November 2003
Fall is here!
As winter approaches, we all have odd jobs around the house to do before it snows. We check and tighten antennas and guy wires, anticipating the inevitable blizzards and ice storms. Waterproofing coax connections and double-checking rotors has become high priority.
But as we near the coldest months of the year, let's not forget to be prepared for brown-outs, and the possibility of being snowed in. Will you be ready if the lights go out? Will you have food, water, and heat if snow drifts block you in? It may take quite some time for you to dig your way out! What if a major blizzard wrecks havoc on our communities and we are called upon to provide backup communications? Do you have battery power enough to run a 25-50 watt rig for several hours?
Try to stock up on the basic necessities for your family. Enough non-perishable food to last at least 3 days, and one gallon of water per person, per day. A family of four should store about 12 gallons. Keep it fresh! Change the water every few months.
A kerosene heater, with several gallons of kerosene, is something you may want to consider purchasing, if you do not already own one. Not only is it useful in emergencies, you will find that it comes in handy when you need to heat your garage or shop this winter!
You may also want to consider putting together an emergency radio kit, often called a "Go-Kit." A radio or two, battery backup, flashlights, note pads, pencils and pens, spare connectors, coax jumpers, and compact antennas are just a few things you may want to include. Keep it somewhere that you can easily reach in case we are asked to help, or the power goes out.
Don't forget to make sure your neighbors are prepared for an emergency, and consider stocking extra food and water, in case they need your help.
Have a great month!
Respectfully,
Your President, Joshua Welsh
News of Note
This month's Amateur Radio news, summarized from the ARRL's web site.
FCC Commissioner's Office Clarifies "Broadband Nirvana" Remarks (Nov 13, 2003) -- The office of FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy has expressed regrets that her remarks in a September speech may have failed to make Abernathy's concerns sufficiently clear about potential interference from Broadband over Power Line (BPL).
Electric Utility Reaches Out to North Carolina Hams on BPL (Nov 12, 2003) -- Amateurs in southeastern North Carolina have gained the attention of an electric utility that's planning additional testing and possible deployment of ...(BPL) Internet delivery...Progress Energy initiated a dialogue with the amateur community in response to many calls and e-mails from concerned amateurs. He says technical personnel...met recently with Amateur Radio representatives, and the company has promised to include Amateur Radio in its next testing phase, set to begin late this year or early next year in Wake County.
UO-14 Satellite Declared Dead (Nov 11, 2003) -- The UO-14 satellite has been declared officially dead. The Mission Control Centre...reports that the venerable and popular bird "has reached the end of its mission after nearly 14 years in orbit." Launched in 1990, UoSAT-OSCAR-14 pioneered the PACSAT communication concept as the first 9.6 kbps Amateur Radio data communications satellite, although it became best known in recent years as an FM "easy sat" repeater.
ARISS Announces Roy Neal, K6DUE, ISS Commemorative Event (Nov 11, 2003) -- The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) international team has announced an on-the-air event to commemorate Roy Neal, K6DUE, who died August 15. ARISS has requested that the ISS Expedition 8 crew of commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC, and Alex "Sasha" Kaleri, U8MIR, communicate from space with earthbound radio amateurs during the November 29-30 weekend. Those contacting the ISS by voice (NA1SS) or packet (RS0ISS) through the end of December will be eligible for a special anniversary event certificate.
Spectrum Protection Act Cosponsor List Takes a Giant Step (Nov 10, 2003) -- There's encouraging news from Washington this week. The list of House cosponsors for the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act, HR 713, has nearly reached 70. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says he's pleased with the progress over the three weeks since he'd expressed his frustration over the lack of cosponsors. Since mid-October, the list has grown by 17 representatives. The Senate version of the legislation, S 537, is holding at eight cosponsors.
