BOARD MEETING November 8 8:00 PM CLUB MEETING November 10 7:30 PM

GREETINGS FROM 6-LAND

de N5RA

First of all, my apologies for not getting around and saying farewell to everyone. There are a lot of good people in Cherryville that I will miss. And thanks to all those who offered to help us out.

Those last months in NJ were a madhouse, trying to sell the house and begin a cross-country search for a new home and, of course, employment. And then when we got an offer on the place, it was contingent on a rush closing so they could get moved in before school started. Since we were on our way to California the week that we got the offer on an exploratory visit, it only gave us three weeks to pack and settle all our business in New Jersey. That really put us under the gun. We had planned a yard sale, etc., instead we ended up throwing away, giving away, and bringing with us a lot of stuff we had hoped to sell. Oh well.

We have rented a house owned by another ham, N6KB, who has taken a temporary assignment in Hawaii working at an observatory for two years. He left up a couple antennas, but there is very little yard and the antennas, I fear, are very inefficient. A vertical with only 1 radial and a dipole at about 15 feet. So, I have not been in a hurry to try them out. We hope to buy a place by next spring, so the tower will wait till then to go up.

For clubs here, there is a very active ARES/RACES organization. But they do very little else. They hold a lot of drills to be ready for the big one: earthquake (the San Andreas fault is about 30 miles east of here and another small fault just offshore), flood, wildfire, or nuclear emergency (the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is just down the coast.) And there is a small but very active contest group, The California Central Coast DX Club (CCCDXC). When time permits, I hope to get involved with both of them. Both hold meetings on Saturdays at local restaurants: breakfast meetings!

Thank you Bruce for your kind words last month! I am sure everyone is looking forward to the new ideas and fresh insights you will bring to the Uplink. Thank you to everyone for all your help, kind words, and contributions to the Uplink in the past. Please help Bruce with your contributions and ideas. I think you are set to have a good newsletter with his leadership.

For anyone who wants to contact me, we can be reached at:

PO Box 14106, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-1406

805-748-5290 KB2000a@hotmail.com

If you are passing thru California, stop in and say hello!

73, Keith N5RA

KA2TOV HOSPITALIZED

de W2CG & WB2NQV

Mike Grohol recently suffered a mild heart attack and was hospitalized briefly. Mike supplied the following update October 26, in time for this month’s Uplink:

“Prognosis is for 100% recovery within three months. Hunterdon Medical Center is great. Deborah Heart&Lung Center is second to none. Not to worry!! That RF energy just doesn't die. It runs around the ether forever. Yes, I did have an episode where one of the heart arteries sustained a blockage of 40% in one branch and 90% in the other. When the cardiac catheterization showed that, I chose to go to Deborah Heart and Lung Center for the angioplasty. Firemen (Exempt) have a special arrangement that guarantees us a space. Hunterdon was told, "When the bed is available, he must be on the
way."

Deborah may not be as plush as Hunterdon Medical Center or Morristown Hospital but when you need something done once and done right, it's the only place to go. They were fantastic. They took care of the problem the following day and sent me on my way two days later. Came home last night. Prospects are for 100% recovery in three months. There should be no residual effects from this episode. Looking forward to our next meeting.”

Glad everything worked out Mike. I think I speak for everyone in wishing you a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing you again soon.—ed.

UPGRADE OPPORTUNITY

de W2CGX

Anyone wanting to upgrade their license can attend the VE session at the Somerset County Technical Institute on Thursday, November 9, beginning at 6:30 p.m. That will also mark the end of this semester's class.

CRA PROGRAM SCHEDULE

de Denis KA2YYB

NOV 10 "Overview of Hurricane Floyd 1999"

Harry Shepherd, Hunterdon O.E.M.

