Recent Announcements:

  • The Thursday LEARA Club net meets every Thursday at 8 PM on the 146.760. All are welcome to participate.
  • ARES nets meet every Tuesdays at 8 PM on 145.410 repeater. A simplex net follows. Note there is no net on the third Tuesday as it is meeting night.
    ARES meetings are held 7PM the third Tuesday of each month. The next ARES meeting is Tuesday March 19, 2004 at 7 PM at the Helwig Whistle Stop 599 W Bagley Rd, Berea, OH 44017, as well as a Zoom meeting. For more info, contact ARES at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please monitor the ARES website at www.n8esg.org/ares for information on nets and events. They are open to all, but if you are not an ARES member, please send a request at https://n8esg.org/contact/
  • The SkyWarn Wednesday night practice nets are on hiatis until April 2024. Should the NWS issue a severe storm warning, a net will be held on the 146.760 repeater. Normal Practice nets are held on Wednesday nights from April through September at 8:30 PM on the 146.760 repeater (-)PL110.9. .
  • An On-Line Spotter training video from the NWS is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6R25g5YYhg

  • Skywarn Spotter Training will be offered by NWS this spring.
    SKYWARN - Cuyahoga County OH 6:00pm - 8:00pm
    When: Thu, April 4, 6pm – 8pm
    Where: 6363 Selig Blvd, Independence, OH 44131, USA
    Information can be found at www.weather.gov/cle At the news headlines at the top, click on Spring 2024 Information Schedule link . Other dates and county locations may be found at that link.
    Note: You must register for attendance, click on the registration link.
  • The next LEARA monthly membership meeting is on March 26. It will be at Amici Italian Restaurant & Bar, 13000 Royalton Rd, North Royalton, OH 44133. It's located in the strip mall at the northeast corner of Route 82 and West 130th street. The Dinner is off the the menu at 6:30 with the meeting to start at 7:30PM
    It will be our annual Skywarn meeting.
  • Next LEARA Trustee meeting Saturday May 11 at 9:00AM -
    It is open to all Paid LEARA Members. An Email will be sent out to members with instructions on how to attend.
  • Have pictures of your shack or mobile installation? Pass them along to the newsletter editor Carsten KD8WBB at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • The 88 system has been upgraded to Allstar and Echo link. See the LEARA Newsletter and Web Page for more information
  • The UHF Repeater on 444.700 is on the air. It is a digital mode only. It will handle DMR, Fusion, P25 and D-Star (note there may be issues with Fusion and D-Star. Try them out and if you encounter problems, let David AD8G know). Check out the Repeaters tab for more information. NOTE: IF YOU OPEN A LINK FOR YSF OR DSTAR. PLEASE CLOSE IN WHEN YOU ARE DONE. leaving it open locks out others from using other modes when you are not there.
  • Public Service events: Please check out the link at: http://neoesg.org/events
    and scroll to the bottom or click "HERE"
  • N8UPZ reminds everyone that the National Weather Service can always use help with precipitation monitoring. For further info please check out the CoCoRaHS web site at http://www.cocorahs.org

  • We can always use net controlers, which means that you can try your hand at running a LEARA net! Give it a try, it's not that hard. Learn the voices and call signs of your fellow radio members. We presently have 7 active net controlers to bring you the net each week. Why not join up and give us a hand.
    You can even do a part time shift - say 4 times a year! Give it a try!
    Contact Carl KB8VXE at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Cuyahoga County is asking for assistance in supplying situational awareness during the Solar Eclips on April 8th They ae asking ARES and ESG to monitor 15 loctions in the county.If you are available between the hours of 9AM to 9PM your help would be aappreciated. The county EMA does not expect any emergencies, however they would like to have eyes at these locations to monitor the situation. This will be condidered as an emergency activation. You do not have to be an ARES member to participate. You may not need to be at your assignment for the whole 12 hours if the location clears out early.
    Registration can be found at the ESG website, n8esg.org/events and advance to the April calendar.
  •  

NOTICE:

Sunshine Report

  • Send information to Trustee Robert Wright KE8CEO
  •  

Past Trivia / Discussion Questions

  • 01/18/24 Question: When was the first voice moon radio bounce?
    Choices: A: 1928, B: 1938, C: 1946, D: 1954
    ANSWER C: 1954

    On July 24, 1954, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) at Stump Neck, Maryland (now the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, Maryland) sent and received the first human voice transmission to be bounced back to Earth from the Moon.

    Moon bounce, also known as Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) communication, is a technique that sends radio wave transmissions from Earth to the Moon. The transmission is then reflected, or bounced, off the surface of the Moon and captured by an Earth-based receiver. The technology held promise for secure communications with Navy ships.

