KE4UNO Becomes a Silent Key

John Hamilton, KE4UNO became a silent key this morning March 8, 2015. John was 52. Few people who traveled 2 meters did not know John. He will be sorely missed. Details of his service will be made public in the Lakeland Ledger.

Funeral arrangements for John W Hamilton, KE4UNO
Services: Hopewell Funeral Home
6005 South County Rd # 39, Plant City
Note: This is South of SR60 on the West side.
Thursday March 12th 2015
Viewing 10am to 11am with service at 11am (no other viewing mentioned)
Internment will follow at
Springhead Cemetery.. SE corner of County Line Rd and Medula Rd.

Information Source… Land Line Phone call “Hopewell Funeral Home” (813) 737-3128

Commemorative Guest Book 
www.theledger.com/obituaries

March Monthly Meeting Picaxe and Ham Radio

Small Chip, Big Performance

Our guest speaker this evening was Daryl Davis. Daryl is the ARRL West Central Florida Section Manager.
The eveningā€™s presentation centered around micro-controllers; in particular, those in the Picaxe family.
Micro-controllers come in many sizes, mainly in a dual in-line configuration with the number of legs proportional to the power and capability of the chip. While this is a complicated subject we can simplify things a bit by making a few observations about all micro-controllers:
  • They are powered by either a 3.3 or 5-volt power source.   
  • These devices are programmable, in the sense that individual pins can be configured as either digital inputs, analog inputs, digital outputs, or pulse with modulated PWM outputs. 
Translating this a bit further,

  • digital input is the equivalent of a switch. Apply a high voltage to turn the switch on, low, or ground, to turn it off. 
  • Digital output is equivalent to turning a light on or off, perhaps in response to the voltage on a digital in pin. Pulse width modulation is a way of simulating an analog out. It behaves much the same as a light dimmer. 
The last way pins can be configured is as analog to digital converters, or A to D converters. Using an A to D converter, a continuously changing voltage can be converted to a series of discreetly changing numbers, which can then be manipulated further in the software.

Congratulations Are In Order

From left to right, Richard, Peggy, Glen, Andrew WX4AMS a new General, Kevin KM4IKJ a new Tech, and Matthew.

Field Day Is Just Around The Corner

It is that time of year again, and Fred is looking for volunteers to man the various stations on Field Day.

Some Images From The March 2015 Meeting

Thursday Night Net

Breakfast At The BrunchBox 

Though  not an official club function, some members have been meeting for breakfast on Tuesday mornings for many years, and in a variety of locations. The numbers attending have grown from around seven when I first started to attend, to as high as thirty plus. Good and reasonably priced good food and priceless comradary make this a very special occasion.

LARC Net February 26, 2015

Please keep the following in your thoughts and prayers:

Barbara Jean James, wife of Luther Jeff James is recuperating from a broken hip, now in Valencia Rehab Center.
Carolin Van Winkle is home, recovering from pneumonia, and doing much better.
John is still in rehab. He would still like to hear from you. 813-839-6341 room 229.

Also:

We are planning a club picnic. The date is set for March 28th, Lake Parker Park. Same as always, bring a dish to pass, the club will provide the meat and buns. More information to follow.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the monthly meeting where Daryl Davis will present the case for Picaxe  in ham radio.