTARInfo.com; and Robin Cutshaw, AA4RC, from Internet Labs. They did the heavy lifting of providing superb insight into every aspect of D-STAR.

I was behind the scenes operating the audio and video for the live stream., so you won’t see me on the video feed but you may hear me chime in from time to time providing further insight into D-STAR development and other aspects.

What Did They Cover?

Here’s the list of key topics covered during the session:

• D-STAR 101
• Setting Up, Programming, and Updating D-STAR Radios
• New Features of the ID-51 Plus 2
• Kenwood TH-D74A D-STAR Radio
• D-STAR Devices
• Icom G3 Gateway Software
• Question and Answer Session

They start with the basics of D-STAR and work their way into ever more increasing detail. With this approach, beginners can start at the beginning, while more experienced ops can move directly into the more detailed sessions.

The entire workshop was fantastic. I particularly liked Robin’s review of the D-STAR Gateway software development from G1 up to the latest G3 software that is currently being installed on repeaters.

How Can I Get Started on D-STAR?

Icom currently has five rigs that work D-STAR. That includes our ID-51A Plus, ID-51A Plus2, ID-5100A, and the IC-7100. Plus, you can add D-STAR to the IC-9100. But don’t overlook used equipment. There are a number of excellent D-STAR rigs out there. Also look into the D-STAR devices such as the DV Dongle. This is a very cost-effective way to get into D-STAR.

What About a Repeater for My Club?

We’ve just announced our Buy-Direct D-STAR Infrastructure Program. You can buy your repeater direct from Icom America or Icom Canada at a discount. And, if you purchase a full DV stack, you receive the ID-RP2D at no cost. It’s a great way to get your club started on D-STAR.

D-STAR Live Recordings:

(Videos will take a few moments to load due to size. Please be patient.)

Ray Novak, N9JA
Senior Sales Manager
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast

Icom Booth

The Icom America booth personnel

Each year we plan and focus on putting together a really fun experience for everyone who attends Hamvention®. It’s a massive effort and thanks to everyone on our staff and many, many others that helped out.

As part of our #IcomEverywhere campaign, we also showed off our extensive range of land mobile equipment as well as a sprinkling of marine and avionics products to engage with a broad range of radio enthusiasts at the show.

Ham Nation: Live From Dayton

The big part of my Hamvention started on Wednesday evening from the live telecast of Ham Nation. The entire Icom crew was in the live audience and Will Jourdain, AA4WJ, and I were in front of the camera talking with Bob Heil. You can see the full episode at Ham Nation 248 – Live from Dayton, It’s Wednesday Night!

Contest University

Thursday’s CTU forum is always a highlight of the Dayton experience that provides a deep-dive with knowledgeable instructors and professionals. Tim Duffy, K3LR, and his crew put on one of the best organized activities in Dayton and you’re sure to walk away learning something new. We were delighted to provide a live streaming video of many of the presentations.

Dealer Dinner

Thursday evening was a big gathering of all our dealers for dinner and some fun. The theme this year, which you can see from the photo, was Star Wars. I guess you might say that #IcomEverywhere extended to a galaxy far, far away.

Max Our Mascot in Action

Friday morning saw Max, of Zack and Max comic book adventures, in the booth shooting selfies with anyone who came by. He was also collecting signatures, which you can see in the nearby photo.

IC-7300 — Game Changer

We imagined the IC-7300 would be a real hit at the show and it didn’t disappoint. We had four in action in our booth and they were packed with excited fans the entire time. It’s wonderful to see the enthusiasm surrounding this great new rig. Check with your local dealer to see what it can do and hopefully test one out if you didn’t get a chance at the show.

Youth Forum

Always a highlight for me is the Youth Forum and watching Carole Perry, WB2MGP, in her work with youth. It was a particular pleasure to see Carole awarded the YASME Excellence Award at the start of the forum. Congratulations, Carole.

