DeFOREST
AMATEUR RADIO CLUB - K8GE
PO Box 73 - West Union, OH 45693-0073
SERVING SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO SINCE 1974
FEBRUARY 2001
EDITOR: WB8IOW - Jerry S. Paquette
http://www.qsl.net/k8ge
From The President's Shack
Well I think I'll start by thanking all of you that attended the
February meeting. I was very pleased with the turn out. As you know
there was a decision that needed to be made on a fund raising project,
and it is just better if there are a lot of members present for these.
And of course it's always good to see some old friends. It was de-
cided not to pursue the fund raiser at this time, but we do have a
Field Day committee an Ed is working on the special event so looks
like 2001 is well underway.
I would also like to remind you that dues are due, they must be paid
by the last day of February to keep your voting privileges. So if you
haven't already done so please do your best to get them to Marlene
KC8JXE or any of the officers.
Our next meeting will be March 13th, at the Ohio Valley Vocational
School Beginning at 6:30 PM. This is a weather spotters class. This
presentation is well worth attending, even if you have been to one
before, it seems I learn something new each time I go. I would also
invite you to bring a friend who may or not be a ham I would recommend
this class for everyone. Another plus to this is after attending and
meeting some club members who knows we might just get so more
new hams, and it is a good way to show off the public service of
Amateur Radio so bring yourself and think about bringing a friend.
I guess that's about it this month hope to see all of you at the
weather spotters, till then 73.
George KK8J
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NEXT MEETING
TUESDAY, March 13
6:30 PM
WEST UNION, OH
Ohio Valley Vocational School, SR125,
2 miles west of West Union
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MINUTES OF MEETING
February 13, 2001
Barbara Lock - N8HIA
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by George, KK8J. George
led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. There were 25 people attending
the meeting. George asked Barb N8HIA to read the minutes. Lucius,
KF8RC made the motion to accept the minutes as published in the
newsletter. Kim N8YWX, second the motion, motion carried.
Ed, KE8FK named the net controllers for January as KE8FK, February is
Barry KB8OMG, and March will be Roy KE4MZN. Ed gave George a
certificate of appreciation for being the President of the
club for the year 2000.
George past out certificates of appreciation for the year 2000, to
Dick W8ZFO for being our Public Information Officer, Ed for being
Vice President, Barb N8HIA Secretary, and Marlene KC8JXE for being
Treasurer. These were the officers for the year 2000.
Jerry, WB8IOW said that Georgetown was interested in having a
joint class for no code. They had thought of holding it at Decatur,
Russellville, or Winchester. In all probability it would be at
Winchester. They need to have at least five people committed to
coming to the classes to hold classes. Jerry has not heard from
anyone for the no code. Jerry asked if anyone would be interested in
a general class. It would be held in West Union. Jerry will put in
the newsletter. He will have to have at least five interested and
committed to taking the class before it can be held.
Ed needs to know who would like to be on the Field Day Committee.
Field Day Committee: Richard KA8EKC, George KK8J, Kim N8YWX, Barb
N8HIA, Ridney N8XGP, Jerry WB8IOW.
Special Event will be August 12, at Adams Lake. Ed to get paperwork
from Marlene to get permission for using the lake this year. Weather
spotter training will be March 13, at vocational school in West Union
starting at 6:30 PM.
George said we have been given the opportunity to raise money for the
club by working bingo in Washington, Kentucky. We would be working
with the Maysville radio club to raise money for both clubs.
We would be helping the Maysville Players by doing the bingo on Friday
nights for three months.
We would have to have at least six people to work the Friday night
from about 5:00 till 11:30 PM. We need to make a decision tonight so
that Marie, KE4MZP can get back to the Maysville Players with an
answer. There was much decision about working the bingo. Many
questions were brought up. Lucius made the motion to abandon the bingo
at this time. Jerry seconds the motion and the motion carried.
Jerry gave a program about terrorism. It was very interesting and
informative.
Richard has volunteered to do the weather nets since he has the time
right now. It will be greatly appreciated.
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Editors note:
Each year we have
several stations serve as net
control operator. They all do a
great job. Whenever Jerry,
WB8IOW or Bill, N8SND is notified
by the NWS of an upcoming
net they usually will start the net
or ask for volunteers.
Tip of the hat to all who volunteer for the job.
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Marlene came in late and gave her treasure report. Balance as of 1-19-
2001 $1726.65 with inflows of $784.50 and outflows of $455.23,
making the balance for 2-13-2001 $2055.92. Marlene read a letter
sent to the club by Hospice for donation given in Noel Kennedy
KD4LJN name.
