DeFOREST
                         AMATEUR RADIO CLUB - K8GE
                  P.O. Box 73 - West Union, OH 45693-0073
                   SERVING SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO SINCE 1974

                           "First Issue of Y2K"


                               JANUARY  2000
                     EDITOR: WB8IOW -Jerry S. Paquette
                          http://www.qsl.net/k8ge


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                        FROM THE PRESIDENT'S SHACK
                              George - KC8HFV

      Okay, now lets see where did I put those notes. Under the tuner...
      no on the file cabinet... no, oh here they are (slide slide shuffle
      bump fall dididididididididididi oops hit the paddles probably
      should have turned the vox off). Oh well a clean desk is a sign of a
      sick mind.

      Hey can you believe it already been a month where does time go?
      There is a lot of exciting things already in the works for this
      year. One of which is the HAZ-MAT training coming up on March 5, 11,
      12, & 18, 2000. This is a Technician level class so it will be much
      more hands on training, with simulated spills etc., a very
      interesting class and one I would encourage you to attend if you
      can.

      You know almost everyday on my way home from work it seems I get
      behind a truck that has a placard on it, if I'm at a traffic light I
      look up the number or jot it down to look up later. And 7 out of 10
      times its hazardous material or toxic waste.  You can also see
      barges on the river with tanks that are placarded and lets not
      forget the railroad that goes through our county. It is no longer a
      matter of IF we have an accident but a matter of WHEN. And we are
      considered a preferred route for toxins because we are rural with
      less population density (an acceptable risk).  And so for those of
      us into the public service of our hobby we need to do all we can to
      be ready to assist in any way we can, Hams and Boy Scouts always
      prepared.

      Then we have Field Day and I'm sure Ed KE8FK will take us into
      another fantastic event. And of course there is our annual
      pilgrimage to Dayton where we try to eliminate our entire annual
      income in just three short days, let'em have Christmas we got the
      Hamvention. I would also hope we can continue with the theory and
      code classes with the new license structure coming in place I look
      forward to welcoming many new members to Amateur radio and our club.
      Jerry WB8IOW is working on a test session I'll Let him fill you in
      on the details as he gets them ready thanks Jerry, maybe I can get
      my Extra ticket hi hi.

      Now on to other things. At our last meeting we as a club decided
      that in addition to the regular program of the meeting we would have
      a topic of the month. This is going to be an open forum open to all
      members to take about 10 to 15 minutes to speak on a subject that
      they are interested in, i.e. a favorite QSO, a new piece of
      equipment, how to contest, projects, cw. etc. Kim N8YWX has
      volunteered to speak on a topic for the February meeting don't know
      what its about but with Kim it will be great. So if you have a topic
      and want to share it just get in contact with me or any of the club
      officers and we will try to accommodate you the rest of the year is
      open. Don't be shy we want to hear about your interest.

      That's about it fer now I would like to add that I am always open to
      your input so if you have any comments, suggestions, ideas, Hey bend
      my ear, after all it's our club lets work together to always make it
      the best we can.

                Till next time 73 de KC8HFV
                                 di di dit  da di dah

                                       George

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                               NEXT MEETING
                             February 8, 2000

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                                MINUTES OF
                         January 11, 1999 MEETING
                           Barbara Lock - N8HIA

      The meeting was called to order by our president, George KC8HFV, at
      7:03 p.m., with the pledge of allegiance to the flag.  George asked
      for the secretaries report from Barb N8HIA, Ed KE8FK, made the
      motion to accept the minutes as written in the news letter.  Dick
      W8ZFO, second and the motion carried.  George asked for the
      treasurer report from Marlene KC8JXE.  Marlene read the final report
      made by Ed KE8FK for the ending of December.  Ed's report was from
      12-15-99 through 12-31-99, with inflows of $104.77, outflows of
      $57.66, with balance as of 12 -31-99 $1,707.45.  Marlene's report
      was for 01-11-00 through 01-11-00, with inflows of $95.00, outflows
      of $34.77, with balance as of 01-11-00, $1,767.68.  Lyle KC8DDY,
      made the motion to accept the treasurer report as read, Kim N8YWX,
      second and the motion carried.  Marlene passed around the reports
      for the members to look at and read.