Here’s the full line up of youth at the forum: Maria Lysandrou, KD9BUS; Kelsey Seymour, K3LSY; Brandon Geik WA9REV; Eli Musgrave KM4HFZ; Zach Haidari, KM4QIV; Hope Lea, KM4IPF; Skyler Fennell, KD0WHB; Jacob Nagal, AD0JA; Marty Sullaway, KC1CWF; William Ferguson, KJ4EYZ; and Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX.

They all did a superb job with their presentations and you can see the prizes that they walked away with as well, including a ID-51A PLUS.

AmateurLogic.TV

George and Tommy were shooting their show in the Icom Booth. You can find the first episode here.

They interviewed all sorts of people from every aspect of amateur radio. It’s a show you won’t want to miss. Watch for Part 2.

Icom Prize Winners

We’d like to congratulate a few folks at some of the events during the show. Dave Anderson, K4SV, was the proud recipient of a new IC-7300 at the DX Dinner event. Bruce Blain, K1BG, ended up winning a brand new IC-7600 to ride the airwaves on. Congratulations to all the winners at the Dayton Hamvention® show and we certainly can’t wait until next year to award more lucky participants.

#IcomEverywhere

This year’s Dayton Hamvention® was such a blast. I really enjoyed spending time with so many of my friends and customers. Follow us on our social media channels and use #IcomEverywhere. We would love to hear your stories and experiences!

Start making your plans now and join us next year!

Ray Novak, N9JA
Senior Sales Manager
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast

Well, this year we’re actually setting up the three rings: our main booth, the D-STAR booth, and new for 2016 our Land Mobile booth, where I’ll be spending some time.

We’re even bringing our own circus animal in Max, the Icom America mascot, star of the Zack and Max comic book adventures.

#IcomEverywhere — IC-7300 Front and Center

The IC-7300 has been a real hit since its introduction earlier this year. I wrote about this game changer and, without too much tongue-in-cheek, compared it to what King Midas might have wished for if he were a ham.

We’ll have three IC-7300s in the main booth including demonstrations of it in operation with our RS-BA1 Remote Control Software that allows the 7300’s bandscope and waterfall to be shown on your computer display, either in your shack or via remote control.

Check out this great video for a glimpse of the 7300 and the RS-BA1 software video in action but make sure you come by our booth to see it in person.

#IcomEverywhere — Max from Icom

As I noted earlier, Max, the Icom America Mascot, made famous in the Zack and Max comic books, will be in the main Icom booth for selfies. You can post your selfie with Max and the #IcomEverywhere hashtag to participate in our social media experiment.

There will also be Max impersonators all around Dayton, including one at the Crowne Plaza following all the excitement of Contest University as well as the many Contest events including the Contest Dinner.

Log your callsign, take a selfie and enjoy. There will also be a mobile Max following the Icom Video Crew on their various video assignments. Again, log your call and post your #IcomEverywhere to social media.

#IcomEverywhere — AmateurLogic.TV

It’s not just Max at our booth but also George and Tommy from AmateurLogic.TV. I’m sure they will have something to say about the menagerie we’ve collected. They will also be interviewing various ham celebrities attending the Hamvention®.

You never know, but Tommy just might sing the ALTV theme song! Obviously, this is a must see. They’ll be shooting in front of a live audience on both Friday and Saturday afternoons.

#IcomEverywhere — Sponsor Support

Icom America supports, through sponsorship, quite a few events and activities throughout the year. At the Hamvention® we’re active sponsors of Contest University, DX Dinner, Contest Dinner, D-Star InfoCon, Antenna Forum, Youth Forum, and AmateurLogic.TV. We hope you will be able to attend some of the events and enjoy the camaraderie with your fellow hams.

#IcomEverywhere — Scouting Support

Plus, we support Scouting throughout the year, recently renewing our sponsorship through 2018. We’re excited to announce that our station loan program kits we’ve established for Scout Councils will be replaced with brand new IC-7300 transceivers over the next year.

We’re delighted to provide this fantastic transceiver that will prove fascinating to Scouts with its touchscreen and bandpass display – matching closely with the smart phones in their pockets. Stay tuned as I’ll be writing more about this in an upcoming post. Make sure you also stop by the Ham Radio and Scouting in Action booth at the ARRL Expo for all the latest happenings in Radio Scouting.