NWS/ARRL SKYWARN Recognition Day (Nov 6, 2003) -- The fifth annual SKYWARN Recognition Day will take place Saturday, December 6, 2003, 0000 UTC to 2400 UTC. During the special event, Amateur Radio operators visit National Weather Service (NWS) offices and contact other operators around the world. The purpose of the event is twofold: to recognize Amateur Radio operators for the vital public service they perform during times of severe weather and to strengthen the bond between radio amateurs and their local NWS office. The event is cosponsored by the American Radio Relay League and the National Weather Service.
ARRL Announces 2003 Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award Winner (Nov 5, 2003) -- Tim Lewallen, KD5ING, of Nacogdoches, Texas, is the winner of the 2003 Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award. The award is given annually to an ARRL member who demonstrates outstanding volunteer public relations success on behalf of Amateur Radio.
New Resource for Instructors! (Nov 5, 2003) -- Field and Educational Services is proud to announce our newest resource for active Volunteer Instructors: The Online Instructor Primer. This new compilation...is jam-packed with helpful tips, links, and tutorials sure to help instructors eager to try new ideas and approaches. The web primer is organized so that information can be located in an instant. Just use the handy index...Quick-links give you full-access to many ARRL services -- and becoming a Volunteer Instructor has never been made easier. Go ahead.read why being an Instructor can be so rewarding!
Extreme Solar, Geomagnetic Conditions Persist as Third Recent CME Hits Earth (Oct 30, 2003) -- Old Sol's not finished with us just yet. A severe geomagnetic storm began at 1700 UTC today (Oct. 30) as particles from yet another coronal mass ejection enveloped Earth...according to Spaceweather.com. This is the third CME to either directly hit or glance off the Earth in a week.
Amateur Radio Support Continues in California Fire Disaster (Oct 29, 2003) -- Ham radio volunteers continue to play a role in the ongoing fire emergency in Southern California. A dozen fires, some of them massive, now have burned some 600,000 acres and claimed 16 lives, most of them in the hard-hit San Diego area. Thousands of residents have been evacuated. ARRL San Diego Section Manager Kent Tiburski, K6FQ, says a shift in winds has moved the fire danger away from San Diego proper, but hams continue to supplement communication at two of nine shelters in the area--one at Mountain Empire and a second in Borrego Springs, where hams from Imperial County have been assisting.
Ditter II--The Return of the Ditter (Oct 29, 2003) -- Some solid teamwork between the FCC and the ARRL and accurate direction-finding led some Amateur Radio volunteers to the source of an unidentified and continuous string of dits being transmitted without identification on 14.024.8 MHz...another volunteer eventually tracked down another "ditter" on the West Coast that had plagued 20 meters. After receiving reports of the more recent signal, ARRL Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, found he was able to copy it from ARRL Headquarters. The ARRL called upon the FCC's HF Direction Finding (HFDF) facility in Maryland to get a bearing on the signal.
ARRL Petitions for Review of FCC Orders (Oct 28, 2003) -- The ARRL has filed a Petition for Review of two FCC orders that would allow certification of unlicensed 24-GHz Part 15 equipment at field strengths 10 times the level Part 15 rules now permit...The ARRL is appealing a Report and Order (R&O), Amendment of Part 15 of the Commission's Rules to allow Certification of Equipment in the 24.05-24.25 GHz Band at Field Strengths up to 2500 mV/m, and a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O), Amendment of Part 15 of the Commission's Rules to allow Certification of Equipment in the 24.05-24.25 GHz Band at Field Strengths up to 2500 mV/m...the ARRL has maintained that such high-powered devices should be licensed.
International Students Gain Amateur Radio Appreciation During USTTI Course (Oct 27, 2003) -- Four students from three nations this week attended the 2003 United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) course on Amateur Radio administration. Sessions took place October 20-24 at ARRL Headquarters. Coordinated by USTTI and presented by ARRL Headquarters staff, the program covers--among other topics--the International Telecommunication Union and ITU regulations, the International Amateur Radio Union, spectrum management, emergency communication, digital communication, amateur satellites, electromagnetic interference, international licensing and Amateur Radio testing and licensing in the US. Conference attendees said that they were learning many valuable lessons regarding Amateur Radio and national communications administration.
