Don
Keith
40
Red Stick Road, Indian Springs Village, Alabama 35124 -- Shelby County --
Grid: EM63oh
Co-ordinates:
33.315662 N / 86.807244 W
Email:
N4KC@bellsouth.net
N4KC's Ham Radio Blog (new!)
The HamBlog is a discussion of the effects of sweeping technological change on life, society, and the hobby of amateur radio. Join the discussion today by clicking on the link above. Your input is welcome!
August 2 and 3 -- Special On-air Operating Event Held at USS Nautilus, Groton, CT
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the voyage to the North Pole by USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear submarine and the first vessel to go to the Pole, N4KC headed up a special ham radio event. With the assistance of members of the Southern New England Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) and the Submarine Base Amateur Radio Club, stations operated all weekend from near Historic Ship Nautilus and the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut. The even was to call attention to the historic anniversary. Nautilus actually reached the North Pole on the evening of August 3, 1958, 11:15 PM Eastern time. The station used the specially-issued callsign of N9N, recalling "Nautilus 90 North," the message sent to President Dwight Eisenhower as soon as the ship emerged from beneath the ice pack after successfully crossing the top of the world from Pacific to Atlantic. (The North Pole is at 90 degrees north latitude.)
For details and updates on this event, visit the N9N listing on QRZ.com or N4KC's blog. For a complete wrapup of the operation, click HERE. A commemorative QSL (see above) is available to all stations who send a confirmation of contact with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: N4KC, 40 Red Stick Road, Indian Springs Village, AL 35124. QSL requests are now being filled as we have time. Please be patient! We made more than 2,000 contacts with amateur radio stations in all 50 states and 26 countries.
N4KC's new book, co-written with Captain William Anderson, the skipper of Nautilus for that historic voyage, was released just prior to the anniversary. The Ice Diaries tells the complete story of an event recently dubbed by Time Books as one of mankind's greatest adventures.
I was first licensed
as an amateur radio operator in 1962 at the age of 13 as WN4BDW...later
WA4BDW. I changed my call sign to N4KC in the 1970s when I got my Extra
Class license. I enjoyed a 22-year career in broadcasting and was twice
named BILLBOARD magazine's "Broadcast Personality of the Year."
I later worked for a company that developed software for radio, TV and ad
agencies, then spent 4 years with Arbitron, the company that provides audience
rating information for radio broadcasters. I'm currently vice-president
of advertising and communications for Virginia College (www.vc.edu),
a chain of career colleges headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. I'm also
an author with 15 books in print.
My first novel, THE
FOREVER SEASON, is still in print after 12 years and won the Alabama
Library Association's "Fiction of the Year Award." My second novel,
WIZARD
OF THE WIND, was set in radio broadcasting and had a ham as a key character.
My national-bestselling thriller, FINAL
BEARING, co-written with former nuclear-submarine skipper George Wallace,
takes place in the jungles of South America, in Seattle, and beneath the
surface of the Pacific Ocean. I also co-wrote an 8-book series of young
adult novels set in NASCAR stockcar racing called THE
ROLLING THUNDER STOCKCAR RACING SERIES. My latest books are true stories
of WWII submarines: GALLANT
LADY is the "biography" of the USS Archerfish, which sank
the largest vessel ever sunk by a sub, the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano,
and IN
THE COURSE OF DUTY, which tells the fascinating story of the USS Batfish,
which sank three enemy subs in three days and today rests in a bean field
in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Batfish is also the location for a ham station,
WW2SUB, that conducts special operating events on occasion.
I've just had published
another submarine-related book as well as a biography of legendary college
football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. And when I can tear myself
away from the rig, I'm finishing up yet another non-fiction book. One of
the new books tells the human stories surrounding the 17 World War II submarines
that are open to the public as museum boats around the country (many of
which have ham stations aboard and are on the air for special events). FINAL
PATROL was published by Penguin/NAL in October 2006 and is available
for order on amazon.com and other online sources. The Bryant biography,
THE
BEAR, was recently published by Cumberland House and is now available
everywhere.
The new book I'm finishing
up now, written with Captain William Anderson, will detail the dramatic
story of USS Nautilus
(SSN-571), the first nuclear-powered vessel in the world, and her amazing
voyage beneath the polar ice pack from the Pacific to the Atlantic...through
the North Pole...in 1958. Captain Anderson was skipper of Nautilus for that
historic transit. Because of this new-found interest in submarines, I'm
often a participant in the Submarine
Veterans Amateur Radio Net on Friday and Saturday nights about 8PM CST
on 7.279 and Monday through Saturday mornings at 1030 CST on 14.243.
