DeFOREST
AMATEUR RADIO CLUB - K8GE
P.O. Box 73 - West Union, OH 45693-0073
http:/www.qsl.net/k8ge
"SERVING SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO SINCE 1974"
APRIL 1998
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
The April meeting of the DeForest Amateur radio club was well
attended with 24 members present and two guests, Lisa and Dottie
Lorenz, daughters of Debbie (KB8QNT) and Ridney (N8XGP) Lorenz.
We were glad to have you and hope you come again to visit us.
Wow! It's May and that means a lot of things. Mother's Day is almost
upon us. I would like to take this opportunity to wish a very
special and happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers in our club and
in the families of our members. What would we do without Moms?
May is also an exciting time for Hams everywhere as we descend upon
Dayton in the annual pilgrimage known as the Dayton Hamvention. It's
a wonderful time of buying and selling and flea marketing,
fellowship, food and lots of other good things. Hope everyone is
getting ready to go. Don't forget to stop by the club booth, say
hello, visit, rest your feet. If you have anything you want to sell,
be prepared to sell it at the booth.
Recently, several of our club members attended Haz-Mat awareness
training course at the fire house in West Union along with other
emergency responders from the county. The class was well attended
and we were fortunate to have as our instructor, Fred Starcher, Haz-
Mat coordinator for Adams County and training officer for the Fire
Chiefs' Association. By the way, Fred goes by the call sign of
KB8VBI when he is on the radio.
Each time Jerry and I take a different training course, it makes me
stop and think of how important it is that we as communicators know
what our role is in any given emergency or disaster. It's important
that we respond with some sort of coordinated response effort and
this is where training sessions and practice make a big difference!
The DeForest A.R.C. does have a disaster plan which includes basic
guidelines for responding to disasters, weather emergencies, etc.
In the newsletters to come, I will be including excerpts from the
disaster plan in an effort to make us all more aware of the basic
guidelines that we have in place to help us communicate in times of
emergency for the maximum benefit of our neighbors, our community
and the agencies that we serve. I hope you all find this information
helpful. If you have any questions, as always, you know where I am.
73, N8YWX
Kim
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DEFOREST
AMATEUR RADIO CLUB MINUTES
APRIL 14, 1998
The April meeting of the D.A.R.C. was called to order by President
Kim Paquette. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by members
present. Jeff Phelps was present with the trailer from the W.U.F.D.
that is equipped with all radios for emergencies and disasters.
Everyone signed a card for Brad Cross KB8SDK and Tracy Long KB8SDL
on their marriage. Kim and Barb Lock attended the Red Cross meeting
on March 21st. Several counties attended with EMA, HAMS, the Red
Cross and the Salvation Army to discuss who to contact in a
disaster, what worked and didn't work in the flood of '97, and
damage assessment. More meetings will follow for coordinating.
Kim thanked the class instructors and others who helped: Jerry
Paquette, Ed Lock, Lyle Lambert, George Larter, Richard Newbauer,
Roy Foster, Bill Mangus, Ridney Lorenz and Kim Paquette. 3 passed
both tests. Another test will be held at 7 p.m. April 17th at Jerry
Paquette's house.
A motion was made by Jerry Paquette seconded by Richard Newbauer to
dispense with the reading of the minutes. Motion passes. We received
acknowledgment of the $25 dollar donation made to the American
Cancer Society in the name of Henry Jones. We also received a Thank
You card from Henry's family.
The Treasurer's report was read. A motion made by Jerry Paquette,
seconded by George Larter to approve as read. Motion passes. Assets
Management: Richard reported they have a list of what is at each
site and value. Ash Ridge will be added later.
Old Business:
Field Day Committee:
KA8ECK Richard Newbauer
KC8DDY Lyle Lambert
KC8HFV George Larter
N8XGP Ridney Lorenz
Kim met on April 7th with the Grant and Mason County Clubs about the
picnics. All will be on a Saturday. June 13th, Greater Mason County
A.R.A. at Blue Licks State Park. August 29th DeForest A.R.C. at
Adams Lake. October 10th Grant A.R.C. at Meldahl Dam.