      George said the millennium net went well and it was fun to run.
      George passed around a sample of the certificate for all to see.
      The certificates will be passed out at the next meeting in February.
      George said he had 27 people to check into the net, which was great.

      Kim N8YWX, gave George a certificate she received for the DeForest
      ARC, from 4-H Carteens for supporting and helping with the program
      put on this past summer.  George passed the certificate around and
      Kim gave a letter that came with it to the secretary, Barb N8HIA,
      to keep on file.

      George KC8HFV, made a presentation of a plaque to Kim N8YWX, for the
      three years she has served as president of the club. Also for the
      appreciation of the members for all the work she has done for the
      club.

      George asked Ed KE8FK, for a vice president report.  Ed said the
      repeater is working fine and that all he needed was to get a list of
      people willing to run the Thursday night net.  George gave Ed a key
      to the repeater site.

      January      Ed KE8FK                July        George KC8HFV
      February     Barry KB8OMG            August
      March        Lucius KF8RC            September   Kim N8YWX
      April        Pat KC8LVE              October     Linda KC8JZG
      May          Marlene KC8JXE          November
      June         Jerry WB8IOW            December    Barb N8HIA

      George said the libraries that had been checked on for the radio
      books were: Peebles by Dick W8ZFO, they had a blue covered book,
      and book on antennas.  Dick said the library had request for a book
      on starting in radio.  Kelley KB8UAO, said that Manchester did not
      have any books.  Kim N8YWX, said the West Union library had a 1992,
      blue hand book with a hard cover.  George wanted to know if we would
      want to update books for the libraries, with maybe two books.  The
      hand book is a good source of reference, and maybe a study book.
      It was decided to wait until the restructuring of the license, so we
      will table it till March.  Lucius KF8RC, made the motion to  wait,
      Glenna KC8JXD second and motion carried.

      George reminded everyone that the dues are due for the club.  You
      have to February 29, 2000, to get the money into Marlene KC8JXE.
      Marlene also has split the pot if anyone is wanting a ticket.

      George KC8HFV, introduce our new member to the club, Fred Hamilton
      W8FRD, from Peebles.  The members introduced themselves to Fred.
      Welcome to the club.  We had a total of 23 people present for the
      meeting.

      Marlene KC8JXE, said the Dayton Hamvention needs to be addressed.
      The money for the spaces needed to be paid by January 10, 2000,
      the spaces will be $65.00 a piece and we usual get two spaces.
      Pat KC8LVE made the motion to pay for the spaces and Mike AB8AM
      second, motion carried.  Lucius KF8RC also said that we needed at
      least two tickets for who ever went to set up for the club.  The
      flea market tickets would be $16.00, at the door they will be
      $22.00.  Lucius made the motion to buy the tickets needed, Heber
      AA8VV second and motion carried.

      Jerry WB8IOW discussed the restructuring of the license class for
      amateur radio.  They will now have just three classes, Technician,
      General, and Extra.  As of April 15, 2000, this is the way you will
      have to study to get a license.  If you now have a no-code tech, or
      tech plus you will become a tech.  If you have an advance you will
      stay as an advance.  You can upgrade now if you want before the new
      tests come into being.  Jerry said he plans on having a test session
      sometime in March for ones wanting to upgrade their license.
      We appreciate the help Lucius KF8RC, and Bill N8SND gave help
      explaining the license restructuring.  You can keep the license you
      now have and renew it when it is time, or you can upgrade.

      George KC8HFV, said we needed to set up people who would like to do
      refreshments:

      January      Linda KC8JZG            July
      February     Pat KC8LVE              August
      March        Kim  N8YWX              September   Lyle  KC8DDY
      April        Barb N8HIA              October
      May                                  November
      June         Marlene KC8JXE          December

      George KC8HFV, has an idea for the club, Topic of the Month.
      It would be any topic of interest to you about radio, that you want
      to share with the rest of the club members.  You will have fifteen
      minutes to give a short talk on your topic for the month.
      Kim N8YWX,  has agreed to do topic of the month for February.

      Tom KC8NHS, brought a newsletter he received from the Pitcairn
      Island.  Kim N8YWX, said that she would put the information in the
      newsletter for us all to read.