#IcomEverywhere — Prizes

A big highlight for everyone at the Hamvention® is the prize drawings. Icom America has always been a supporter and this year we’re providing: IC-7300, IC-7100, IC-718, IC-2300H, IC-2730A, IC-T70A, ID-51A Plus, ID-51A PLUS colors (PDF), and ID-880H. Maybe you’re going to be one of the very lucky winners!

We’re also supporting these events with even more prizes:

• D-STAR Class, Friday, 8 AM, Drury Inn Dayton North, ID-51A Plus
• D-STAR Event, Friday, 6:30 PM, Drury Inn Dayton North, ID-51A Plus
• DX Dinner*, Friday, 7 PM, Dayton Marriott, IC-7300
• Youth Forum, Saturday, 9:15 AM, Room 2, ID-51 A Plus for all presenters and IC-7100 for raffle
• Contest Dinner*, Saturday, 6:30 PM Crowne Plaza, IC-7600
• Kansas City Pile-Up, 8:00 PM Crowne Plaza, IC-7300

Note that for some events you’ll need a ticket* or be a participant to qualify for prizes.

#IcomEverywhere — Youth Forum

As you know, I’m a big supporter of youth programs that leverage the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) of amateur radio. That’s why we love working with Carole Perry, WB2MGP, in her work with youth, including the Hamvention® Youth Forum. Just look at the line up this year and their presentations:

• Maria Lysandrou, KD9BUS, age 17, “Attracting Females into Our Hobby”
• Kelsey Seymour, K3LSY, age 17, “Preparing Yourself: An in-depth look at Go-Kits for Emergencies”
• Brandon Geik WA9REV, age 16, “ARISS Contact and Cell Phones Down and Radios Up”
• Eli Musgrave KM4HFZ, age 15, and Zach Haidari, KM4QIV, age 14, “Discover the Fun and Magic of Digital Radio Communications”
• Hope Lea, KM4IPF, age 9, “Talking through the Birds”
• Skyler Fennell, KD0WHB, age 17, “Home Brewing on a Budget”
• Jacob Nagal, AD0JA, age 16, “Programming New Radios”
• Marty Sullaway, KC1CWF, age 13, “Home Brewing Fun”
• William Ferguson, KJ4EYZ, age 14, “Setting Up a Radio Station to Chase DX”
• Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, age 12, “His Inspirations and Accomplishments in Ham Radio”

Add the Youth Forum to your agenda to be inspired about the future of our great hobby.

#IcomEverywhere — Live Streaming

Dayton isn’t just about those who are attending in person. We like to do all we can to share the activities with those at home. Our live video streaming coverage has been successfully covering the Dayton Hamvention® since 2013. This year we’ll be covering Contest University and D-STAR InfoCon. Plus, Ham Nation will be on the air Wednesday, May 18, from the Crowne Plaza in Dayton.

AmateurLogic.TV will also be recording live from our booth, so we hope you will tune in once the event is posted!

I encourage you to tune in if you can’t make it to Dayton. No need to miss out on the IC-7300 demos either. Try the IC-7300 in AmateurLogic.TV’s in-depth review video.

#IcomEverywhere — Dayton Show specials*

For those who purchase* an IC-7300 at the Dayton Hamvention, stop by the Icom Main booth for your Icom IC-7300 baseball cap and commemorative IC-7300 QSL cards!**

For those who purchase* an IC-7600 and IC-7700 at the Dayton Hamvention, stop by the Icom Main booth for your choice of an Icom Ham Crew or Icom Contest Crew T-Shirt.**

For those who purchase* an IC-7851 at the Dayton Hamvention, stop by the Icom Main booth for your choice of an Icom Ham Crew or ICOM Contest Crew T-Shirt as well as your IC-7851 Welcome Mat**.

*(Purchased at the Dayton Hamvention, between the dates of May 20^th – 22^nd. Internet or in-store purchases do not qualify)

**While supplies last and you must come by the Icom booth with your proof of purchase and complete our customer survey.

#IcomEverywhere — We Are Everywhere!

