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President's Message
New Year's resolutions! We all make them, right? We all break them, No? Well, I figure that FARA deserves some New Year's goals from the President (I prefer to call them "goals"….seems more official) and if I put them in writing, we will see those goals happen in 2002.
Goal #1: Improve the repeater system. We're an amateur radio club. We need to communicate. Well, the new 448.025 repeater is almost ready to go. After it runs for a few months, we will link it to the 147.15 system and, perhaps, the 145.27 system. The combination of these repeaters should provide for solid communication within FARA's membership area. The 147.15 repeater needs help. One of our members mentioned to me the other day that it just doesn't work as well as it did 10 years ago. We will find out why and do whatever it takes to bring it back to health.
Goal #2: Improve FARA's focus on emergency response and public service. We're well on our way in dealing with this goal. We need your help, however. This means volunteer operators for our public service projects and emergency nets. Our new Emergency and Public Service subcommittee, consisting of Marc (WA1R), Steve (AA1IZ), Bev (N1LOO) and Jim (W1EQW) have already had their first meeting. You will be hearing a lot from them in the following months. See the article in this issue of the Circuit.
Goal #3: Get our new and inactive Hams on the air and active in the club. We will be conducting training sessions for our new Hams to show them how to purchase and use their radios. We will encourage them to check into our nets and participate in our emergency and public activities. We will continue to improve the W1FY club station and make it more available to all of our members. In short, we want to make our new Hams and inactive Hams feel welcome as amateur radio operators and as FARA members.
Looking back on my three goals, it appears that if we accomplish goal number 1, the rest will happen. Our members are the heart of our Club. Our repeater system is the artery that lets our members communicate, operate nets and provide emergency and public service communications. I look forward to 2002. With FARA's fine compliment of multi-talented officers and members, we can't help but achieve these goals!
Happy New Year!
Bob, W1RH
Emergency and Public Service Communications Committee
By Steve, AA1IZ
In response to 9/11 and the clear need for FARA to be a contributing club to the call for amateur radio assistance to emergency situations an Emergency Communications Committee has been formed. Chaired by club vice president AA1IZ, Steve, the first meeting took place on December 12th. In attendance were club EC, WA1R Marc as well as N1LOO, Bev, and W1EQW, Jim who are both major factors in FARA's public service activities.
There was active discussion as to the mission of the group, it's goals and how they could be achieved. A rough first statement was developed with the intent of revisiting it at the committees next meeting on January 7th.
FARA will be able to provide well-trained, responsible personnel and resources for emergency and public service communications.
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