Marlene reminded everyone dues are due now. Linda KC8JZG, done
split the pot with Lucius winning $10.00.
Lucius made the motion for the club to adjourn at 8:40 PM.
73's
Barb N8HIA
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DeForest A.R.C. Birthdays
& SPECIAL EVENTS
03-08 KB8PEG Amy Dotson
03-08 KB8NSJ Larry Bennington
03-13 DeForest meeting 6:30 PM
OVVS; SkyWARN class
03-16 N8XGM Tony L. Kimmerly
03-19 KC8DDY Lyle Lambert
03-21 KC8HFX Robert Kemphues
03-21 KF8RC Lucius Merrill Jr.
03-22 KC8LIA Karen A. Lambert
03-22 KB8YKM Imogene Seymour
04-04 KB8NBI Jack E. King
04-05 KC8HTX Tristan J. Grooms
04-05 KC8LIC Ronald K. Buhr
04-06 KB8RYG Lawrence P. Lewis
04-07 GMCARA TEST SESSION
9:30 AM ; contact KF8RC for details
04-08 W8FRD Fred Hamilton
04-09 KC8CZD Marty Hatfield
04-10 DeForest meeting 7:00 PM
04-14 N4VGI Bob Drake
04-14 KC8LIE Sharon A. Buhr
04-15 Scott Rohrback
04-16 KC8OKD Hermann Wessels,Sr
04-17 Carmen Payne
04-18 KD4PYZ T J Whitehead
04-24 KB8SCW Nadine Lewis
04-25 KA8VEE Robert W. Ralston
04-27 KB8VPR Joe Rogers
04-29 KQ4TN Paul D. Whitehead
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He Beat The Rap
"I just beat the rap for three years," said ARRL Ohio Section
Manager, Joe Phillips, K8QOE, Fairfield. "And with more than
five months to spare."
He just completed a dues renewal of The American Radio Relay League
for three years at the old rate. New dues rates, just announced by the
ARRL Board of Directors, go into effect July 1.
Annual dues for the League on July 1 go from $34 to $39 for regular
dues and go from $28 to $34 for seniors, age 65 and up. Until June
30, 2001, the old rates of $34 annual, $65 (two years) and $92 (three
years) apply. The senior rates which apply until June 30 are $28
(regular), $53 (two years) and $76 (three years).
Renewals are easy on the Internet at or toll
free at 1-888-277-5289, Phillips said. "I hope as many members take
this opportunity to lock in the old rates and beat the rap like I
did."
Charges to credit cards, VISA, MasterCard, AMEX and Discover cards are
available either by telephone (toll free) or by the Internet.
Phillips, K8QOE, is in his second two year term as Ohio Section
Manager.
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AMATEUR RADIO
SATELLITES
K8YMI - Bob Halley
When Radio Amateur Satellite enthusiasts gather, the first topic these
days is always about the current condition of A0-40. A quick review
is in order.
This satellite was referred to as Phase 3-D for nearly ten years.
In mid-November, it was launched from the European Space Agency site
at Kourou, French Guiana, South American on board an Ariane V rocket.
On a launch such as this, the satellite is first placed into an
orbit known as a transfer orbit, from which it is then moved to
the desired orbit, which is this case was to be an elliptical one
with a period of about almost 16 hours. Plans were to have a
70cm (435mh) beacon activated at launch which would report the
satellite's condition. Unfortunately, the 70 cm transmitter did not
turn on so the ground controllers switched to the 2 meter Tx.
This all worked til mid-December when the orbit was to be adjusted
using the 400 Newton engine. During the firing, a valve did not close
on time so the apogee altitude went to 60,000 km rather than the
50,000km planned. At the same time, the beacon went quiet. All
other transmitters were also quiet. In the design, the software
included a "reset" for this type of happening. On the second scheduled
reset, the 2400mh Tx activated on Christmas Day so it was considered a
Christmas present.
Since then, many very careful tests have been run to determine the
condition of the satellite. In the parlance of the space program, an
"event" occurred and it's not totally understood. The omni antennas
on the side facing the earth do not transmit on 2m, 440, L or X
band. It appears that the high gain antennas on the side away
from the earth work in receive mode.
The satellite is spinning at a rate higher than desired so this
immediate problem is being worked on just now. If this is
successful, the attitude can be adjusted to provide the needed
power for additional corrective steps.