Ridney Lorenz made a motion seconded by Richard Newbauer that the
club furnish the meat and soft drinks. Motion passes. George made a
motion seconded by Don that the clubs sell tickets for a radio.
Grant sell at Mason County, Mason County sell at DeForest A.R.C.
and DeForest A.R.C. sell at Grant. Motion passes.
Jerry Paquette reported that Kathie Cobb had stopped by before the
meeting and he gave her the key to the repeater building.
WVXU approved to pass the key to each new Vice President as long as
they know who has the key. Also the insurance claim for packet has
been sent, have not heard anything back yet.
New Business:
George Larter made a motion seconded by Jeff Phelps to participate
in the 4th of July Parade. Motion passes. Richard will pull the
float.
May net control: George Larter.
Jerry reported that he had gotten QST magazines for the classes and
has several left so he wanted to pass them out to club members who
are not a member of the ARRL. The club will get a $5.00 rebate for
each new member who signs up with the ARRL. 1 per family.
Jerry and Kim won't be able to attend the Dayton Hamfest so they
have 2 tickets for sale. Shannon Potts bought them for $30.00.
Ash Ridge Site: Jerry reported that there isn't anything in writing
from DP&L. $900 worth of hard line and fittings for the tower have
been bought. They have given a verbal O.K. We are waiting on a new
building. Should be on by late summer.
Meeting adjourned.
73, Debbie KB8QNT
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H.R. 3572: How You Can Help
(from ARRL newsletter)
What does H.R. 3572 do?
H.R. 3572 is a straightforward piece of legislation that would
require the Federal Communications Commission to provide "equivalent
replacement spectrum" in the event the Commission might need to
reallocate any Amateur Radio frequencies. As spectrum management is
a dynamic (not static) process of continual adjustment and
accommodation between various radio services, this measure would
maintain the FCC's ability to be an effective spectrum manager while
ensuring that the existing amount of amateur spectrum could not be
diminished.
What can you do?
When ARRL wants Congress to pay attention to a particular piece of
legislation, it often helps to ask our members write a brief letter
to their representative in Washington. Such letters indicate that
the legislation is not just the project of a special interest group,
but has the backing of the folks back home.
This is called "grassroots advocacy."
In fact, with non-controversial legislation like HR 3572, a letter
from the district is often all that is required to convince a member
of Congress to sign on as a co-sponsor of a bill.
So, if you support legislative protection for Amateur Radio
spectrum, please help by writing.
What's the objective?
The objective is to get as many co-sponsors as possible. What does
co-sponsorship mean? It means that the member of Congress has read
the bill and agrees that it is worthwhile legislation.
Co-sponsorship is not a vote in favor of the bill. However, the more
co-sponsors a bill has, the more attention is likely to be paid to
it, particularly if there are sufficient co-sponsors from both
political parties. And, if we're not able to get action on the bill
this session of Congress, the more co-sponsors we get the easier it
will be to have the bill introduced early next session.
Where should you look?
You can find their representatives' web pages and e-mail addresses
at http://www.house.gov/writerep/.
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Sample Letter
to your Member of Congress
(You may customize this letter)
The Hon. (name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
RE: H.R. 3572
Dear Representative (name):
Writing as one of the nation's more than 650,000 licensed radio
amateurs, I urge you to sign on as a cosponsor to H.R. 3572, the
Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 1998.
This bill, introduced by Representatives Bilibrakis and Klink on
March 27, is a non-partisan, non-controversial measure designed to
afford a measure of protection to Amateur Radio frequencies used by
radio amateurs in our state and elsewhere to provide emergency
communication, technical experimentation and recreation.
The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission to
provide "equivalent replacement spectrum" in the event it becomes
necessary to reallocate radio frequencies currently allocated to the
Amateur Service. This is a matter of fairness, and is in the
national interest.