NOV 11 Transmitter Hunt. Details to be provided by

KA2YYB at the November club meeting

DEC 8 CRAII Awards Banquet

JAN 12 "What's Happening at the ARRL"

Frank Fallon N2FF,

ARRL Hudson Division Director

FEB 9 “The Future of Amateur Radio”

Steve Mendelsohn, W2MF

MAR 12 “About verticals...” (in the works)

PUBLIC SERVICE

de WB2NQV

The weekend of October 21 CRA members under the direction of KC2EVJ operated Jamboree on the Air at the Merrill Creek Boy Scout Campsite. It was a great weekend of exposure to Amateur Radio for the Scouts.

(From Nick, KC2EVJ)

JOTA went well! We had three club members set up stations (K2YSY, KC2EIN and KC2EVJ) along with one non-member (Dave-I can't recall his call!).

Leslie set up a 10 meter rotatable dipole and a small 2 meter beam on a car foot mount he made the day before! Dave had a 10-15-20 3-element beam on a 30-foot tower. Pete had what looked to be about a 100+ foot long wire set up and I was working a G5RV. Most bands were loaded all day long and we all made some great contacts. We had over 75 Scouts came through our stations, which was great and kept us all quite busy. Harry (K2IQN) worked a few Scouts on the repeater with Leslie, thanks Harry! We also met KC2GFO (Liz - who is active on SkyWarn) who was with her family participating in the Camporee. Liz works out of Califon on an HT and has a hard time making the repeater so I gave her a J-Pole we made at our JOTA event last year and Pete give her some coax so be looking for her!

A big Scout round of thanks to Dave, Pete and Leslie for their help in making this event great.

The weekend of November 4^th & 5^th was busy for members who helped with the Blackwells Mills horse event and over in PA at the Bucks County Horse Park. On Sunday Tim, N2UYV had KC2CMC, AB2DW, KC2EIN and K2YSY while on Saturday George, N2VWL had KC2EBL, K2YSY, KS4YG, KA2TOV and AB2DW helping.

The next event is tentatively the last weekend of January for the Boy Scouts’ Klondike Derby. As soon as we confirm dates for 2001 they will be published in the UPLINK and on the website.

SPACE NEWS

ALL-HAM CREW SETTLES IN ABOARD ISS

The all-ham crew of US astronaut and ISS Expedition 1 Commander William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, now is aboard the International Space Station. After blasting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 31, the crew arrived at the ISS early November 2 aboard a Soyuz vehicle that will remain docked with the space station. The Soyuz lifted off from the same launch pad where the space race began 43 years ago last month with the launch of the Sputnik1 satellite.

The crew has a busy schedule that primarily involves getting the ISS up and running for future research activities. Amateur Radio operation is not expected to commence until mid- month, although the crew is said to be enthusiastic about firing up the initial Amateur Radio on the International Space Station--or ARISS--gear. Once installed temporarily aboard the Zarya module, the equipment will provide FM voice and packet capability on 2meters.

Tentative operating frequencies are: Worldwide downlink for voice and packet, 145.80 MHz; worldwide packet uplink, 145.99 MHz; Region 1 (Europe) voice uplink: 145.20 MHz; Region 2 and 3 voice uplink, 144.49 MHz. Crew members may use their personal call signs or one of the "club station" call signs issued for ISS use--NA1SS, RZ3DZR, or DL0ISS.

The Keplerian elements bulletin from ARRL now includes data for the International Space Station.

For ARISS information and updates, visit the ARISS Web site, http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

PHASE 3D GIVEN FIRM LAUNCH DATE

AMSAT News Service says the next-generation Phase 3D amateur radio satellite now has a firm launch date and time. ANS says it's been informed by "various sources" that the Ariane 507 carrying Phase 3D and other satellite payloads aloft will head into space Wednesday, November 15, at 0107 UTC from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French, Guiana.

The Radio Club of Kourou's FY5KE has announced plans to broadcast the Phase 3D launch on 14.315 MHz in French "and probably in English." The transmission will start at approximately 15 minutes prior to launch and will end about 45 minutes later when the satellite is put on orbit.