Some software is being rewritten and will be uploaded. Many
tests must be run to determine the true condition and try to
remedy problems that can be solved from the ground control
stations. Patience is needed to support all of those who are
working on the problems. In spite of all of this, there is optimism
among AMSAT members and those who are trying to resolve the problems.
Up to date reports are published regularly on the web sites of
AMSAT.org, Amsat-UK.org and the ARRL.... occasionally they sound like
ring-side announcements. The original schedule for this satellite was
that it might take a year for all of the "shake-down" and that may
closer to the truth than some of us thought. Please be patient!
The reports about the International Space Station are very
positive. The third school contact was made on January 16 at
Sheldon Elementary School in Varysburg, New York. At one
school, a niece of Commander Bill Shepherd, KD5GSL asked
him a question...what a thrill that must have been for both.
The 2 meter packet station is operating on the ISS using an
uplink of 145.990, and a downlink of 145.80 with the call
RZ3DZR. Do not transmit on the packet uplink until you have
heard the packet beacon. The two meter voice station is using
the voice uplink of 144.490 in our part of the world and a
worldwide downlink of 145.800. The American call sign is
NN1SS , the Russian as shown above and a German call sign of
DL0ISS. There is a web site at http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov if you
are interested in more detail about the ISS.
MIR is once again in the news. After a delay, a Progress cargo
vessel blasted off from Kazakhstan recently carrying fuel
to be used to nudge MIR out of orbit late next month. Progress
is also carrying extra oxygen supplies in case an emergency
crew has to be sent to Mir for manual preparation. As I've said
before, this cat has more than nine lives. Shuttle Atlantis is
scheduled for launch the evening of February 7 as STS-98 to
carry a science station to the ISS.
-73- K8YMI
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ARRL 2001 Board Report
From my point of view.
Great Lakes Division Director
George Race WB8BGY
I would like to share with you my comments and thoughts about the
recent ARRL Board Meeting. Going into this meeting we all knew there
were going to be difficult decisions to be made. Decisions that would
be needed to assure that the League would continue to have good
financial health, to be able to meet the ever-increasing need for
Membership services and to continue our efforts for the retention of
Amateur Radio frequencies.
Before I talk about the financial health of the League, I would
like to review the situation surrounding the decision to NOT
support the S25.5 CW Provision of the International Regulations
by the Board. You may recall that last April, in Darwin Australia,
the League Delegate was the lone vote among the 70 or so Delegates
present to support the provision of S25.5. Why, simply because it was
Board policy put in place in a prior Board Resolution. Since April it
has been apparent that with more than two thirds of the World
Countries already committed to voting against the CW provision, there
would be nothing to gain by having the League Delegate vote in
opposition to the majority vote we know will be forthcoming.
As Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, put it, "We could not stop this train
even if we threw ourselves across the tracks." Any vote in
opposition would have been purely symbolic in nature. Please keep in
mind that the elimination of the S25.5 ruling from the ITU
requirements does not mean that CW will go away. The decision of a CW
requirement, for Amateur Licensing, will be left to the Governments of
individual Countries of the World. Our role in helping our Government
to make any decision on the future of CW, as a licensing requirement,
will be the next chapter to be written in Amateur Radio history over
the next several years. Eventually there will be NPRM's and
opportunities for you and the League to express their views
on future Federal Rule Makings that are sure to come.
The most difficult decisions are those decisions that cause the
League to reach deeper into the pockets of its Members. Increasing
the cost of League Membership has never been and will never be
popular. As Director, I don't expect any of you to thank me for
voting to raise your dues. I do think it is important to have you
understand why it was necessary.
For several years we have actually spent more than we have
taken in. We were able to do this partly because the returns
on our investment funds and Membership giving, over and above their
dues, enabled us to cover the short fall. With the market down we can
expect less earnings than in the past. Even though thousands of
Members have contributed above and beyond their basic dues, this is
not something that a business can continue to rely on. Additional
income must be generated if we are to continue to develop new
Membership benefits as well as continue those already in place.
In 1981 the dues were set at $25.00. Had we adjusted the dues yearly,
based on the Consumer Price Index, your dues this year would have been
just over $46.00. Over the past 20 years your dues has not begun
to keep pace with inflation. During this same period many new
Membership services have come about. This has only become possible
through cost cutting, better productivity, user fees for some League
programs and alternative sources of income. We have had a substantial
amount of gift income from the preplanning and thoughtfulness of now
Silent Keys.
