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 Bob K5DZE

WELCOME!  Thanks for stopping by my website! Here you will find information about my low power Amateur Radio operations, some enjoyable projects that might work well for your Shack and your Amateur Radio operations, as well as some information on my current writing activities for the Kindle Book reader. Tornado season is upon us and Hurricane season is right behind it, so be sure and check out the EMERGENCY PLAN page. It is an important but simple approach to helping you and your family manage the big one if it comes your way! 

Click on the Blue titles to visit the different pages. Please browse around and make yourself at home! 

 

 AMATEUR RADIO QRP (low power) operations is the first page you probably want to visit.  For Amateurs (Hams) who aren't very familiar with low power operations, this might be particularly interesting. After decades of operating high power rigs, I have gone 100% QRP and on this page, I explain why. Descriptions and pictures show my current set up built around the small FT-817ND, a Ten Tec R4020 CW transceiver, and 2-3 other QRP rigs. Here, you will find information on how you can join in the QRP fun without giving up your 'big rig'. Incidentally, if you have one of the Ten Tec R4020 QRP transceivers, or you are thinking about getting one for portable or emergency use, you may be interested in downloading my 4020 Check List in PDF format from this page.

 

The 10 M BEACON page will tell you about the K5DZE 10 Meter Beacon as well as 10 m propagation beacons in general.  It will also tell you how and where to listen for these 24/7 signals and even how to join in by setting up a beacon of your own. If your area does not have a propagation beacon set up, this is an  inexpensive, easy to do, fun and  useful project to aid the Amateur community. This page also includes a list of Beacon operators who have Beacon oriented websites. Just click on their call signs to see visit their beacon sites to see what they have set up and how they operate. You can get some great ideas by visiting their sites. There is also a link to WJ5O's Beacon Callsign List and a link to W5ZA's online 10m Beacon WebSDR where you can hear beacons real time via your computer. To my knowledge, W5ZA has the only 10 meter beacon band receiver set up on the internet.

 

   Spring is here and Summer appears to be coming early!  It's time to put up some antennas! The ANTENNAS page provides info on the antennas at use at K5DZE as well as some good antenna info you might wish to consider for use in your operations at home, while portable, or during an emergency.  Included is a description of the easy and relatively inexpensive version of a highly effective horizontal All Band Loop Antenna, an effective Hamstick on a camera tripod (perfect for portable or condo use), a rugged Hamstick Antenna Transport Tube (shown in the picture here) made from PVC tubing to carry your Hamsticks, Outbacker, or similar antennas safely. Also, there is info on the small and effective really wide band VHF/UHF/ Discone you can make for your Amateur or scanning use to set up in your attic, as well as information about using your wire antennas in an NVIS mode. 

 

    The PROJECTS page includes some of the projects I have done in my Shack that might be of interest to you. Included are:

 

   The EMERGENCY PLAN page discusses how you can prepare emergency supplies to sustain you and your family during a time of a disaster when access to commercial water, electrical power, natural gas, fuel, etc, may be shut down for a lengthy period of time. Designed with us more senior aged Radio Amateurs in mind, the techniques and planning process also apply equally well to anyone that wants some disaster planning ideas. This is not a survivalist page, but a page to help the average citizen with some practical ideas so you can be self-sufficient for a 10-14 day period until commercial services have time to return to normal. Based on the Kindle book, DISASTER PLANNING FOR THE REST OF US,  this page provides some steps to help you begin a simple process of preparing you and your family for any difficult situation.

If you don't think disaster planning is necessary, you aren't watching the evening news!  Simple planning and minimum effort can help you in such bad times.  

 

  Lastly, the BOOKSHELF page will give you information on the books/papers I have written and published (18 so far) for Amazon's KINDLE. If you are not familiar with Amazon's Kindle book reader, there is information available on the BOOKSHELF page to get you join in the fun. Don't have a Kindle? No problem! You can read Kindle books on your desktop, laptop, iPad, or many popular cell phones and best of all, the Kindle reader apps to let you do this are free!  If you love to read, Kindle is just the ticket to always have your library with you!

Want to write a book about Ham Radio, write a novel, or write on some other subject? Why not write it as a Kindle book? The cost to you to publish a book is zero and the royalties can be impressive if it is a good, readable book! Check out my Kindle book, Kindle Publishing for Word 2007. It will tell you how you can publish your book easily and quickly!

Two novel, War They Shall Have is a popular Kindle book. Another novel, set in the American Civil War, Deo Vindice, is available both in paperback and as a Kindle book.

The book, Another Day Downrange  is my personal story of flying CH-47 Chinook helicopters for two tours in Vietnam. The contribution of the CH-47 in Vietnam is not well known, but this story should help the reader better understand the importance of the Chinook to Army Aviation.  Read more about it on the BOOKSHELF page.

Several small books on subjects such as Homeland Security communications and Amateur Radio are free to download right from this site.  Check these out on the BOOKSHELF page. I hope you find something of interest.  Please drop by anytime. 

Your comments or questions are welcomed.

 

AMATEUR RADIO IS ALIVE AND WELL!

As of 1 May 2012, in the U.S. there were 752,894 Amateurs in the U.S. This is the highest U.S. total ever!

  14,465 Novices (2%)   367,463Technicians (49%)    166,793 Generals (22%)    59,495 Advanced (8%)    131,009 Extras (18%)

 

 

 Last Update/Review: 17 MAY 2012

 

I try to update or review this site regularly, and I hope I can provide items of interest to you.  Till next time...

 73, 

Bob

 

 

 

     This site is always under construction... right after I have another cup of coffee....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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