OSCAR Echo to Launch in March (Oct 22, 2003) -- AMSAT-North America has announced that launch of the AMSAT OSCAR-E Amateur Radio microsat--the "Echo Project"--has been moved up to March 31, 2004. Earlier plans had called for a May 2004 launch. Echo Project Team member Richard Hambly, W2GPS, reported at AMSAT-NA's Annual Meeting and Space Symposium October 18-19 in Toronto, Canada, that the Echo project has made significant progress in recent months.
The results of the ARRL 2003 Field Day (Oct 21, 2003) -- the scores database and a writeup entitled "The Ham in the Hat" (a la Dr Seuss)--now are available for League members. The pages contains a user-searchable database and the expanded contest summary plus tables comparing this year's event with previous Field Day events, and some "interesting" sidebars, including one called "How the Grinch Stole Propagation," says ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND. There's also a "2003 Field Day Photo
New ARRL Antenna Book Receives Major Revision (Oct 21, 2003) -- The most authoritative Amateur Radio antenna resource takes higher flight, aided by the power of computer modeling. The new 2004 ARRL Handbook is also hitting the streets, with new insights into the world of DSP.
New Two-Ham ISS Crew Set to Head into Space October 18 (Oct 17, 2003) -- The International Space Station (ISS) crew is getting ready to have company and to head back to Earth. Aboard the ISS since April, Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, this week have been preparing for the arrival of their replacements--the Expedition 8 team of Mike Foale, KB5UAC, and Alexander Kaleri, U8MIR. The Expedition 7 crew also wished all the best to China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei.
Brazil to Host Next World Radiosport Team Championship (Oct 16, 2003) -- The next World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) will be held in 2006 in Brazil. That announcement came October 11 from the World Radiosport Team Championship Sanctioning Committee, the Liga de Amadores de Radio Emissno (LABRE) and the Araucaria DX Group (GADX). Steve Morris, K7LXC, chairs the WRTC Sanctioning Committee.
Haynie: Letters=Voters=Support on Amateur Radio Legislation (Oct 16, 2003) -- ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says the good news is that the number of House cosponsors for the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act, HR 713, has topped 50. The Senate version of the legislation, S 537, now has eight cosponsors. The downside, Haynie says, is that the Spectrum Protection Bill as well as the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act, HR 1478, will need many more cosponsors if either is to succeed.
Papua New Guinea latest to drop Morse requirement (Oct 16, 2003) -- Rick Warnett, P29KFS, reports that the Papua New Guinea Telecommunications Administration (PANGTEL) has deleted Morse code as a requirement for HF access. The decision came on October 6 and will be formally announced in the next few days, said Warnett--the Papua New Guinea International Amateur Radio Union representative for the Papua New Guinea Amateur Radio Society. "Some 30 to 40 new 'full calls' will now have access to HF radio and the international communication possible," Warnett said. In addition, Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, New Zealand, Australia, Luxembourg and Singapore have moved to drop their Amateur Radio Morse testing requirements. A recent Radio Amateurs of Canada survey indicated that two-thirds of the Canadian licensees responding to the survey want their country to drop the Morse requirement. In the US, the comment period on another seven separate Morse code-related petitions for rule making--some of which would altogether eliminate Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse test, from the Amateur Service rules (Part 97)--ends Friday, November 7. US amateurs may comment on the petitions--RM-10805 through RM-10811--using the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See "FCC Invites Comments on Additional Morse Code-Related Petitions" for more information.
The Daily DX: 3C0V Team Was Given Just Hours to Leave (Oct 15, 2003) -- The Daily DX reports this week that the Annob¢n Island 3C0V DXpedition team was given just a few hours to leave October 4 after the island's military commander reportedly objected to the Amateur Radio operators' presence. The 3C0V operation commenced September 26, and, until its abrupt and unceremonious termination, the DXpedition intended to continue until October 11. Before the shutdown, the four-member group managed to log numerous contacts on 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters. The Daily DX Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, reported this week that he spoke October 12 with team member Franz Langner, DJ9ZB, now safely home in Germany but nursing a cold.
