F E  E  D  -  P  O  I  N  T
The Official Newsletter of the St. John Valley Amateur Radio Association

September 2000                                                                                                                                                        Vol.10 no.9
Letter From Our President
Dear Fellow Hams,
    This newsletter will be an experiment with a different program and format in an attempt to make things simpler between the hard-copy and web-editions. Please bear with us while we fine tune things.

    Happy Autumn to all! For once I am writing this on a perfectly beautiful  day. The sun is shining brightly.  It is causing the red, orange, and yellow leaves to positively glow. The   grass was crispy with our first real frost of the season early this morning. Potato harvest is in full swing.  Time to do any antenna work that needs doing before winter! I heard one fellow on the IRG net say last night that he had antenna work to do, but it wasn’t really cold enough yet. Hi-Hi! 

   The Daigles invited the club to meet at their home in St. Francis for the September 11th meeting.  We had a lively evening around their huge dining room tables. Thank you, Gil and Sandra, for your hospitality! 

 

 On September 20th Stan and I drove through Claire,  NB headed for the Botanical Gardens in St. Jacques, NB. We were not sure of the most expeditious route through Edmundston, so I called VE1PIN. He piloted us through Edmundston, and all the way to the gardens. Stan’s Mom, who was with us, was impressed by Bert’s helpfulness. When I thanked him he said, “ That’s what ham radio is all about.” Many thanks to Bert and to helpful hams everywhere. Lets hope we can all be as much help when the need arises. Address comments, questions, or suggestions to: 
Gale Flagg 
R.F.D.#3  Box 250
Fort Kent  ME 04743 
Phone: 207-834-6670
E-mail: galeflagg@sjv.net



Next Meeting
Monday October 2, 6:30PM
Grindle Conference Room at UMFK


Schedule of Coming Events

Date
Event 
Place
Contact
Sponsor
Time
Freq
SUN
Net
New Brunswick
VE1PIN
            IRG
1800
145.130-
MON
Net
Fort Kent
N1QMC
SJVARA
2030
146.64
MON
Net
Presque Isle
WA1YNZ
AARA
2000
146.73
Page 2                                                                                                                                Feed-Point, September 2000
Minutes of September SJVARA Meeting

Called to Order: 18:43 by N1UYA

In Attendance: N1UYA, N1CHF, N1CGV, N1QMC, N1JHD, N1PMS, N7GLR, KA7VNR

Secretary’s Minutes:

Treasurer’s Report: July: bal.      $632.34
                             July Interest            $1.37
                        August interest            $1.42
                               August bal.       $659.13
N1CHF gave the report.  N7GLR motioned to accept and N1QMC second, all in favor.
 

Old Business: 

Rocky Mountain report was given by N1CHF, he said that the repeater is doing very well. The batteries are doing well and the voltage is right up there.

N1UYA asked if anyone would volunteer to be secretary. N1CGV said she would for now.

N1UYA talked about Feed-Point on-line progressand she said it is up and running, all  because of N1CHF.  There will be a lot more on the webpage than the old one, and also you will be able to connect to other ham radio clubs’ web sites and we will have more pictures, too. If you have any suggestions about what you would like to see on the new web site, you can e-mail Steve at: N1CHF@ sjv.net or call him at 834-3858.

Gale thanked Steve for coming up with the new web page  so quickly. She said Feed-Point  is so easy to do now because of the way N1CHF has set the web page up. The SJVARA web site is ww.angelfire.com/me3/sjvara.

N1CHF says that we need a new radio for Rocky Mountain. He said that the 60 watt one that is up there draws too many amps and he would like to replace it with a 40- watt radio. Radios go for about $40.00 at the hamfest. He asked the club if it's alright to get one. N7GLR motioned it and N1QMC second, all in favor.

New Business: 
Gale brought up the Can-Am Sled Dog Race andshe said that the committee would like to knowwhat the club will need in order to do its communications.  N1CGV and N1QMC had suggestions of a much quieter place away from the board where the results are kept. N1CGV said that  wherever the communications are, only authorized persons will be able to visit and ask questions. There will be two runners helping out on Saturday and Sunday all day and night. Also, each shift will be four hours long, two people at command stations on all shifts with two runners, if possible. N1CHF will provide the antennas, and it was suggested that there should be two radios at command center, one on 146.715, the other on 146.64. We all agreed that this is a good idea. N1CGV will be taking volunteers’ names in January. She already has 6 volunteers on her list and a lot more are needed. We will need at least 4 for the woods and more for command central. N1UYA will be attending a meeting with the Lonesome Pines committee to tell  them what is needed.
N1UYA brought up the Rocky Mountain trail report and no one seems to know how it is. 