As you can see, there’s a great deal going on at the Dayton Hamvention® this year. Stop by our booths, watch for Max, generate a few selfies, and have fun. Or, watch the live streaming to bring a bit of the fun and excitement home.

Then let us know how well our #IcomEverywhere campaign worked!

73,

Ray Novak, N9JA
Senior Sales Manager
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast

POWER OF COMMUNICATION OPTIONS

ID-5100A

Those services are typically tied to a single approach for communication, however, amateur radio isn’t limited. Sure, on VHF/UHF a repeater might go down but that just means we need to go simplex. Or, amateur operators can readily set up a portable repeater system to get things going once more.

Plus, operators have numerous frequency options. VHF and UHF not working? Go to HF and use a net control station that’s at a suitable distance to make things work. Plus, HF has the advantage of bringing in communication resources across the country and if need be, around the world.

POWER OF VOLUNTEERS

I also love that amateur radio not only tackles the nearly infinite variety of technology available within the hobby, but it also harnesses the fantastic power of volunteers.

Just as with the limited technical resources available within the cell phone network or the local community’s public communication system, these systems are also limited by their trained and available employees. Not so with amateur radio. We have a tremendous number of trained and available individuals with a high degree of expertise and commitment to help out in times of emergency.

HAM RADIO TRAINING

The training required to qualify for an amateur radio license is a big help in emergencies. ARRL offers several online emergency communication courses and many local ham radio clubs have it as their primary purpose preparing for and reacting to local emergency situations, particularly weather related disasters. Plus, SKYWARN, Red Cross, and FEMA training options are also available. All this training is very important to preparing amateur radio operators to help with emergency communication.

HAM RADIO EXPERIENCE

OK, so we’ve got some radios and training but what do we do with it all? I’ve found that most of the clubs that focus on emergency communication get the team out to support local events such as marathons, bicycle rides, or parades. There’s also ARRL Field Day which tests operators’ abilities to set up a station, get on the air, make contacts, and exchange messages.

Then, there is the routine maintenance and activation of the club station, including getting out all the gear and making sure it still works. There are lots of ways to prepare for that emergency that may prove to be just around the corner.

DEEPER DIVE – FCC RULES & REGULATIONS

But let’s dive deeper into emergency communication and look closely at FCC Part 97 Rules and Regulations. This document, which most Hams hold dear to their heart, outlines the role for Emergency Communications, aka EmComm, for Amateur Radio.

97.1(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.

What does this really mean?

Some feel this is all that is needed when a manmade or natural disaster occurs and jump directly to 97.1(d)

97.1(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.

Yes, Amateur Radio enthusiasts who are involved with emergency communications build their skills in knowing the rules and regulations, build up their code speed, become experts on radio networking, IP networking, and all things electronic.

TECHNICAL SKILLS VS. HUMAN SKILLS

Too often, it is this level of expertise where the most important part of all the networks get lost — the human networking. While we are communicators, too often we get caught up in our expertise, and we don’t communicate. Instead, we command, and as a result forget the most important sections of part 97.1.

97.1(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.

Yes, even in an emergency, there is radio art.  It is not the antennas we create from wire, or the go kit we have built. It is the finesse of taking a voice, message, or spreadsheet and with the magic of RF, we get the message through all the mess.  While we enjoy the theory and skills to get the message from point “A” to point “B”, those we serve in these situations just want to make it happen.

97.1(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.

Yes, even in an emergency, the rules exist. Too often, the phase “In an emergency” is thrown into a conversation  when the “what if” discussion occurs. In a crisis, the most important thing to do is maintain calm amid all the chaos.

FIRST RESPONDERS – HAMS CAN PROVIDE NEEDED ASSISTANCE

While you may be the first to arrive on the scene of an accident, using your knowledge and skills do not authorize you to jump over to the local public safety frequency and try to coordinate the first responders’ efforts.  While some may find it hard to believe, there are first responders who dread hearing the words, “I’m a Ham Radio Operator, I am here to help!”

97.1(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur’s unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

Here is where we can help the most! Remember, Amateur Radio is about goodwill. Spread the goodwill by kindness and understanding.