The bill would help ensure Amateur Radio's continued public service
role to the people of your Congressional District.
Sincerely,
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Congratulations to the six new hams who recently completed the HAM
class. KC8JXD Glenna Blackburn, KC8JZH Stephen Downey,
KC8JZG Linda Larter, KC8JXC Don R. Myers,
KC8JXE Marlene L. Potts, KC8JZF Ray Stewart
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START YOUR SUMMER WITH AN ARRL MEMBERSHIP
SEE KE8FK (ED LOCK) FOR DETAILS AT THE MAY 12 MEETING !
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MAY 1998 BIRTHDATES & SPECIAL EVENTS
2 - KC8JXD Glenna Blackburn
4 - N8JSZ Tim Applegate
4 - GMCARA meeting
7 - NET - 9 PM
7 - GRANT ARC meeting
8 - KB8SDA Richard Swayne
10 - WB8SPV Gary Trustle
12 - DeFOREST A.R.C. meeting 7 PM - West Union
14 - NET - 9 PM
14 - Mary Jones
21 - NET - 9 PM
23 - PORTSMOUTH TEST SESSION 9:30 AM
25 - KC8JZG Linda Larter
26 - KC8HFV George Larter
28 - NET - 9 PM
30 - N8GCP John Mullenix
THIS NEWSLETTER CAN BE VIEWED AT: http://www.qsl.net/k8ge
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ESTIMATING WIND SPEEDS
(miles per hour)
0 Smoke rises vertically
1-3 Direction of wind shown by smoke drift but not by wind vanes
4-7 Wind felt on face, leaves rustle,
ordinary wind vane moved by wind
8-12 Leaves and small twigs in motion, light flags extended
13-18 Dust raised, loose paper raised, small branches move
19-24 Small leafy trees sway, crested wavelets form on lakes and ponds
25-31 Large branches in motion, whistling in
telephone wires or link fences
32-38 Whole trees in motion, inconvenience felt walking against wind.
39-54 Twigs break off trees, wind generally impedes progress
55-72 Damage to chimneys and TV antenna;
pushes over shallow rooted trees
72-112 Peels surface of roofs; windows broken; light trailer houses
pushed or overturned; moving automobiles pushed off roads
113-157 Roofs torn off houses; weak buildings and house trailers
destroyed; large trees snapped and uprooted
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NEXT MEETING
May 12, 1998 - 7:00 PM - ABCAP Senior Center - West Union, OH
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DeFOREST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
EMERGENCY PLAN
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(page 1)
1. INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE
During the early phases of any area-wide emergency, it can be
assumed that the existing communication systems used daily by most
agencies, particularly public safety, may fail or become severely
overloaded.
Volunteer radio communicators may be called upon to supply
communication services where no established links exist or to
supplement existing systems when they become disabled or overloaded.
Public safety communications systems are designed to routinely
handle emergency situations. It is not feasible for them to also
maintain resources which can meet the demands of all major
disasters. In those instances, volunteer radio communicators serve
to complement existing governmental and disaster agency
communications resources.
This plan addresses volunteer radio services augmenting existing
systems, substituting for damaged or inoperable systems, and
establishing communication links with otherwise inaccessible areas.
The magnitude of a particular emergency situati on will determine
the degree to which volunteer communications systems are utilized.
Volunteer communication support is generally needed at EOCs,
emergency shelters, police departments, hospitals and at major
emergency scenes.
The DeForest Amateur Radio Club is ready to provide back-up
communications in time of disaster for government agencies in the
Adams County, Ohio, area.
Services that can be provided by the DeForest A.R.C. may include:
* Communication between the Emergency Management Agency other
governmental agencies.
* Communications support to government.
* Supplemental communication services to disaster relief
organizations, including the American Red Cross and Salvation Army.
* Supplemental communication services to hospitals and other medical
resources.
* Health and Welfare communications for the general public.
* Additional public service communications as required.
