Ok, here we are, nearing the first meeting of the new year.  We look forward to seeing everyone there.

This new year promises to be fun and interesting for ham radio.  I hope we all have a happy and heathy new year.

CUL, Jim, WA6OTP

It's election time again. All of our current officers and all but one of our directors have agreed to serve another year. So far, we have had one member volunteer to serve as a director and we will be taking nominations from the floor at the next meeting before we vote.

Even if you do not wish to serve SOARC in an elected position, there will be plenty of activities this year in which you can become involved. Think about how you might want to help with Boatnik, our picnic/swap meet, CROP Walk, Field Day, or JOTA. Maybe you have an idea of how SOARC may assist further in our community or just have some fun with ham radio. Speak up!

Don't forget that dues are due again!

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

73, Mike, N7GEI

Western Belles is a 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. Please check in!

The ladies get together regularly for lunch and all female hams are invited to attend.

Our next luncheon will be at 11:30 on February 8th at Black Forest Restaurant, 820 NE E Street, Grants Pass.

73, Wilma, W1LMA, and Anita, KC7MGH

Happy New Year! 

At the next SOARC meeting, Jim Woods, W7PUP, will be speaking about the hazards of RF radiation. This presentation will include a review of RF exposure, how to control it, and how it is regulated.  Included will be a discussion of how to comply with FCC rules governing amateur radio operators' RF exposures.

Before retiring in 2001, Jim was an industrial hygienist and safety engineer, most recently working for Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

This month's program also will include our election of officers and directors for the coming year. How would you like to serve your club?

73, Bill Tyner, WX7U

January 31st is coming up fast and the first VE test session of the year will occur at 6:30 PM at the Senior Programs Center (our regular meeting place) at 4th and C Streets in Grants Pass.  VE's will be coming at 6:00, as per custom.  Remember, the front door to the building may be off of B St., but it is locked and access is from the parking lot doors that are off of C Street.  Entry is made into the parking lot from either C or B Street access points.

Other SOARC-sponsored ARRL VE license exam dates for 2003 have been set for May 30, September 26, and November 28.

Don't forget--we will need a copy of your driver's license (need to see picture ID) and a copy of any CSCE's you may hold and want to use (make sure they have been awarded within the one-year time limit).  Anyone who will grandfather into general class needs proof of their license status prior to April 1987.  It's surprising what will pass for proof nowadays. Walk-ins are welcome.

73, Bill Tyner, WX7U

VE Liaison

ARRL CONCLUDES 5-MHz EXPERIMENTS, AWAITS FCC DECISION ON NEW BAND

Without fanfare, the ARRL allowed its WA2XSY 5-MHz experimental license to lapse January 1 rather than request renewal for another year. Last May, the FCC proposed going along with the ARRL's 2001 request for a new domestic (US-only), secondary HF allocation at 5.25 to 5.4 MHz. Discussions with various governmental agencies--including the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)--continue on how to accommodate amateur operation in the band, which is primary for several governmental agencies including the military. The NTIA regulates radio spectrum allocated to the federal government.

"At this point, we have every reason to believe the FCC will act on its proposal early this year," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "As to what the outcome will be as far as 5 MHz is concerned, we cannot predict."

ARRL PROVIDING FCC LICENSE RENEWAL, ADDRESS CHANGES, MODS TO NONMEMBERS

The ARRL has announced that it's now providing FCC Amateur Radio license renewals, address changes and other license modification services to nonmembers. For a $12 fee, the League will renew a nonmember's Amateur Radio ticket (the license must be within 90 days of expiration), file an application to change address or name or request issuance of a new sequential call sign. The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator is processing these applications.

"The $12 is in line with our calendar year 2003 exam application fee," said ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. For several years, the ARRL has been handling renewals, address and name changes and modifications free of charge for members and has directed nonmembers to the FCC's free Internet or hard-copy application options or to other providers of such services.

Jahnke suggests that nonmembers who now choose to employ the League's application handling service also consider adding $27 (based on the current under-65 full term member rate of $39) for a full ARRL membership that includes free application handling and other services--not to mention QST.

Members or nonmembers taking advantage of this service should submit NCVEC Form 605 http://www.arrl.org/fcc/forms.html to ARRL VEC, 225 Main St., Newington CT 06111, for processing. Nonmembers should make the $12 fee payable to "ARRL." For more information, contact ARRL VEC, vec@arrl.org.

PACKET USERS REQUESTED TO NOT SEND E-MAIL MESSAGES TO ISS CREW

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, has requested that amateurs refrain from sending e-mail to the ISS crew via the onboard RS0ISS Personal Message System (PMS). "The crew is not answering the e-mail, and we really don't expect them to." he said. "If things change, we'll let you know." Reports have indicated that the ISS packet mailbox is filling up with unread messages, many of them greetings to the crew. The all-ham Expedition 6 ISS crew consists of Crew Commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, and astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT.

ARRL QSL SERVICE ENDS 2002 JUST SHY OF TWO MILLION CARDS SHIPPED

With sunspot numbers slowly starting to decline, it may be a while before the ARRL QSL Service http://www.arrl.org/qsl/qslout.html again sees the sort of activity it dealt with in 2002. During the past year, the service mailed out 1,963,165 cards from ARRL members to DX stations. That's up by 30,850 over 2001--or approximately 1.6 percent. The final day's QSL card shipment to exotic and rare entities--done every 90 days--was 148,050 cards alone. "Overall, it's been a pretty good year for the bureau," said ARRL QSL Service Manager Martin Cook, N1FOC. "We got the cards sorted on time with no backlog this year." Cook said most members have been sorting their cards properly before sending them to the ARRL QSL Service for shipping. "Unsorted cards really slow things down," he said.

NINE-YEAR-OLD MAKES EXTRA

Elizabeth Harper of Vinemont, Alabama, became one of the nation's youngest Amateur Extra-class licensees during the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club hamfest Examination session November 9.

Accompanying the nine-year-old on her upgrade journey were her parents, Anthony, NO2M, and Sondra Harper, KA4EIC. There was a lot of excitement as the volunteer examiners from the Montgomery CAVEC group graded her Element 4 answer sheet, then rechecked it twice more.

A General licensee at the time of the session, Elizabeth also might hold the distinction of being the only youngster her age now working on her third ham radio call sign. When she sat for the Extra, she was KG4NAU. The FCC issued her a new sequential call sign, AG4WP, which she held for about three weeks until the FCC granted her vanity application. Elizabeth now is AK3H.

--Steve Padgett, K4NM

Sometimes we just need to remember what the 12 Rules of Life really are:

1. Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas.
2. You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the duct tape.
3. The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship are "I apologize" and "you are right."
4. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
5. Never pass up an opportunity to pee.
6. If he/she says that you are too good for him/her, believe them.
7. Learn to pick your battles; ask yourself, "Will this matter one year from now? How about one month? One week? One day?"
8. When you make a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.
9. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance!
10. Living well really is the best revenge. Being miserable because of a bad or former relationship just might mean that the other person was right about you.
11. Work is good, but it's not that important. Money is nice, but you can't take it with you. Statistics show most people don't live to spend all they saved; some die even before they retire. Anything we have isn't really ours; it was given to us by God; He just let's us borrow it while we are here...even our kids.
12. And finally, be really good to your family and/or friends. You never know when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan.

Thanks to Gary Ingram, KB7FCI