|
Prepared - September 7, 2009 By: Darrell R. Norris - WA3AJQ ===================================================== Multi County Breakfast Some of the Indiana County Amateur Radio Club (ICARC) members meet every Saturday morning at Eat*N*Park in Indiana for a breakfast. For the past several years we've set aside a Saturday and designated it as our multi-county breakfast. We invite and encourage our neighboring amateur radio operators to join us at Eat*N*Park for a great social event. We reserve a couple tables in their back dinning room for this occasion. The date for our multi-county breakfast is Saturday, October 24th starting between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. If you can't make it by then don't worry, we'll be there until about 11:00 or 11:30 AM. Eat*N*Park is located on the corner of Oakland Avenue (RT 286) and Indian Springs Road, eight tenths (.8) of a mile off the new route 422 on the right hand side, it's the Oakland Avenue exit. Please join us on October 24th, bring a guest if you wish. Contact me at: (724) 235-2143 or drphn@verizon.net if you have any questions. ============================================================== An interesting note from the ARRL The ARRL Letter Vol. 28, No. 32 August 14, 2009 ARRL PRESIDENT HARRISON PRESENTS LEAGUE'S VIEWS ON DISTRACTED DRIVING LAWS TO SAFETY ADVOCACY GROUP To ensure that Amateur Radio is not an unintended victim of the growing public debate over what to do about distracted drivers, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, has written a letter to the National Safety Council (NSC) http://www.nsc.org/, highlighting issues regarding the use of Amateur Radio emergency communications devices in vehicles http://www.arrl.org/news/files/NSC_Letter7-30-09.pdf. Many states have outlawed the use of cell phones while driving; some states with these laws have ambiguous wording (such as "mobile communication devices" or "mobile electronic devices") concerning the use of Amateur Radio while driving. According to their Web site, the NSC is "on a mission" to "alert the American public that different kinds of distractions have different levels of crash risk. Talking on a cell phone and sending text messages are much higher risk activities that occur for longer durations and with more people than most other actions engaged in while driving." They also seek to "lead a change in our nation's cultural norms, so people come to view cell phone conversations and text messaging while driving as unsafe and socially unacceptable. Calling for a legislative ban on these activities is the first step in a long-term process to educate Americans to their risk and change the culture" http://www.nsc.org/resources/issues/distracted_driving.aspx. Harrison explained to NSC President Janet Froetscher that Amateur Radio operators provide essential emergency communications when regular communications channels are disrupted by disaster: "Through formal agreements with federal agencies, such as the National Weather Service, FEMA and private relief organizations, the Amateur Radio volunteers protect lives using their own equipment without compensation. The ability of hams to communicate and help protect the lives of those in danger would be strictly hindered if the federal, state and local governments to not ensure that Amateur Radio operators can continue the use of their mobile radios while on the road." According to ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, it boils down to the difference between simplex -- when only one message can be sent in either direction at one time -- and duplex -- a communications mode, such as a telephone system, that provides simultaneous transmission and reception in both directions. Harrison, citing Sumner's 40-plus years of experience as an Amateur Radio operator, puts it this way: "Simplex, two-way radio operation is simply different than duplex, cell phone use. Two-way radio operation in moving vehicles has been going on for decades without highway safety being an issue. The fact that cell phones have come along does not change that." Harrison attached a copy of the ARRL's Policy Statement on Mobile Amateur Radio Operation to the letter to the NSC. "Amateur Radio mobile operation is ubiquitous, and Amateur Radio emergency and public service communications, and other organized Amateur Radio communications activities and networks necessitate operation of equipment while some licensees are driving motor vehicles," the Policy Statement reads. "Two-way radio use is dissimilar from full-duplex cellular telephone communications because the operator spends little time actually transmitting; the time spent listening is more similar to, and arguably less distracting than, listening to a broadcast radio, CD or MP3 player.There are no distinctions to be made between or among Amateur Radio, public safety land mobile radio, private land mobile radio or citizen's radio in terms of driver distraction. All are distinguishable from mobile cellular telephone communications in this respect. Nevertheless, ARRL encourages licensees to conduct Amateur communications from motor vehicles in a manner that does not detract from the safe and attentive operation of a motor vehicle at all times. See the Policy Statement on the ARRL Web site:http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/MobileAmateurRadioPolicyStatement.pdf ============================================================== Club Activities We have our ARES net every Monday night at 8:00 PM local time on the two meter repeater, 146.190. Terry Carnahan KB3JOD, is our net coordinator and is looking for people to serve as net control, so please consider helping out. Robert Zugates, KB3JOF, is our Indiana County ARES Emergency Coordinator. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our club meets the first Tuesday of every month at Eat*N*Park in Indiana. Everyone is welcome. Please consider joining our club. Our membership to date is thirty seven. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The club Christmas party will be Saturday December 12th around 6:00 PM at Hoss’s in Indiana. This will also serve as a fund raiser. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks and 73's, Darrell R. Norris - WA3AJQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SEPTEMBER 1 st, 2009 CLUB MINUTES =============================================== _WB3DUD _Jerry___called the meeting to order at_7:30__________PM_local time. Absent : W3LAB Bill, WB3EUQ Rusty READING OF THE MINUTES Approved by: KB3JOF ROBERT 2ND BY N3LT LARRY FINANCIAL REPORT Approved by WA3AJQ Darrell and 2nd by Fred KM3M Announcement: Are there any show and tell for this evening meeting? NO Please let us know if you have any type of program that you would like to present at the next meeting. Would like to schedule a month ahead. NOMINATION FOR OFFICERS STARTING OCT 6 MEETING NOV MEETING WILL BE NOMINATIONS FOR 2010 DEC MEETING VOTING FOR OFFICERS FOR 2010 WILL BE STARTING TO COLLECT 2010 DUES STARTING NOV MEETING.
