THE 4X6KJ REPORT

It seems that during the summer months, amateur radio activity is less prominent than during other times during the year. Maybe the reason is, that in our climate it is too warm (certainly no time for heated discussions), most colleagues are away on vacations etc. This reflects also on the very small amount of local news, in our field that is, I have tried to fire-up the local VHF band on the weekly on the air bulletin “HaGal Hameshudar” with the question; “what is your opinion, IARC should do with the CW”.

I had hoped for turbulent arguments bordering on the out of control answers of the membership. Week after week, I brought up the same question, nothing happened, I received a handful of letters with opinions as to what should be done.

This should not be taken lightly as the outcome of the wrong decision will be disastrous for the future.

Ultimately, the IARC membership will have to make up its mind.

The IARU Region 1 Conference

The Executive has decided not to send a representative to Davos, where the Conference is held. The expense is tremendous around two thousand dollars for a 5 day conference.

A new course for amateur radio will be starting the beginning of October.

As usual, the lessons will be held at the IARC Office, once a week and will prepare the candidates for the “Dalet” exam (for the codeless VHF-UHF license) or if CW is applied (still required) for a “Beth” (Genearl Class) license.

- 73 de Joe 4X6KJ

IOTA AS-100

The Akhziv Island Operation

Alex 4Z5KJ operating on Akhziv Island

The following was the pre-event announcement:

After long efforts, we have succeeded for the first time, to receive the permission to activate AS-100 during night hours. This may give us a chance to present AS-100 to many DX Hams who were not able, due to time propagation restrictions, to do it. Day hours operation now and in the near future, is no problem and we shall activate it to supply all demand. Therefore, we would appreciate very much the cooperation of stations in nearby areas such as Europe and Near East to follow our working plan:

Starting 15:00 UTC 27 Aug. 2005: We will look for the Far East, OC, AF and North America on 20m.

On 40m, we will look in the evening to AS, OC, AF and NA.

28 Aug. 2005: Early morning until 04:00 good conditions to NA, SA on 40m. Around 03:30 will try to work West coast on 20m as well as NA, SA, OC and AS.

From 05:00 will work all.

This plan depends on propagation and the operators in the field may change it. The cooperation of stations, especially from EU is the key point to succeed and satisfy all DX, as much as propagation allows.

And what ensued? Read on….

Akhziv 2005 by 4Z5KJ

This trip happened thanks to the God and my wife Nathaly. In 1999 we tried to land on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean Krashininnikova Island AS-095. Our attempt has gone right - we spent there three days. The attempt was not completely successful - there wasn't propagation on that time and I had 360 QSO's for 3 days only. Besides that my wife had a little overstrained moving with me the heavy Russian military generator and other "gross" weights. It took her about 6 years - to forget about this dangerous cruise.

So, this year according to her numerous requests I have organized brief family trip to local Island - Akhziv , IOTA AS-100 ....

For your information, Akhziv island is a small rock about 20 meters wide, 80 meters long and only 1 meter above sea level located 1300 meters from the coast. It is located in the northern part of Israel, closed to Nahariya. There are no bird nests on the island because 80 percent of the island is under water. All of this reminds me of a broken tooth - depth in an internal lagoon does not exceed 30-40 centimeters - expanse for crabs and my younger son – Valentine. My family had merged quickly with the virgin nature, had fishing and "crabbing" Hi!

Usually it takes me 15 minutes to set up my portable radio-station. This time I brought to the island my new Kenwood TS-50, new manufactured portable dipole; powered by my good old YUASA 65 AH battery. Dov 4Z4DX pounding brass on Akhziv Island before sunset.

At 0315 UTC we landed on the Island 0325 UTC I made my first QSO with 4Z5SG on 40 meters CW ... Antenna for 40 meters is the same dipole made from two Hamstick mobile monopoles: one of them I use daily for my mobile operation ... For 30 meters I used a newly manufactured dipole, made the same way from two KJ-Arrow monopoles which I build in my garage. 20 meters antennas are also two Hamsticks. God was generous to me, providing us with calm sea, cool weather and outstanding propagation on on 20 meters, starting from 0530 UTC. I have been pleasantly surprised by patience and discipline of the European stations when asked," Please, stand-by for a minute”.