Also atop the Ariane 5 rocket will be the PanAmSat 1R communications satellite--the largest and primary payload--and two British Space Technology Research Vehicle minisats, STRV 1C and STRV 1D. If all goes as intended, the Ariane 5 will place all four satellites into geostationary transfer orbit.

After initial deployment , the satellite must successfully negotiate several more steps on its way to its much-higher final elliptical orbit. That process, which involves firings of the onboard 400-Newton motor and arcjet (ATOS) engine eventually will result in an orbit that's some 2500 miles from Earth at the nearest point and almost 30,000 miles away at the farthest and at a 63 degree inclination. Establishing the final orbital configuration could take up to one year.

For more information, visit the AMSAT-NA Web site, http://www.amsat.org/.

PACKET RADIO MS EXPERIMENT

You have an opportunity to participate in cutting edge propogation studies during this year’s Leonids meteor shower. There is a group of hams developing techniques for utilizing packet radio for meteor scatter communication. Conventional wisdom says that FM packet is not suitable for this communication mode. However previous experiments have shown that radio wave refraction from the ionized trails of meteors may in fact be a viable means of long distance communication at VHF. The shower peak is expected November 17-18. Frequencies of operation are 53.53 MHz and 147.585 MHz. Minimum suggested station capability is 500 watts ERP on 2 meters and 100 watts ERP on 6 meters. A small beam is suggested rather than an omnidirectional antenna or a large, narrow aperture beam. Further information on operation is available on the internet at http://go.to/PropNET or http://go.to/BEACONet. One additional operational note; reset your TNC to factory default prior to programming it for meteor-scatter work. You can learn more about the Leonids on page 5.

Hamfest Calendar

DATE

SPONSOR

11/26

Mid-Island ARC

631-924-3535,n2ox@arrl.net

HOLIDAY PARTY

de W2NCN

CRA II is planning a night of magic on December 8, 2000. That is the date for the Annual AWARDS BANQUET. Bob Lloyd and Bret Mazzie are Magicians that will be performing at this years Banquet. Bob and Bret have a wide variety
of tricks up their sleeves. It will be a lot of fun.

The date is December 8, 2000 The Social Hour starts at 7:00 P.M. The Dinner will be served at 8:00 P. M. The cost is $25.00 per person. It will be at the Coach N' Paddock, Exit 12 on Route 78 West, 86 Rte. 173 West. This is the same place as last year. We are having a Social Hour beginning at 7:00 P.M. during that time we will have Hor d'Oeuvres. There will be a cash bar. You have your choice of Roast Prime Ribs of Beef au jus or Shrimp Scampi. Dinner includes fruit plate, salad with house dressing, potato or rice, vegetable, rolls, and ice cream for dessert (and Cheese cake too!)

After the dinner there will be a magic show, awards for public service, and Door Prizes. We will also have dancing and FUN! A poem by Ruth and Dennis too!

The Awards Banquet takes the place of the December Club meeting. So come to the Banquet, but you must reply by November 30th. Payment with Reservation is appreciated, but you can pay at the door.

Please note that Bill Greenhalgh W2NCN is the contact this year. His number is (908) 369-3191, and his email is greenhalgh@rcn.com. Please see the bottom of page 5 for the tear off reservation form for this year’s soirez.

CRA II CLUB INFORMATION

The Cherryville Repeater Association II, Inc. is a non-profit New Jersey Corporation dedicated to Community Service Through Communication. Meetings are held on the second Friday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Flemington Baptist Church unless otherwise announced. Visitors are always welcome! Also, everyone is welcome on the Thursday Night Traffic Net, at 8 PM every Thursday, followed at 9:30 by the Swap-Net, and the ARES-RACES net at 8:30 PM on the first Thursday each month (immediately following the traffic net), all on the 147.375 repeater.

