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

September 2002                                                      Vol. 12 No. 9
Letter From Our President
Dear Fellow Hams,       
   
Fall is  here. The days are so much shorter now. Potato harvest is getting under way, and oats have been harvested. Recent rain has relieved the drought somewhat. It also turned the road to the tower into a slippery mess when the excavator went up there in the rain on Sept. 15 to bury the anchors and break up more ledge.  Sunshine and warmer days have restored it to non slippery conditions.
     

    The good news is that the tower is up to 150'!  All guy wires are attached, the hard line is up the tower, and the old freezer to house the repeater is at the base of the tower.  A lot of work and time has been devoted to this project, starting July 10th, when Stan and N1FG went up the mountain to flag the tower site, and the anchor positions.
Considering all that had to be done, we have made great progress. First the skidder to clear a road and the tower site. Then an excavator to gouge the anchor holes out of ledge, remove some of the stumps, and flatten an area on the ledge for the base, and break up other ledge for the road. Then a smaller excavator, trucks, and bulldozer to put ledge in the road. Forms built for the anchors and base. Cement poured from a Ready Mix Truck.  Then 4 days  to erect the tower. This morning, (09/20) I clamped the ground wire to the tower and put a rain cover on the Freezer.
      

       All of this is documented with photos by N1FG, which we hope to get on the web site for you eventually. 

      The September 15 meeting at the Flagg Home was on that rainy Sunday. By the time we held the meeting, ate a lot of a variety of food, and had a good demonstration of Echolink by N7GLR (see pg. 3), the sun came out and we used the jeep and two 4 wheelers to get everyone up to the tower. (Ask N1QMC about the mud---she was on the back of a four wheeler). The jeep slithered up the hill. The sunshine was welcome as we admired the tower site and the tower.

N1FG , Gale

     Address comments, questions, or suggestions to: 
Gale Flagg  108 Franklin School RD
Fort Kent  ME 04743
Phone: 207-834-6670
E-mail: galeflagg@sjv.net

Next Meeting:
Tuesday, October 8, 7:00 PM,  Alumni Conf. Rm in the New building at UMFK   

Schedule of Coming Events

Date
Event 
Place
Contact
Sponsor
Time
Freq
SUN
Net
NB
VE1PIN
IRG
2000
145.130
MON
Net
Fort Kent
N1FG
SJVARA
1900
146.64
MON
Net
Presque Isle
WA1YNZ
AARA
2000
146.73

 
 
    
Page 2                                    Feed-Point, September, 2002
Minutes of Sept. 15th Meeting

Called to Order: 12:05   at the Flagg Home

In Attendance:  N1FG,  N1JHD, N1QMC, N1CHF, N1CGV, N7GLR, KA7VNR, N1PMS,  Stan Flagg

Secretary's Minutes: Reading of minutes waived. 

Treasurer's Report:  July Bal.: $224.89.+ interest .70 + anonymous donation $300.00 - $300 for tower sections = Sept. bal.: $225.89. . Motion to accept by N7GLR, seconded by N1QMC, passed. 

Have you paid your dues yet?   If not, please do.

Old Business:  

Rocky Mountain: N1CHF reported:  Work is starting on a new trap door for the structure on the tower. The new repeater still being tested in Fort Kent.

The 146.64 Repeater:
The new tower is up 90'.  
The work , weather permitting, should be finished next week.  (Note: It was up all the way to 150', on Sept. 19th).


  
 The solar controller arrived.

146.640 Call sign: KW1C talked to W1TCF about continuing to use  his call sign on the 146.640 repeater.  Fin said yes.

New Business:  N1FG presented the Current Fundraiser Program. Current makes excellent quality wrapping paper, greeting cards, calendars, and more.
The club will give it a try.( The SJVARA is registered. Go to www.currentfun.com   Choose what you want from the on-line catalog and at checkout, check Maine and then SJVARA.  The order will go directly to you.)

     If you don't want to order on line, you can do it by mail (contact me for the mail information)

Harvest Dinner:  It was decided to have it Sept. 21 at Lake View, 6:30 PM
Program:   Held Later: Echolink Demonstration by N7GLR  See (pg. 3)
Next meeting: Tuesday, October 8,  7:00 PM Alumni Conference Room  in the new building at UMFK 

Adjourned:  12:31
Submitted by:  N1FG



Another Anonymous Donation
Many thanks to the person who donated a brand new ADI  5 watt, AT 201 HP, 2 meter HT to be raffled to benefit the SJVARA. The raffle is open to anybody. Tickets $1.00,  or 6 for $5.00. Please contact me for tickets, and let's sell as many as we can.
Happy Birthday To:

Phil Dumond  09-27
Gil Daigle        10-04
Leland Roix 10-19


   
 
 
 
 


 
Page 3                                          Feed-Point, September,  2002
  Relocating 146.640 to a Fort Kent Site 

       If you don't remember what this is all about, reread  page 3 of June Feed-Point, and page 3 of July F-P.

     A braided copper wire  100' long has been buried
deeply at the tower site for the ground wire.
   
      KA1ZOE did a fine job of turning the old chest freezer into housing for the batteries and repeater. A styrofoam box for the batteries, vents for the batteries and the repeater section. Thanks, Louie. And thanks to N1CHF, the climber, and N1JHD and Stan, the ground assistants.  

      All that remains to be done before moving the repeater from its present location is to make a bracket for the solar panel  and mount the solar panel on the tower. Also, the antenna will have to be put on top of the tower.

       An e-mail report was sent at each stage of raising the tower.  If any person would like a copy of those reports, contact N1FG.

              Echo Link Demo by N7GLR

       At the Sept. 15th meeting N7GLR gave a demonstration of Echolink, explaining how to set it up, and how to use it. N7GLR activated his link on 146.55 and talked to a ham in PA from my radio.  The he chose a G0DRJ in the UK for N1FG to talk to using just the computer. June responded and we had a nice conversation through the computer. (N1FG was told that external speakers for the computer would be a big help!) The computer screen shows the links, the repeaters and the individuals that are active and whether or not each is busy. It is a great way to talk around the world with nothing more needed than a computer, and a microphone for the computer.
          
 Harvest Dinner

      There were 14 people at our Harvest Dinner At Lakeview on Sept. 21. N1CHF, N1CGV, N1JHD, N1QMC, N1FG and Stan, N7GLR, KA7VNR, KA1ZOE  and  Bernadette, G4PYR (Albert Hill from Manchester, UK), KA1CQX, WA1YNZ and N1WRX.
     A toast was made to the stars of the Tower Project, Stan and N1CHF, and costars N1JHD and KA1ZOE. Another toast made to Stan and Gale for the tower site. A copy of a photo taken by Stan of Club members at the tower base taken on Spet. 15th was given out.

  




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

A Bit of Humor
Typography Errors, collected by Richard Lederer:
* Dairy Queen seeking person w/ supervisory and fat food restaurant experience. *  The centerway lot will follow the pattern of other lots as far as parking fees are concerned. The meters will permit parking for ten dents per hour.  The open lot between the Walnut and Market Street  bridges will be used for public fatherings on the river walk. 

   
 
 
Page 4                                                                Feed-Point,  2002

 
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 N1FG
Vice President: Sandra Daigle, N1QMC
Secretary: Rotating
Treasurer: Steve Boomhower N1CHF
Public Information: Charles Ames, N7GLR
Technical Advisor: Steve Boomhower, N1CHF
Editor/Publisher/Printer
Gale  Flagg - N1FG / Stan Flagg   834-6670 
Associate Editor/Web Edition
Steve Boomhower   N1CHF 
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