Understand what your real role will be in an emergency. While there are many public safety officials who are licensed and active amateur radio operators, they are the trained professionals.

While there are levels of Amateur Radio training for EmComm, remember, the radio communications “SUPPORT” their real role.  If you want to help, get the proper training for the Radio side of the support but also partake in the other training aspects of the role you play.

AMATEUR RADIO IN ACTION

If you need further insight into how amateur radio can help with emergency communication, I like Gary Pearce’s (KN4AQ) video on how amateur radio helped during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It opens with a television news broadcast and then shows the actual communication underway via HF from a distance.

This video shows that you can get involved supporting emergency communication from wherever you happen to be. But, it’s also more likely that you’ll be better positioned to help in your own community and neighborhood. So, if you’re not already involved in an active club supporting emergency communication, I suggest that you find one and get involved.

You can make a difference with your amateur radio skills and experience. But don’t forget the softer side of that skill. Working with others to truly serve those first responders.

ICOM’S EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

What I like about working at Icom America is that we have so much expertise available from the land mobile, avionics, and marine divisions of our business. Each division has such impressive capabilities that are already deployed around the world in daily service as well as in emergency situations.

Our amateur radio line of products take full advantage of this expertise in building some of the best gear available for all aspects of our hobby and in particular its application to emergency communication.

D-STAR is one aspect that stands apart for amateur radio. What I really appreciate is not only the crystal clear communication, but also the embedded GPS information that can really help with emergency communication.

The land mobile division utilizes the Icom Digital Advanced System (IDAS), that provides crystal clear communication across a wide array of applications including systems with independence from the public power grid.

Coupled with Icom’s marine and aviation products and systems, Icom provides first responders, law enforcement, and emergency personnel with the communication they need to rely on to accomplish their missions.

73,

Ray Novak, N9JA
Senior Sales Manager
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast

8N23WSJ

Along with all the Scouting activities, including a JOTA-JOTI Plaza (Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet) in the Science Program Area, the amateur radio station 8N23WSJ is on the air!

The 8 is the designation for a special event call sign and the N stands for Nippon, which means Japan. Since this is the 23rd World Scout Jamboree, the last letters in the call sign are 23WSJ.  Have fun with the Eight November Twenty Three World Scouting Jamboree special event station!

POWERED BY ICOM

Icom Japan is providing all the transceivers including our flagship IC-7851, the IC-7600, and the IC-7100. We are also providing a D-Star Repeater and the ID-5100A.

Nippon Boy Scout Amateur Radio Club, based in Bunkyo-ku, Japan, is providing the antennas. You can see the early set up in the group of photos below. It’s quite an impressive array of antennas, including an HF tri-bander, six meter yagi, rotatable dipole, and at least one vertical.

ARISS @ WORLD JAMBOREE

A direct contact with the International Space Station and astronaut Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS, is scheduled for Friday, July 31. This is part of the ARISS or Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program.

ISS contacts are always very exciting. Lasting around 10 to a maximum of 15 minutes, Scouts are selected to ask questions of the astronaut and he responds in real-time. I’ve watched this at our National Scout Jamboree from K2BSA a few times.

MY JAMBOREE EXPERIENCES

I’ve attended several USA National Scout Jamborees supporting the K2BSA operation. I can tell you that they are extraordinary experiences for the Scouts, the leaders, and the staff members putting on the show.

The Opening Ceremony is always spectacular with everyone in attendance for a superb show and welcome. It’s such a high-point – we’re all here and making this happen after so much preparation and anticipation!

For the World Jamboree they say that the opening ceremony, when seen from above, looks like a quilt of colors from each of the national organizations with their own color uniforms and neckerchiefs. Two weeks later at the closing ceremony it looks like a mix of all colors. That’s because everyone is with new friends, from all over the world. It’s also because they trade patches, neckerchiefs, and even uniform shirts. The Jamboree is truly a coming together of Scouts from all over world.

For the 2013 K2BSA operation, we set up several stations, hung antennas on the top of telephone poles, and got to work introducing Scouts to amateur radio. The blast for me was seeing the light bulbs go off when the Scouts realized they were communicating through the air to places around the country and the world.