CONTEST LOG

DATE	CONTEST
11/10 TO 11/12	WORKED ALL EUROPE RTTY
11/10 TO 11/12	JAPAN INT’L DX ‘TEST PHONE
11/11 TO 11/12	OK/OM DX CONTEST SSB, CW, MIXED
11/18 TO 11/20	ARRL NOVEMBER SWEEPS PHONE
11/18 TO 11/20	LZ DX CONTEST CW
11/25 TO 11/26	CQWW CW

As the "contest season" approaches, ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, is reminding ARRL contest participants of changes that become effective this year. His department also is gearing up to face the challenges that lie ahead as the Contest Branch starts implementing new log-handling methods.

ARRL November Sweepstakes will be the first operating event to fall under the new electronic logging standard.

First announced more than a year ago, the Cabrillo format will result in electronic logs that adhere to a uniform standard that allows them to be processed more expediently.

Henderson says the change to the new format will mean the Contest Branch can post the list of "Logs Received" for a given contest much sooner--once the non-electronic logs have been processed into the database.

"Approximately 80% of W/VE logs and 65% of DX logs arrive in electronic format," Henderson said. "The Cabrillo format will allow us to verify entries and initialize the database more efficiently, with fewer data entry errors."

Henderson says that one of the most common questions his department hears these days is, "Where do I buy this Cabrillo program?" He points out that Cabrillo--pronounced kuh-BREE-oh--is not a program but an electronic file format that specifies what information is contained in certain fields in the file document. "The major contest logging software programs spent much of the past year incorporating the Cabrillo format into their products," Henderson said. "If you're using a current version of one of those programs, you should have the ability to generate the Cabrillo file already."

Henderson said those using older software versions of contesting programs should check with the software manufacturer or distributor to get the latest version.

Details on the format appear in the "General Rules for all ARRL Contests" in the November 2000 issue of QST. Specifications for the Cabrillo file format also are available on-line <http://www.kkn.net/~trey/cabrillo/>. In addition to the file specifications, there are sample templates for various ARRL contests, a history of any modifications to the format, and some insight into the development of the Cabrillo file format.

"It's important to remember that these changes are not a finished product but rather a work in progress," Henderson said. "There will be adjustments needed as the robot reader is used. As the needs arise, we will continue to work them out."

Henderson said non-electronic entries will continue to be done by hand. "We will still need to deal manually with electronic submissions that contain errors and problems," he said, "but we're optimistic that as we refine the process, we'll reach the ultimate end result--providing accurate results for our contests in a timely manner."

Henderson also reminds contest participants that with the addition of West Central Florida this past January, there are now 80 ARRL/RAC sections. "If you log by hand, please obtain current submission forms--an SASE with a note to the Contest Branch will do the trick," he said. "With great band conditions, we can all look forward to an outstanding contest season!"

Henderson says his department is always open for questions and comments about the ARRL Contest Program. Address them to Dan Henderson, N1ND, 860-594-0232 or n1nd@arrl.org <mailto:n1nd@arrl.org> or by US Mail to ARRL Contest Branch, 225 Main St, Newington CT 06111.

UPLiNK

A CRA II Publication

Editors

Articles & Info:
WA2EPY, Bruce Cunningham – bcc@interpow.net

KA2YYB, Denis Albisser – KA2YYB@arrl.net

Interviews:
K2PA, Roberto Matos – K2PA@arrl.net

Roster & Mailing:
W2CG, Marty Grozinski ^__ W2CG@arrl.net

Many thanks to all those who have contributed articles or information for this publication, including: The ARRL, ARRL Letter, QST, The Hudson Loop, W2CGX, N5RA, K2PA, WB2NQV, W2CG, The American Meteor Society, skyview website and all not mentioned for their help. This newsletter is an open forum for the Cherryville Repeater Association, II Inc. and its members, of general interest Club and ham radio related interest items. The opinions contained herein are those of the authors who have contributed their work. The officers and members of the CRA II Inc. are not liable for its contents.

