I can't seem to get it together, with VE testing and parades and the garden... Another month has slipped on by, the bands are shifting toward summertime QRN, and it has been rough copy on HF. I hope all of you are well and ready for club. I have been working on a balanced-line antenna tuner. I hope to have enough done for show-and-tell. Bring in what you have been doing and let us have a look at it. I have a few interesting stories for you, so see you at club.

73, Jim, WA6OTP

The last weekend in June is fast approaching! Field Day this year will be at Whitehorse Park, just outside of Grants Pass. For more information, be at the next SOARC meeting. Also, don't forget to sign up to help with the upcoming Boatnik river races on Tuesday night.

The big forest fire raging in New Mexico should remind us all of the need for preparation for a possible similar event in our neck of the woods. We've been lucky for several years now, however, these fires can start suddenly and are very unpredictable in scope. Remember the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared!

If you have anything to submit for publication in the Gnus, see the contact information below the masthead.

73, Mike Wright, N7GEI

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Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel had promised me a while back that he would speak to us at our May meeting. Unfortunately, he is going to be tied up that night due to the election. He wanted me to pass on his sincerest apology for not being able to make the meeting and he will be at our June meeting instead.

Next Tuesday we will have another show-and-tell. The last one we had was well-received by the crowd, so we will try it again. If you have any projects you would like to share with the club, bring them with you to the meeting.

73, Cy Potts, W7MQL

I received a card from ARRL-VEC on May 6^th, indicating that our April 7th exam results were sent to the FCC "in good order". Timing on the card shows that ARRL had the test for four days before sending it out on the 18th. My wife, Sandra, got her call assignment about May 1^st, so the FCC seems to have posted the results about 12 days after receipt of the materials. All this means is that from the time I mail stuff (usually the Monday following a Friday test) it is four days to ARRL, four days there, two days to Washington, and 10 days there for a total expected wait time for new examinees of 23 days from test day to the notice appearing on the internet.

73, Bill Tyner, WX7U

Western Belles is a new women's ham radio chat group that meets at 7:30 PM on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of every month on the 147.300 repeater. They will have a luncheon on the last Saturday of each month and all lady hams are welcome to attend.

Please check in!

73, Wilma, W1LMA, and Anita, KC7MGH

(Editor's note: Gary, KB7FCI, sent me the following YL site:

http://www.qsl.net/n8st/yl.html )

When Al Nylen, W6NGW, retired to Yuma (poor soul) he asked me to find a buyer for his old tower. It is a TriEx MW-50--a three section, 50-foot-tall guided-tower, with winch and hinged base plate, that handles an 8.6-sq-ft wind-area antenna. Only the bottom section needs to be guyed or could be attached to a house; a bracket for the latter purpose is included. Just right for the beginning DXer. The tower is in good shape and is now on the ground near his old home by the Robertson Bridge. I have all the drawings that come with the thing to satisfy the planning commisson, in case the buyer wants to go that route.

Al is asking $300.00--which I think is a fair price for a good tower that size, but the price can be negotiated.

Thanks and 73, Jan, K6FM

474-5031