N1CHF had done repairs on the .64 machine recently. The power supply might have been hit by lighting. He had to replace the regulator and a blown-out fuse.

N7GLR and KA7VNR reported on a meeting they attended at Astro Club Borealis at the university in Edmunston. www.heavens-above.com/ will give you the time you can view satellites when you give your lattitude and longitude.
Program: The Gaspe Adventure. See page 3.
Next meeting:Monday October 2,
 Grindle Conference Room, UMFK

Adjourned:20:18

Submitted by Secretary: N1CGV
 

HARVEST SUPPER!!!!    COME ONE, COME ALL

Date: Sunday October 22      Place: Carl's Kitchen Grand Falls

  Note: Although we first discussed the Levesque Motel in Riviere-du-Loup at 11 AM on Oct.22, some of the members felt it was too long a drive. If people really would like to do the Riviere-du-loup trip, let us know at once. 
  Our members, feeling somewhat adventurous, thought they would like to try a new place. Both of these were recommended by N7GLR and KA7VNR.
  Please give us a no or a yes (how many?). Spouses or friends are welcome to join us. Our Canadian Hams will be invited. 
  Please give us a count by Oct.5. Respond to N1UYA or N1QMC.
  Phone or e-mail. 

 Happy Birthday
Please wish the following a Happy Birthday

Gil Daigle  10-4

Leland Rioux 10-19

Danny Marquis  10-21

Cecil Marquis  10-30

Page 3                                                                                                                      Feed-Point, September 2000
 CW KEY Embarrasses Owner

   On July 24 ARRL staff members were greeted with reports of continuous dits near 14.008MHz.The "ditter" was searched for and located near San Diego. The signal abruptly disappeared when searchers were two miles from it. It was picked up again on July 26 near 14.026MHz. K6TWO zeroed in on it in La Jolla, CA. The woman who answered his knock said her husband was a ham and allowed K6TWO to inspect the shack. A stuck dit paddle was keying a powered, unattended rig. The rig was turned off. The theory is that heating and cooling in the shack, corrosion and close dit contact spacing combined to cause the paddle to close on its own. The rig's owner said he made contacts on 14.007.5MHX and left the rig on. He was very embarrassed and said he had learned a valuable lesson about disabling an unattended rig. 


PROGRAM: GASPE ADVENTURE
         N1UYA gave a talk and showed pictures of her trip to the Parc de la Gaspesie in Quebec the third week in August. She went with the UMFK Alpine Ecology Course. She saw several Woodland Caribou on the alpine tundras of Mont Jacques-Cartier and Mont Albert. She said she had to carry a heavy backpack full of gear that was required. She even had to cross a snow pack in August. She saw a lot of alpine flowers and drank iodized water when in the remote areas. She ate garlic and pesto frog leg soup and caribou ravioli, plus many other elegant foods at the restaurant at Le Gite at the foot of Mont Albert. She ate freeze-dried food in the back country. One of the pack stoves caught fire the first night and there was frantic activity to extinguish the high flames. Gale, you have such adventures! 
By N1CGV as part of the minutes for Sept.11 meeting.

For Sale

Heavy duty 40' galvanized steel tower, 16" x 16" x 16". Includes mounting hardware. Best Offer.

Heil BM-10 microphone boom set   $35.

MFJ 451X  keyer  $35 Contact Charles Zafonte N1FRX  834-6273

For Sale
YAESU-FT2600M-- 2 meter Mobile.  $150.00
RADIO SHACK-HTX212-- 2 meter Mobile.  $75.00

PYRAMID-- 10 Amp Power Supply.  $30.00
4.3 GB Harddrive  New.  $75.00

Everything in top condition  Don Peary, N1YQU

Page 4                                                                                                                     Feed-Point, September 2000

 
FEED-POINT
Published by the St. John Valley Amateur Radio Association and distributed free to members and friends of Amateur Radio.
Officers
President: Gale Flagg N1UYA
Vice President:Sandra Daigle, N1QMC

Treasurer: Steve Boomhower N1CHF
Public Information: Cheryl Boomhower  N1CGV
Technical Advisor: Steve Boomhower, N1CHF
Editor/Publisher/Printer
Gale  Flagg - N1UYA / Stan Flagg  834-6670 
Associate Editor/Web Edition

Membership Information (Annual Dues):
Regular Membership  $ 12
Associate Membership  $ 6
Articles:
Articles may be submitted by anyone with a good idea, and may be re-printed only in their entirety and with credit going to this newsletter. 

 

Feed-Point
RFD 3 Box 250
Fort Kent, ME  04743