My QTH is Indian Springs
Village, Alabama, near Birmingham. I enjoy working SSB and CW on HF as well
as two-meter FM and SSB. The rig is a Kenwood TS-2000 in the shack for 160
through 440 and a Yaesu FT-1802 on 2M FM in the car. I like fooling around
with antennas. Typically I use one of three HF antennas, depending on which
one gives me the best signal for conditions and distance. 1) a G5RV, the
shortened ZS6BKW version, up at about 35 feet, 2) a ground-mounted WWII-era
telescoping vertical with 85 radials strung out beneath it, each about 40
feet long, currently deployed for resonance on 17 meters, and 3) a 450-foot
skywire horizontal
loop, fed with 450-ohm window line and hung in a rough circle, ranging
from 15 feet to 45 feet above ground, and tuned with an MFJ-993B automatic
memory tuner. On VHF/UHF I use a B-Square Engineering j-pole and am putting
together Moxons for 6M and 10M when I have time.
My personal web site
is www.donkeith.com.
Ham
Radio Articles
I enjoy
writing articles about various aspects of the amateur radio hobby. It often
helps me to learn if I write as I research these various topics of interest.
At the same time, I try to post the articles on eHam.net,
QRZ.com, or other ham radio sites in the
hopes that they may help others--and especially newcomers--learn more about
our wonderful hobby. I appreciate comments and feedback on any of the articles.
Remembering Nautilus 90 North--the story of special event station N9N honoring USS Nautilus and the historic North Pole run in August 1958
My
skywire loop antenna--one of the finest antennas I have ever used...construction
details included
Using
VOAProp software--freeware that helps predict high frequency radio propagation,
sunspot data
Feeding
the Beast -- thoughts on antenna feedlines--a controversial topic, not
often understood
N4KC's
World War II-era vertical antenna project--my "free" vertical
antenna with construction notes, links to vertical antenna sites (updated 7-4-08)
20db
for $48.60 -- I was going to write an article on vertical antennas but
found WB2WIK had already done a good one!
You might be a REAL HAM if... -- a humorous (I hope!) look at what it takes to be a REAL HAM radio operator
What? You only have ONE antenna? -- the case is made that more than one antenna dramatically improves the amateur radio experience
The Saddest Words I Know -- thoughts on being a good Elmer...and a good learner
I See Your Lips Moving, But... -- an examination of SSB audio and how we tend to abuse it
Why You Should Learn Dah di dah dit Di dah dah -- Some reasons why Samuel Morse's code is still worth the effort to learn
Everybody's S-Meter is Correct! -- It's true...depending on how you look at it!
Equipment
Reviews
One of
the good things about the Internet and the ham radio sites is the ability
to see reviews by hams of equipment they have owned or tried. I have posted
the following reviews on eHam.net
and hope it helps others in their evaluation of possible additions to their
shacks.
Kenwood
TS-2000 Transceiver
MFJ
993B Intellituner Automatic Antenna Tuner
Yaesu FT-1802 2-meter Transceiver
Links
Here is
a list of other Internet sites that may be of interest to ham radio operators
or those who might be developing an interest in the hobby. Enjoy!
Don
Keith Home Page--N4KC's home page, info about books he has written, appearances
and more
American
Radio Relay League--the national organization for amateur radio operators,
info on becoming a ham
Birmingham
Amateur Radio Club--local club in Birmingham, Alabama
CQ
Magazine--montly magazine devoted to amateur radio
DX
Notebook--site of interest to hams who chase "DX," distant amateur
stations
eHam.net--ham
interest site with many articles, forums, and equipment reviews
K0BG's
Mobile site--information for safely and effectively installing and using
ham radio in automobiles
QRZ.com--ham
interest site with articles, news, forums and more
RigPix
site--pictures of various amateur radio gear, including vintage equipment
(like N4KC used as a young ham!)
Salt
Lake City "S-meter" site--listen live to various ham radio frequencies
3819
kHz Group "listen" site--listen live to various ham radio frequencies
VOACap
software/G4ILO--amateur radio propagation software--shareware site
W2DU/Walter
Maxwell's REFLECTIONS site--information on antennas and feedlines from
one of the experts
W4RNL/L.
E. Cebik's antenna site--information on all types of antennas and antenna
theory
KA1FSB's
loop antenna page--includes a handy calculator to figure dimensions for
loops for any frequency and configuration