    By January 1956, the U.S. Navy could transmit teletype signals to and from Stump Neck and Wahiawa on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. By January 1960, the Navy’s Communication Moon Relay System began transmitting two-way radio communications.
  • 1/25/24 Question: What is the maximum propagation distance of 2-meter signals to stations lying beyond the horizon?
    A: 115 miles / 185 km
    B: 25 miles / 40 km
    C: Well over 500 miles
    D: 10 miles / 16 km
    Answer: Well over 500 miles
    (Meteor Scatter can propagate signals well over 500 miles on the two-meter band, as can tropospheric and even ionospheric conditions.)
    Discussion: What is the farthest 2M distance you worked, or heard?
  • 2/01/24 Question: A BC 454 radio was a...
    a) Command Set, b) Hallicrafters, c) Air Line Radio, d) Broadcast Carrier Set.
    Answer: a- Command Set.
    The BC 454 receiver was used in aircraft during WW 2 and covered 3-6 Mhz. After the war they were often converted for amateur radio use.
    https://armyradio.com/Command_Sets.html
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/anackire/7161144297
    https://swling.com/blog/2015/01/want-a-new-in-box-signal-corps-bc-454-b/
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q3RApbayJo
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9yTfGitPQo
  • 2/08/24 Question: How long did a 5 hour trip from Columbus Ohio into Kentucky take after the 2017 eclipse?
    A) 12.5 hours, B) 17.5 hours, C) 22.5 hours, D) 27.5 hours, E) None of the above, it still took 5 hours
    Answer: b) 17.5 hours
  • 2/15/24 Question: When was the last total solar eclipse that was visible from Cleveland?
    A. 1796, B. 1806, C. 1817, D. 1822
    Answer: B. 1806
    Source: https://www.eclipseovercleveland.com/whycleveland
  • 2/22/24 Question: Who was Dr. Owen Garriott W5LFL?
    A. worked alongside Samuel Morse
    B. First astronaut to take a ham radio into space.
    C. Worked on the original ARRL Handbook.
    Answer is B
  • 2/29/24 Queston: Which power change below represents the FEWEST dB of difference?
    A: 1 watt to 125 watts (21 dB)
    B: 1 milliwatt to 3 watts (33 dB)
    C: 125 watts to 2 kilowatts (12 dB)
    D: 1 milliwatt to 1 watt (30 dB)
    Answer: 125 watts to 2 kilowatts

    How it works
    Power gain (dB) = 10×log (RF output power / RF input power). Used in RF.
    Power gain is defined as the ratio of the output power to the input power in dB.
    Assume that the input power is 10 mW (+10 dBm) and the output power is 1 W (1000 mW, +30 dBm).
    The ratio will be 1000/10 = 100, and the power gain will be 10×log 100 = 20 dB.
    Reference power P0 = 1 Watt.
    More info available at: https://sengpielaudio.com/calculatorVoltagePower.htm#:~:text=Power%20gain%20(dB)%20%3D%2010,power%20%2F%20RF%20input%20power

    Simple way to use doubling to determine change in dB. Every double of power is 3dB

    Change 125W - 2000W

    power
    125W
    250W
    500W
    1000W
    2000W
    dB
    0dB
    3dB
    6dB
    9dB
    12dB
  • 3/07/24 Question: Before WW II, how many US States were in W0 (zero) land?
    a) 6, b) 8, c) 4, d) 0 - none
    Answer: d)None
    The tenth call district was implemented in 1947, during the post WW II boom in amateur radio. The creation of this new district was basically to equalize ham populations among the districts.
  • 3/14/24:
  • 3/21/24: When were the first call signs beginning with “K” issued in the Continental United States?
    A. 1939, B. 1942, C. 1945, D. 1947
    Answer: D. 1947
    Reference: https://fasma.org/wp-content/uploads/1994-05-QST-Radio-History-08-Amateur-Radio-Callsigns-History-By-Phil-Sager-WB4FDT-Rick-Palm-K1CE.pdf
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Related info on WWV

Trivia Question Etiquette

  • The Trivia Question is supposed to be a fun and learning experience for everyone checking in. Most of the time the answer is a multiple guess, and for many literally a guess. It makes the people sit and ponder the possible answers. If you don't know the answer, you may say so and acknowlege that you are taking a guess, and then give your answer. If you KNOW the correct answer, please just give give the letter or text of your choice only. Don't spoil the question for others by giving a complete dissertation on the principals, theories and biographies of the author or scientist. Giving that information early in the net spoils the fun for the people who have yet to play. Factoids and anecdotal information regarding history or even personal experience relating to the question is a most welcome additive to the discussion AFTER the answer has been given. Let the Net Control KNOW you have additional info for the end of the net.

    Thanks for checking in and enjoy learning new facts, or basking in the knowlege that you have.
 

 

 

February 2024 Checkins - 22

AB8UM Mike
K2WJS Bill
K8SAS Steve
KB8JL Chuck
KB8VXE Carl
KC8ESG Mark
KC8MRC Bob
KD8ICR Don
KE8VMR Rick
KM8V Jon
N8ACP Chris
N8AHS Fred
N8AUC Eric
N8IYA Steve
N8QMK Mike
N8RKE Larry
N8UPZ Bill
N8DKA Doug
W8IE Ed
W8IXY Ted
WA8AWD Bob
WA8ZHN Jim
- -
- -

 

  Please note there is a slight change in the schedule.

Net Control Schedule

02/29/23 Carl KB8VXE
03/07/24 Eric N8AUC
03/14/24 Mike AB8UM
03/21/24 Ed W8IE
03/28/24 Steve K8SAS
04/04/24 Ed W8IE
04/11/24 Carl KB8VXE
04/18/24 Mike AB8UM
04/25/24 Eric N8AUC
05/02/24 Jim WA8ZHN