OLD BUSSINESS;Repeater Site: The 15thof Aug , had a work day at the repeater site. Cut the grass and painted the Shack.Want to thank the following for there support. Larry N3LT Fred KM3M Dave N3ZD Jerry & David WB3DUD It was approved to paint the repeater site building by Rusty WB3EUQ and 2nd by Carl N3PIE Sat Aug 15 thhave a work day at the site. Painting, Cutting grass, ETC. 1100 hrs REMINDER: NET COORDINATOR: TERRY KB3JOD Terry is looking for volunteers for the Monday night net. To conduct the net, you may take it for a month or week by week. Please contact Terry to sign up. For the month of Sept Give Terry a Call if you like to run the net for Sept. WB3DUD will be net controller for Sept. Thank Terry and Darrell for there help in conducting the net for July and Aug Club Picnic Where: AT Jimmy’s N3TQRDate September 20 Time 1PM The club will be furnish the meats, buns, paper plates, and cups and knife and forks spoons. Please bring a covered dish to share with others, and Drinks. Any question call Jerry WB3DUD or Jimmy N3TQR Rusty WB3EUQ, Tri County Breakfest Where Eat & Park of IndianaTime 800 hrs When Oct 24th Chairman of the breakfast Darrell WA3AJQ Need to contact the clubs in the neighboring counties Darrell announced that he contacted the counties around Indiana Co. Christmas Party; Carl N3PIE check on the available date for the Christmas Party Also see about the community fund rasiers tickets.Where Hoss’s at 6PM Dec 12th This will be a fund raiser for the club as well, Carl is also inquiring about the door prizes. This will be also a fund raiser dinner. The tickets will be available at the November meeting. Bring a friend and your neighbor. If you know someone that would like to join the club or become a Amateur Radio Operator this would be a good time to invite them. 50/50 raffle winner: Darrell WA3AJQ(Corrected minutes : Darrell dontated the full amount to the Club.) NEW BUSSINESS;VE TESTING; OCT 3 rdTo sign up for testing call Bill McMillen at 724-397-2702 By Sept 25, no walk ins. ARRL "SET" WHEN Oct 31, 2009 WHERE More details later Also check the Web Site under ARES-SITE ARES REPORT Robert gave his report on the E.C. Meeting in Brookville, Pa on August 15 th 2009. The Report can be read at the following link:Robert reported that the Indiana Emergency Plan is on the ARES Web Site and could be downloaded from there and every ARES member should have a copy on hand. If no one could download a copy a copy would be provide by Robert. Robert reported that he had received an email from the WPA Section Emergency Coordinator John Szwarc N3SPW. John said, "That's perfect. Short, simple and covers all the bases. Hope you don't mind if I send this out to a few EC's as an example to emulate." Robert reported that Roger, N3ULC reworked the plan and Roger should get the credit on the Indiana County Emergency Plan. Any other new business As of Setpt 1st Bill W3LAB resigned from the presidency of the ICARC. This matter was tabled to Oct meeting. Next meeting will be Oct 6 at 7:30PM Board meeting will be held at 7PM of Oct 6. Place will be Eat & Park of Indiana Pa ICARC Meeting AttendanceSEPT 1,st 2009
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Birthdays Added When Received .
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Return to Indiana County Amateur Radio Newsletter for the Month |