Jim Purpura, Bob Rumsey, and Paul Marriott discussing Jim’s new VNA
The Robson Ranch Amateur Radio Club’s mission is to educate current and future members at all skill and license levels on the proper operating procedures, the scientific background, and the rules and regulations associated with amateur radio. We aim to do this by means of classes, mentoring, and exchange of technical information and assistance. Our club’s stated goals are as follows: to promote amateur radio individually or at established community functions; to further the hobby of amateur radio; to render communications as a public service during impending storms or following severe weather; and to assist in disaster relief operations by providing communications when called upon by any official agency of the city, county, state or government of the United States of America.
This is a club for and of amateur radio (“HAM”) operators living here in Robson Ranch, and while members are likely to be FCC-licensed radio operators, that is not a requirement to join. Many of the club members are also members of nearby organizations, such as the Denton County Amateur Radio Association (DCARA) and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).
One of the great aspects of the Amateur Radio Club, like so many of the Robson Ranch clubs, is the opportunity for newcomers to benefit and learn from those more experienced. Among the many well-established HAM enthusiasts, our club has a small handful of lifelong radio operators with a combined 225 years of experience!
For example, at this month’s meeting, Bob Rumsey (KZ5R) gave a presentation on several of his favorite pieces of equipment. The first was a “wall wart tamer” from QRP, which stabilizes noisy AC power supplies. Another item was Poly Cases series of inexpensive project boxes. Bob also discussed a four-inch VNA dual port adapter from Halibut Electronics and MFJs 4403, a mobile voltage conditioner. It runs off a 12-volt cigarette lighter and protects against reverse voltage, over-voltage, voltage transient, and short circuits. Bob donated a four-inch 0.1 MHz – 6 GHz spectrum analyzer as a door prize, and Jim Purpura (KB5YHT) was the lucky winner.
David Hume echoed the difficult propagation on UHF/VHF bands, and he gave a brief discussion on tropospheric ducting. He mentioned the importance of horizontal versus vertical signal polarization with up to a 30 dB difference between the two. David went on to present an excellent discussion on new and used equipment regarding performance versus price. He provided a two-page handout with links and price ranges.
If you are interested in HAM radio, have or want to get a license, and would like to join the club, please contact Darrell Supak at [email protected] or Tim Battle at [email protected]. Or you can request membership directly on GroupWorks (Robson Ranch Amateur Radio Club, app.groupworks.com/#/groups/4830).
The Robson Ranch Amateur Radio Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. in the clubhouse. There will be no August meeting.