Articles and information are always welcome, and may sometimes be edited for content, punctuation, grammar, and newsletter space.

Deadline for submission for all issues is two weeks prior to the Board meetings.

SKY Stuff

Compiled by Denis KA2YYB

Meteors are great for watching and for bouncing our radio signals a long way, so here is some information about them.

What are the Leonids?

The Leonids are one of a number of meteor showers visible from the Earth each year. Every year, in mid-November, the Earth passes through a debris trail left by the comet Tempel-Tuttle as it orbits the Sun. This debris, in the form of dust grains no larger than sand, burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. The meteors appear to emanate from the constellation Leo -- hence the name Leonids – and in a typical year up to few dozen per hour will be visible to the naked eye. However, about every 33 years the comet passes near the Earth, enriching the debris trail and generating a meteor "storm".

Records of the Leonids date back more than 1000 years, mostly from Far East accounts. However, these meteor showers were not related to one another until after the dramatic meteor storm of 1833, where a thousand meteors a minute or more were reported throughout North America. This event, according to meteor expert Gary Kronk, sparked not only the discovery of the Leonids but marked the birth of "meteor astronomy."

Research after the 1833 storm tied it to a similar outburst in 1799. Astronomers thus predicted another outburst in 1866. Indeed, the 1866 Leonids were strong, with reports of 2,000 to 5,000 meteors an hour, and nearly as many the following year. More importantly, in the mid-1860s Ernst Tempel in France and Horace Tuttle in the United States independently discovered a comet, now named Tempel-Tuttle. That comet was found to have a period of 33 years and an orbit similar to the Leonids.

More storms were recorded in 1901 (after a predicted storm in 1899 failed to appear) and in 1932. This was followed by an impressive display in 1966, arguable one of the best ever. Observers recorded rates at one point on November 17 of 40 meteors per second, or 144,000 per hour.

Another such storm is possible, but not considered likely, this year. Scientists and others geared up for a Leonid meteor storm in 1998, including taking precautions again damage to orbiting spacecraft, but no storm materialized. A storm is possible again in 2000, but most scientists are skeptical, turning their attention instead to possible storms in 2001 and 2002, when the Earth will pass through denser regions of comet Tempel-Tuttle's orbital train.

How Do You Observe the Leonids?

The point from where the Leonid meteors appear to radiate is located within the constellation Leo and is referred to as the radiant. It is not far from the bright star Regulus. It's about halfway between the planet Mars and the even brighter star Procyon.

The radiant is located in the western portion of that constellation in what is commonly referred to as the "sickle" or "backward question mark."

Start watching sometime after about 11:30 p.m. local time (because of Earth's rotation, local time literally means "your time"). The radiant will still be about an hour from rising, but you will have the opportunity to see the "Grazers". These are Leonids that are not dropping down into Earth's atmosphere, but are instead grazing the atmosphere. These appear as reddish meteors that advance from east to west across a large part of the sky. In 1998 there were reports that several east coast television stations were receiving calls that rockets were seen crossing the sky. These "rockets" were in fact the Leonid grazers. As the radiant rises near 12:30 a.m. local time, the Leonids will travel shorter distances across the sky as they drop down into the atmosphere. Their color will also change to white and blue-white. Some of the brightest will actually appear slightly greenish. As the morning progresses, meteor rates should generally increase. Keep watching until morning twilight begins.

Please use the form below to make your reservations: DETACH HERE

Member:______________________ Call Sign:___________ AMOUNT Enclosed: $_________ Phone:_______________

Number of guests (including you)_________($25.00/person) Mail to: CRA II Member Awards Banquet

Number of Prime Rib Dinners:________ C/O William Greenhalgh (W2NCN)

1005 Old York Road

Number of Shrimp Dinners:_________ Neshanic Station, NJ 08853-4261