The last 10 years have seen great swings in League Membership, 142,000
in 1990 to 162,000 in 1997, and now to around 150,000. We had all
hoped that Membership would continue to grow and indeed approach
200,000 in the near future. Had that happened, we probably would not
have needed an increase in Membership dues. Over 40% of our Members
are now paying the Senior Rate. Each year this number increases,
leading to even less dues income. When you average the Regular, Life,
and Senior Memberships we have actually been getting $31.00 per Mem-
bership for some time. Our spending per Member has risen to $38.00.
Obviously this could not continue, without a cut in Membership
services or an increase in dues.
When will the increase in dues get us back into the black? It
will be some time. The increase will take affect in July of this
year. In the mean time I am sure that many Members will take
advantage of the three-year renewal at the current price. Many
additional will go the route of the 8 Payment Life Membership Plan.
Indeed, our budget projections over the next three years show us
dipping deeper into our reserves to support the Business of the
League. Because of this, the Board has also voted to put in
place a Professional Development Department. This Department will
seek funding from a wide variety of funding sources. It will take
time. We expect at least two to three years for the program to start
producing usable income. As you can see, if Membership continues to
hold around the current numbers, alternate sources of income will be
needed to continue the current level of funding for Membership
Services, the Field Organization, our commitment to the Protection
of Frequencies, investment in Headquarters Technology, the work being
done at the Washington Bureau, QSL services, QST, and Awards programs.
And the list goes on and on.
What can you do to help? If you are not a member, join. If you are
a Member, talk to others about becoming Members. If every Member got
just one new Member, our Membership would double! One of the
greatest assets of the League has are its Affiliated Clubs.
Clubs can play a major role in the recruitment of new Members.
Why not have a Membership drive, double the size of your Club, and
double the size of your Club’s League Membership. Sounds like a win
win situation for all involved!
Be sure to read "It Seems To Us" by Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, in the March
QST. Dave will give you the full details of the Dues increase as
acted on by the Board. Also take time to read the minutes of the 2001
Annual Board Meeting of the ARRL. If you would like a plain text copy
of the Board Minutes, send me an email request and I will get
one coming your way.
73, George
WEEKLY NET
The DeForest A.R.C. weekly net is held Thursday evening, 9:00 PM,
all year, on the 147.00 MHz+ repeater. All check-ins welcome.
Traffic, club news, information.
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PLEASE REVIEW OUR NEWSLETTER SPONSORS ADS, BELOW
---------------------------------------------
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107 Walnut Street
West Union, Ohio
544-2643 or 544-5488
Chase Prather - Owner
Russ Grooms - Manager
Connie Bradford - Assistant Manager
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McDONALD'S
FAMILY OWNED
AND OPERATED
BREAKFAST
LUNCH - DINNER
WEST UNION
RIPLEY
PEEBLES
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Blake Pharmacy
Radio Shack
"On the town square,
in West Union, Oh"
(937) 544-2451
For special pricing, tell
Joey Traylor, you're a
member of the
DeForest Amateur Radio Club
& give him your callsign.
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C&D ELECTRONICS, Inc
Radio Shack Dealer
1565 US HWY 68
MAYSVILLE, KY
(606) 759-5027
or
toll free (888) 759-5027
MANAGER
KC4UXD
CHUCK DOUGHMAN
"Experience the Difference"
"You've Got Questions - We've Got Answers"
HAM DISCOUNT
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SOUTHERN HILLS
EYE CARE
DR. HOWARD L. COVERT
125 S. MANCHESTER STREET
WEST UNION, OH
(937) 544-3325
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CUSTOM ELECTRONICS
PEEBLES, OH
937 587-5122
OWNED AND OPERATED BY W8ZFO
SALES AND INSTALLATION
OF
DISH NETWORK SATELLITE SYSTEMS
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J.D.'s AUTO REPAIR
NAPA AUTO CARE CENTER - ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC
4685 CHAPPARAL ROAD - WEST UNION
(937) 544-8586
MONDAY - FRIDAY 8AM - 5 PM, CLOSED NOON HOUR
CLOSED SATURDAY & SUNDAY
OWNERS: JD - KB8VLF & DEE - KB8VBH
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SOUTHERN OHIO DRIVING SCHOOL
PEEBLES, OHIO
(937) 587-3194 or
(937) 587-3837
First-Time Drivers
Adults and Students
Remedial for Adults and Students
Owners:
Lyle Lambert (KC8DDY)
Jayne Lambert (KC8LUH)
and
Karen Lambert (KC8LIA)
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EDITOR E-MAIL: wb8iow@arrl.net
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