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(page 3)
1.B Volunteer Radio Operators Support to Government in a Disaster
Shadow key leaders
Support to government is the most important role that volunteer
radio operators play during emergencies. An Amateur radio operator
(Ham) can follow key leaders wherever they go and maintain
communications with battery-powered, portable radios. This lets key
leaders communicate with anyone else who is also being shadowed by a
Ham.
Backup downed communications
Hams provide a backup to downed or jammed communications by
shadowing each individual and facility affected. For example, if
all regular emergency channels are jammed up, Hams can be put at
each field command post to provide a clear tactical channel. When a
disaster happens, THIS IS THE VOLUNTEER COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTION THAT
IS ADDRESSED FIRST. This puts amateur radio operators in the right
locations to perform any of the other functions listed here.
Liaison
Most government agencies have their own communication systems, but
most lack the ability to communicate with other agencies. Hams
bridge this gap by placing radio operators with each agency.
Spotters/runners
Hams are mobile, and can act as runners to keep people in touch
e.g., where a dispatch center and EOC are far apart). Sometimes a
communications problem is as simple as not being able to find
someone. Hams can be extended eyes and ears for agencies. DeForest
A.R.C. members serve as spotters for the National Weather Service,
watching for, and reporting, severe weather conditions.
Health and welfare traffic
Hams are best known for this activity. Amateur radio operators pass
messages about family and friends following a disaster. This radio
traffic can cover long distances (world-wide) on HF frequencies and
shorter distances (less than 100 mi) on VHF/UHF frequencies. Since
passing these messages is MUCH LOWER PRIORITY than helping
government agencies address immediate threats to life and property,
there is a 24 hour moratorium on inbound health and welfare traffic.
NEXRAD Weather Service Office
Members of the DeForest Amateur Radio Club are offered severe
weather spotter training annually by the NEXRAD Weather Service
Office, Wilmimgton Ohio.
Hams can be utilized by reporting immediate and imminent severe
weather. They can also report rainfall, flood conditions, snowfall,
wind damage, etc. The DeForest Amateur Radio Club has been chosen by
the NWSO to coordinate severe weather reporting via Amateur radio in
the following counties: Adams, Brown, Highland, Pike, Scioto in
Ohio, and Lewis and Mason in Kentucky.
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Monthly Refreshments
May - Karen Groves
June - Jerry Paquette
July - James Wilson
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1998 Officers
President - N8YWX - Kim
Vice president - WD8LSN - Larry
Secretary - KB8QNT - Debbie
Treasurer - KE8FK - Ed
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PLEASE REVIEW OUR NEWSLETTER SPONSORS ADS, BELOW
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PRATHER'S IGA
FOODLINER
107 Walnut Street
West Union, Ohio
544-2643 or 544-5488
Chase Prather - Owner
Jay Prather - Manager
Russ Grooms - 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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BRADFORD & GUSTIN
INSURANCE AGENCY
202 N. Pleasant
West Union, OH
(937) 544-2397
Jack Bradford - Agent
KA8URK
HOME - AUTO - FARM
BUSINESS - LIFE
RISK - HAIL
LIFE & HOSPITALIZATION
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SOUTHERN HILLS
EYE CARE
DR. HOWARD L. COVERT
125 S. MANCHESTER STREET
WEST UNION, OH
(937) 544-3325
Office Manager
Dee - KB8VBH
Licensed Optician
Kim - N8YWX
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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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COMPUTER CORNER
dba: K&P ELECTRONICS
LAMINATING SERVICE
3 mil, 7 mil, and 10 mil laminate available
FCC LICENSES (10 mil. $3 for both) WINDSHIELD SIGNS
-usually $2 each
CLUB ID BADGES - usually $1 each, including lapel clip AWARD
CERTIFICATES - usually $2 each
PHOTO ID - call for prices
(no passports or passport photos)
CALL (937) 544-3763
owned and operated by WB8IOW & N8YWX
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EDITOR E-MAIL: paquette@bright.net