Amateur to Turn in Ticket in Police Radio Interference Case (Oct 13, 2003) -- The FCC says an Indiana amateur has agreed to relinquish his Amateur Radio operator license for two years as a result of allegations that he interfered with local police department radio transmissions. FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth outlined the terms of the agreement in a September 23 letter to Technician licensee Justin L. Whaley, KC9DCP, of Columbia City. According to the letter, the FCC notified Whaley last March that close-proximity direction finding evidence indicated that the licensee had interfered with the operation of the Columbia City Police Department radio system early this year.
To read the full stories, or read even more news, visit http://www.arrl.com
Minutes From The November Meeting
November 2, 2004
The Meeting was called to order at 5:40pm. There were 3 members present.
The minutes of the October meeting were read and approved.
The Presidents report was read. Highlights are as follows:
Club Newsletter is online. Email submissions to Josh, or bring them to the meeting.
The Swap-list will be read after each meeting, and may be psted online.
Talks and demonstrations can be given after the meetings, talk to Josh about scheduling.
Meetings will now be held on the first Sunday of each month, at 4:30pm.
In Old Business, Josh asked for ideas for Field Day, which is held in June. Ideas are still welcome.
In New Business, the idea of a club banner was brought up. Ideas are needed. A motion was made for members to think of designs.
The business meeting was adjourned a 5:50pm
Josh then continued his Go-Kit demonstration.
Off Frequency
The opinions of the V.P., Joe Welsh KB9WGW
This month, I'm climbing on the soap box. We amateurs have a responsibility. This responsibility is much like a soldier's, in the war on terrorism. I know, you all are thinking where am I going with this? Well to some it up in one word, PARTICIPATION. With most clubs, a person joins to have fun with other people of like interests. This is true with an amateur radio club also. But, there is an underlaying responsibility in a club like ours. We are trained to serve our community and our country in the event of an emergency. This emergency could range from a traffic accident to a nuclear holocaust. Ok, maybe I'm getting a little dramatic, but it could happen. In the event of an emergency, we amateurs could be called upon to provide communication for all types of organizations, governmental and private. Remember the severe storms of last spring??????
Ok, basically, what I'm saying is get involved. In club functions, meetings, training nets,(when we have them again)and ARES training. It never hurts to be prepared. PARTICIPATE!!! Keep hamming it up!!!
Attention All Club Members!
Club Bulletins
The club is in need of a Secretary and Treasurer. While some of you may be intimidated by the thought of holding an office, it is not as hard as you may think. These offices require little, if any, public relations work, and only take between « hour to 1 hour per month. Please consider running for office, your club needs you!
The club is seeking design ideas for a club banner. Email ideas to kb9wgx@qsl.net
You are more than welcome to submit columns or articles in this newsletter. Just hand them in at the meetings, or email the to me. Also, any input on this publication would be appreciated.
The club now has a home page! It has all the updated Ham Radio news, weather info, club info, and links you could ask for. It is still under construction, but is more or less complete. If you have any neat links to add, email me. Also, under the members page, I have listed all the club members. I would like to list everyone's email address and home page, but I can not without your permission. If you do not have a home page, just write up something about yourself, and I'll gladly put it online with the club's page.
The club has a discussion group. Just click on the link on the club's page. I hope you all join it. It has all kinds of cool features, like messages, polls, images, chat, links, and calendar. This lets you take a more active role in the club. The polls are especially valuable, as they allow me to gather info on the club's opinions, preferences, etc. One current poll asks you to decide the best meeting date.
Monthly Quiz
Submit answers to Joshua Welsh via email.
Who made the first transatlantic radio transmission?
All comments, suggestions, and submissions should be sent to Josh at kb9wgx@qsl.net
Editor: Joshua Welsh KB9WGX
Contributing Author: Joseph Welsh KB9WGW
News Source: American Radio Relay League's home page
This publication may be freely distributed in it's current, unmodified state.
Copyrightc 2003 Mercer County Amateur Radio Group