      Ridney N8XGP, called Jerry WB8IOW, and said we can use the same
      place this year for field day if we want.  Jerry WB8IOW, said any
      article you want to summit for the newsletter to have it in to him
      within 10 days after the club meeting.  Anything after 10 days will
      not be put in the newsletter.

      Kim N8YWX,  thanked Linda KC8JZG, for the cookies for our
      refreshments for January.  Linda KC8JZG, had Fred W8FRD, draw for
      the split the pot, Matt KC8LMJ, won $12.50, congratulations.  Mike
      AB8AM, made the motion to close the meeting at 8:25, Barry KB8OMG,
      second, the  meeting adjourned.
                                                      73's
                                                      Barb N8HIA

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                       ARES REPORT FOR JANUARY, 2000

      At the last meeting of the Emergency Management Agency, Paul
      Howelett discussed getting a Haz-Mat team together for Adams County.
      Paul said the size of Adams County we should have 26 trained
      technicians.  Paul hopes that after the March training classes to be
      able to have enough  trained technicians.

      The classes will be held March 5, 11, 12, and 18, 2000, at the West
      Union Fire Department, time 8:00 a.m..  The first day will be
      Awareness and Operations.  The other three days will be Technician
      Training.  The hams can take the training.  Especially the first
      day, Awareness and Operations.  The last three days of the
      Technician Training can also be taken, if you have had any haz-mat
      training before.  If the hams take this last two days of training,
      they can be used for communications only.

      If anyone is interested in taking the classes, please contact Barb
      N8HIA, George KC8HFV, Ed KE8FK, or Marlene KC8JXE.  We need to have
      a count for Paul Howelett for the classes.

      Ed KE8FK checked Adams County Emergency Management into the ARES Y2K
      net on December 31, 1999.

                                                      73's
                                                      Barb N8HIA
                                                      EC Adams County

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               DeFOREST A.R.C. BIRTHDAYS - & SPECIAL EVENTS
                           February & March 2000
                       02-04   Charmaine R. Burnes
                       02-05   KB8PPR   Mark Mershon
                       02-08   KJ8I     Vondon Applegate
                       02-08   DeForest ARC Meeting
                       02-11   KC8LIB   Ben Clark
                       02-14   WB8ZZR   Paul W. Gehringer
                       02-17   KC8LMJ   Matt Sheeley
                       02-22   KB8WGV   Martha W. King
                       02-29   KB8YLP   Howard Seymour
                       03-01   KC8HFZ   Jeff A. Phelps
                       03-06   WD8AIL   Bill Main
                       03-07   DeForest ARC Meeting
                       03-08   KB8PEG   Amy Dotson
                       03-08   KB8NSJ   Larry Bennington
                       03-16   7:00 PM  WX Spotter Training
                       03-16   N8XGM    Tony L. Kimmerly
                       03-19   KC8DDY   Lyle Lambert
                       03-21   KF8RC    Lucius Merrill  Jr.
                       03-21   KC8HFX   Robert J. Kemphues
                       03-22   KC8LIA   Karen A. Lambert
                       03-22   KB8YKM   Imogene Seymour

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                                  DX-ING
      **excerpt taken from the Pitcairn Miscellany, Volume 42, Number 9,
      September 1999 - Pitcairners CQDX from VP6PAC.  The Pitcairn Ham
      Club has been very busy in September building up their contacts
      around the world.  It's called "dx-ing" and means many hours spent
      on the ham radio calling on different radio bands, reaching many
      different countries.

      The latest effort has been very successful with over 1000 contacts
      being made in a particularly active week.
      Thanks to Tom McDonough KC8NHS for this submission

      ** for more information on DXpeditions relating to the above
      article, check out the web page of WW0DX.
      http://www.win.bright.net/~colebdjr/vr6db.html

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                          ARL FIFTY THREE /PLAQUE
      (Received your _______.  It's appreciated;  many thanks.)
      As we shovel our way through January, the new year is well underway
      for our new club officers.  I look forward to the year and enjoying
      Ham radio as I get the chance to visit with more of  our members.

      I can't express my gratitude for all the support given to me these
      past (almost) three years I spent as President and to say how much
      I appreciated the plaque that was presented on January 11th.  It is
      hanging in my  hamshack and I walk by it several times a day.