You can get a flavor of the effort from the official K2BSA report video below. If you ever get a chance to attend a Jamboree as a Scout, leader, staff member, or guest, make sure you go. It is such an extraordinary experience.

[vimeo 72608147 w=500 h=281]

K2BSA 2013 Jamboree Operation from K2BSA on Vimeo.

GET ON THE AIR

8N23WSJ is expected to be operating on or near the recommended Scouting frequencies. You can find those at the Scouting JOTA page. Look for the WOSM (World Organization of the Scout Movement) frequencies in the table. You can also watch for the call sign on the DX spotting networks.

For those D-STAR fanatics, the JP4YEA, D-Star repeater, will in action at the Jamboree, JP4YEA. Since Japan rules and regulations do not support reflectors, make sure you have the RPT2 set up for gateway, G in the 8th character, and use the following repeater routing command in the URcall setting.

/JP4YEAA for the 439.49 MHz port
/JP4YEAB for the 1291.25MHz port.
(Note:  The / as the 1st character notates repeater routing)

We will be trying to work them from our club station, N7IH, and I challenge you to put 8N23WSJ in your log!

This is another wonderful activity supported by Icom to help grow the next generation of amateur radio operators.

73

Ray Novak, N9JA
Division Manager, Amateur and Receiver Products
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast

This gives you a flavor for the broad reach of D-STAR here in the US and around the world. What I like about it is being able to talk with anyone throughout the world without being at the mercy of the latest sunspot count.

For example, when I was on a DX-pedition to Mozambique a few years ago I was also able to use D-STAR to talk with many Scouts who were on that weekend for Jamboree on the Air. We had reliable clear communication without the pileups and QSB/QRM etc. And, what a blast to talk with Scouts about amateur radio, their current campout, local weather, etc.

SO WHAT IS D-STAR?

D-STAR stands for Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio. It’s a open standard digital communication protocol established by the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL). It offers Digital Voice (DV) and Digital Data (DD), which is short data such as call sign, data message, or GPS position.

One of it’s great aspects are repeaters that are linked to other repeaters and reflectors (conference nodes) via the Internet. This essentially sets up a world-wide system using all the features inherent in digital voice and digital data communication.

You can also get on D-STAR through a DV access point dongle. It allows you to set up your computer as an access point to D-STAR gateways and reflectors via the Internet. Then you can use your HT to communicate via your computer to the D-STAR network. How cool.

HOW ABOUT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS?

With it’s clear voice transmission and data features, including GPS position reporting, D-STAR is just about perfect for emergency communication. Plus, a system called D-RATS has been developed specifically to facilitate emergency communication.

D-RATS is a multi-platform integrated tool for communication using D-STAR radios. With only a pair of radios as a starting point, or an entire communication network with repeaters, etc., a variety of data transmission methods are supported, including:

• Instant-message chat
• Automatic beacon messages
• File transfers with error detection
• Structured forms
• GPS position reports

It’s a fantastic way to set up your EmComm system.

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?

You can find a great deal more information at our D-STAR General Information page. I also really like D-STAR Info for all the latest breaking news and superb support on finding repeaters, downloads, as well as straight forward directions on how to make it all work.

And don’t forget to look over the radios with built-in or readily added D-STAR capability:

• ID-5100A 2m and 70 cm mobile
• ID-51A PLUS 2m and 70 cm handheld
• IC-7100 HF and 2m/70cm mobile
• ID-1 mobile 23 cm mobile
• IC-80AD 2m and 70 cm handheld
• IC-9100 HF/VHF/UHF base station

You can also find some used gear that works great on D-STAR including the IC-2820, ID-800, IC-91, IC-92, IC-V82, IC-U82, IC-2200, and ID-880.

These are all great radios that will get you on D-STAR to take advantage of all the fantastic features and functions. They are not just for the digitally native kids anymore. They are for us all as we activate our favorite aspects of amateur radio.

Ray Novak, N9JA
Division Manager, Amateur and Receiver Products 
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast