February 1999 Volume 2 Number 2
The MNQRP Society is Now an ARRL Affiliated Club
In addition to some administrative benefits the Society is entitled to $5.00 commission for every new ARRL member that we recruit and a $2.00 commission for every renewal that the club handles. Now everyone, remember to renew your ARRL membership though the club. It won't cost you anymore but the club makes a little money that we can use for ourselves. Also, if you aren't an ARRL member, please consider it. The ARRL puts out a pretty good magazine and needs as many members as possible. These days with the Government selling frequencies and business and industry eyeing our spectrum we need to rally together. It's the cheapest insurance you can buy to keep your hobby available. So if you decide to join PLEASE do it though the club. Thanks.
February Meeting, FYBO 99 and Fun Too!
February 6th is our meeting day as usual but "Freeze Your Butts Off" Winter Field day falls on our meeting date just as it did last year. We are again having an outdoor potluck lunch starting about 11:30 until meeting time. We'll have a grill going, so bring something to share, something to grill and a little extra for the evening FYBO crew.
We are hard at work organizing for the defense of our 1998 FYBO win. We are hoping to again blow the competition away. But we need your help too. Operators, loggers and general support personnel are still needed. Please contact Cla, KA0GKC to get yourself scheduled or just show up Saturday Feb. 6th at the Minnetonka Community Center. We will be going from about setup at 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM.
Chat Session every Sunday Evening.
The Sunday evening chat sessions are going well on the 146.67 repeater at 8:00 PM. We getting about half a dozen guys showing up and the discussion have been pretty good. I finding it a little hard to remember to show up at 8:00. Perhaps a later time might be better for others too. Please make a note to join us and "chat" about QRP and radio building. It's a lot of fun.
Minutes of the MNQRP Society January 3, 1999
By Dave Donaldson, WB7DRU secretary
Because the meeting occurred on New Years weekend there were only 12 in attendance. Since all the other officers were not in attendance the meeting was called to order by the secretary, Dave Donaldson.
The minutes were read and accepted then old business was attended to. The only item was ARRL affiliation. Cla has sent in the paper work to the ARRL. We are just waiting now for it to be processed by the league.
FYBO became the first item in new business. It will occur on the day of the next meeting. The discussion centered on how and where we would set up the station. It was decided that we should setup in the same place as last year, in front of the center. Larry (who later had to leave the country) is going to organize it with help from Cla. We will need operators, tents, radios and antennas. The Minnetonka club can help us with the use of a computer for logging but we will need 110v.
A question was asked by our program chairman, John, KA0OSC if we would be interested in having club tours of near by technical facilities. Examples included the DC to AC conversion facility out west. It was decided that unless the tour was QRP related we would not do them.
The last new item concerned having a club auction to make money. A motion was made and seconded: "Should the club hold a auction (no computer items)?" The motion failed by a simple majority. The club will not hold any auctions at this time.
Finely an announcement was made the PIC interest group would meet at 1pm, before the regular meeting of the Society.
It was then moved and seconded that the meeting should adjourn.
Check out the Minnetonka ARC Nets
Interested in ground wave propagation at low power?? The Minnetonka Minnesota Amateur Radio Club has an evening 10 Meter SSB Net every Tuesday at 7:30 PM local time on a frequency of 28.320. The net is informal, but has a net control station, usually KB0SBA, the club station of MMARC, located in the room next to the one that MQRPS uses. It is amazing to see how easy it is to work the entire metro area with low power. N0BSN often turns his rig down to a watt or two, and still manages to be completely readable. Everyone is welcome; the preamble to the Net explains how to check in. Since it is a club net, don't be surprised if a "guest net control station" is running things, because one purpose of the net is to give members net operating experience. Again, everyone is welcome. Note: The 10 meter net meets, USB, 7:30 PM, Tuesdays.
Several folks have asked me about the little 100 mW transceiver I built into an Altoids tin. Here's the information most often requested:
The receiver section is the MRX-40, crystal controlled at 7.040 MHz. The transmitter is the Micronaut, on same frequency. "Transceiver" is a misnomer, because what I have, obviously, is a transmitter and receiver in one box, with no significant shared active parts. I simply wired in a DPDT center position off mini toggle switch using one pole to route the 9V transistor battery power from the transmitter through off to the receiver, and the other pole to route the antenna in a similar fashion.
Care needs to be taken to be sure that the antenna gets connected to the active unit when the switch is snapped. It stands to reason that the receiver cannot hear the rig, since it is an either/or situation.
The Altoids tin dresses up nicely simply by scratch-wheeling the enamel to take off the shine, and then spraying it with gray automobile under-coat. This leaves an attractive dull gray finish that accepts "Sharpie" pen labeling of control components and inputs/outputs. The purist may want to give the finished product a final protective coat of clear or eggshell finish, but I did not, being too eager to try out the new toy.
By the way, I did not anchor down the PC boards and battery in the case due to a snug fit. A wise thing might be to use a couple of dabs of silicone RTV to secure things if the finished unit is going to be hauled around in a pocket or purse.
WTB: MFJ-9440 QRP transceiver. Looking for an MFJ-9440 SSB QRP transceiver to add to my "collection". Also interested in talking to anyone with experience with these neat little outfits. Please email vans0021@tc.umn.edu. Bill Vanstralen, KI0HL
For Sale or Trade: Heathkit HW-7 good cosmetics and electronics. Includes original power supply. $ 80 Mike Smith n0wdm 612.937.9171
Wanted To Buy (or trade for) Small transmitter kits or transceiver kits. Maybe you've started and lost interest or have extras? Must be complete with assembly instructions. Mike Smith n0wdm 612.937.9171
*** Events and Happenings Around February ***
Please send in upcoming events to the editor.
We can’t show them if we don’t know them!
Events maybe you missed! |
February Happenings! |
Good Stuff coming up! |
January 1999 1 Straight Key Night |
February 1999 1 Spartan Sprint |
March 99 1 Spartan Sprint |