                                                  73, Kim  N8YWX

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                                 Greetings

      The civil authorities (those in charge who depended on Ohio ARES for
      the Y2K support) have been served by our efforts this weekend.  And
      we are still energized by the Y2K support efforts from the
      hospitals, police stations and county EOCs where we all stood by at
      the ready to the Ohio EMA checking on all Ohio counties and to the
      Ohio Single Side Band Network which operated a special Y2K session.

      Right at this moment, it is time to make a change in ARES
      leadership.

      So I am appointing Larry Rain, WD8IHP, of Mansfield, Number Six
      District Emergency Coordinator, to be Section Emergency Coordinator
      (SEC) effective immediately.

      For the past 15 years this has been the responsibility of Larry
      Solak, WD8MPV, of Mantua. Larry has constructed a strong district
      emergency coordinator structure and put in place all the tools to
      continue and strengthen the ARES program in Ohio. He h as earned and
      will receive the respect and thanks of the Ohio Section for his
      service.

      Larry Rain will be asking for help and support from all of you. He
      knows the DEC structure well and will make it grow. Call on him at
      wd8ihp@arrl.net. In the spirit of amateur radio to serve our
      communities and state, it up to all of us to make ARES the
      strongest organization possible so we will continue to be ready to
      serve.

                            Joe Phillips, K8QOE
                              Section Manager
                               Ohio Section

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                                    Y2K

                          By Joe Phillips, K8QOE
                           Ohio Section Manager

      When this year 2000 was four days old, it already had more amateur
      radio news than all of 1999. Including not only hams reaffirming our
      expertise in toilet tissue (some hams will always squeeze the
      Charmin) but our long suffering volunteer examiners, who got a late
      Christmas present.

      By Wednesday of the New Year, Ohio hams had:

      A) Spent New Years Eve right through New Year Day at hospitals,
      police stations, county emergency operating centers (EOCs) standing
      ready to serve in the case of disaster from the Millennium Clock
      change over

      B) Spend the time debating restructuring, as announced by the FCC,
      including what effect restructuring has on the ruination of Ham
      Radio.

      C) Began to purchase upgrade books and looking for testing schedules
      to beat the FCC imposed April 15 deadline to upgrade under the old
      system.

      While some of us were wondering out loud if our licenses were worth
      more than unused toilet tissue, numerous hams completed a raid on
      dealers and the ARRL for books to upgrade. Yes, the elimination of
      all CW tests above 5WPM has angered Advanced and Extra class
      amateurs. But the hobby has also been energized - at the start of
      the New Year. The ARRL was wondering if its book supply would last
      four weeks. Four DAYS later, the League was out of books. So are
      most dealers.

      That's the late Christmas present our Volunteer Examiners received.
      Testing sessions, I predict, will now overflow well past the April
      15 deadline. If you are looking for an Ohio testing session, may I
      suggest you visit www.wcnet.org/~johnson and thank Bob Johnson,
      K3RC, Stony Ridge, for constantly updating this list even when it
      wasn't this popular.

      Guess what else helped energize this dormant hobby? Oh yes, it was
      Y2K.  Oh I know Y2K was a big bust for everyone else but our mayors,
      police chiefs, county commissioners, state emergency officials were
      all reintroduced to the value of a back up communications system.
      Our county ARES programs will find getting equipment and meeting
      space from civil authorities easier for a while.

      Even at the state level, 70 minutes before the clock changeover,
      Ohio Governor Bob Taft was at Ohio Emergency Management Headquarters
      asking John Chapman, WB8INY, about the ham radio effort. Chapman and
      seven hams were doing at Ohio EMA what hams were doing all over Ohio
      - working  back up communications systems in anticipation of
      disaster. That the disaster didn't happen did NOT diminish our role.
      Now civil authorities, from Governor Taft to Ohio's city mayors,
      know of our value. And the utilities. And the safety officials. And
      the hospitals. Good.

      One last stab at the toilet tissue issue. Complaints about
      restructuring, however valid, are hardly new. I remember when first
      getting my ticket in the late 50s. Then supporters of AM mode were
      complaining that Single Side Band would be the ruination of Ham
      Radio.

      Yes, as we write this after four days, this year has 362 days to go
      (leap year remember). And it's already been historic.

                                    -30-

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                                WEEKLY NET

     The DeForest A.R.C. weekly net is held Thursday evening, 9:00 PM,
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