It was just great to be again in the middle of pile-up, to meet my old friends in IOTA program and represent again on the Air this magic part of the Holy-Land. I would like to thank very much to Dov 4Z4DX for his friendly support in this project pretty manager Dena and the "Putsker" Diving Center in Nahariya for landing us on the Island. Wish you were here! With best wishes’ - Alex 4Z5KJ/UA0ZY and Family. 73! CUL!

THE GREAT MORSE DEBATE

As we see the changing of official attitudes towards the compulsory testing of Morse code skills for HF access, the question is raised as to the future of the code requirement in our little country.

The Ministry of Communications has let it be known that the IARC membership will decide the fate of the code testing.

We know that for many amateurs, the code is just an obstacle to be overcome in obtaining the coveted HF amateur license, and once they have passed the test, they forget Morse fairly completely.

Personally I like CW, and a significant number of my contacts are in this mode, especially running QRP, making contacts under rough conditions, and often just for the plain fun of it. I’ve always felt that a satisfying CW conversation feels like a fine handshake, and I enjoy the humor that comes across in the originality that some hams show in how they abbreviate their words.

Yet having said this, I wouldn’t want to ram the code down anybody’s throat who doesn’t want it. Many code-free VHF-UHF licensees have shown themselves to be quite technically adept in setting up digital networks, FM repeaters, and other aspects that show them to be real fine-business hams.

Since our hobby is rapidly aging with an acute lack of young blood entering ham radio, we have to do something before we become extinct and our frequencies are sold to commercial interests.

The time has come to let go… Yes, to let go of near-religious conviction that there can be no HF access without Morse proficiency. In the final analysis, I would prefer to have ham radio without compulsory Morse than to have no ham radio at all.

P.S. The Canadian authorities now allow a lower passing mark in the amateur theory exam for those who passed the Morse test. So it may well be a good compromise to give those with Morse skills a discount on their written exam marks requirement.

Those who understand the true value of Morse will learn and use it, no matter what.

- 4X1MK (personal viewpoint)

There’s no stopping him… Eli 4Z5NB mobile KL7 in Alaska! The farthest northern Israeli operation to ever have been shown on the pages of HaGAL INTERNATIONAL.

NEWS SHORTS AND QUARTZ

If you missed 4Z4DX and 4Z5KJ on Akhziv Island… a bigger operation is planned for the end of September (looks like you’ll have missed it by the time this goes to press) using the call 4X7AZ over a possible two-day period. Seven operators are slated to be on the rock, and applications have been made to the military and police authorities for an unprecedented overnight stay on the isle. Generator power is planned for the operation.

_ . . . _

Tsachy 4Z4TL summed up the Maccabiah Games stations’ operation (which caused him many many hours of paper work): Thirty- eight operators making about 64,000 contacts with over 180 DXCC countries. Close to 1670 operators are eligible for the Maccabiah award, and it looks like there will probably be more. With the aid of Mark 4Z4KX a finalized certificate and a special QSL have been designed.

_ . . . _

An official application to the Ministry of Communications is pending by the IARC council regarding the expansion of the 40 meter band from 100 KHz to 200 KHz bandwidth, from 7.000 to 7.200 MHz. With the lower sunspot numbers, those extra hundred kilohertz will sure come in handy this winter. (Keep your fingers crossed.)

_ . . . _

And, there are still new hams on the air… maybe not in the numbers we would all like to see, yet a number of fine folks have passed the recent exams held at the IARC headquarters.

_ . . . _

The July 22^nd issue of the Israel Defense Forces magazine BaMahane had a full-length feature article on amateur radio, chock full of photos. The article gave a good perspective of out service, underscoring the unique importance of ham radio in emergency communications.

_ . . . _

The recent Saturday morning 40 meter roundtable had a lively discussion with Danny Wax 4X1DM, a well known geologist, who is concerned about the possibility of a major earthquake hitting us in the maybe not-too-far-off future. Danny suggests that we build “Warblers” – cheap 2 watt PSK-31 transceivers (coupled with laptop computers or possibly “Palm-Pilots”) for 80 meters that can provide country-wide night-time reliable emergency communications with low-battery-power consumption.

In the eventuality of such a disaster, telephone, cellular and internet service will be down, as well as the electrical power grid. The sorry events in the USA with the Hurricane Katrina disaster have served as a wake-up call. Should we adopt this technology, it could very much enhance our emergency network. More deliberations will doubtlessly follow.

73 de Ahron and Ron

HAGAL INTERNATIONAL

October 2005