The Illuminator

The monthly newsletter of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club

August 2001


 


Elections at August Meeting!

 


August Meeting

 

The next regular meeting of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club will be held on Thursday, August 16, at the EOC in Nesquehoning.  This is our annual election meeting, so it is very important that YOU attend and help shape the future of CARC.

 

 

A Memorial Gift

By Larry, N3CR

 

As you may know, KF4TAA Nancy Marsh, wife of David Marsh W3AMC of Cherryville, has suddenly became a Silent Key on July 8th, 2001.  At the last meeting it had been voted on to place a hard cover version of the ARRL Handbook in the Slatington Library in memory of Nancy KF4TAA by the Carbon ARC.  The book should arrive soon and be donated after the next meeting.  Nancy and David were regular users of our repeater.  Please keep them in your prayers.  Nancy Marsh KF4TAA...SK

 

 

From the President’s Desk

By Larry, N3CR

 

Greetings one and all!  Where has our summer gone?  August is here and the last rush of vacations is taking place.  But look where we have been.  Three months the Carbon ARC was on the road.  In June, after a last minute change of QTHs, we had a very successful FIELD DAY.

Needless to say, I am still drooling over the "Field Day Chili!"  That is some good stuff.  Lisa and Bill I know the next business interest you should invest in!  Jar that stuff.  PLEASE!

 

In June, the Carbon ARC went on the road, this time with a "Supper Club" meeting at the Boulevard Diner in Lehighton.  Again, another good turnout and enjoyable meeting.  Nice to see the XYLs out there with our members.  This kind of meeting could become habit forming and the

Harlemans appreciated our business.  July was our annual Carbon ARC Pizza Meeting at Caruso's Restaurant, also in Lehighton.  We had 18 members and guests attend.  As usual, the group kept the waitresses running for pizza and refreshments.  I guess we really made their Thursday night a good one!  We will have to look at having one again in December or January to get all the members out.

 

Don't forget!  August is also election month.  This very important meeting will determine who your officers will be for the following year.  All line officers and one director-at-large spot held currently by Bruce Appleton, N3RXJ.  All offices are up for grabs, especially Secretary who requests to be replaced.  Bob, K3PH has served us well but finds future meetings may become a problem.  I am sure he will still serve on the newsletter team and help get the word of the Carbon ARC around.

Nominations were made at the Pizza Meeting and will be taken before elections at the August meeting to be held at the EOC/Comm Center in Nesquehoning, PA, just off Route 93, two miles north of route 209.  Look for the Carbon County K-9 sign.  The meeting will start promptly at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, August 16, 2001.  What a popular date.

 

I want to thank everyone for making the Field Day, Supper Club Meeting, Pizza Meeting and elections a popular time for the club.  This is your club.  If you have an interesting idea, present it at the next meeting.  Stay tuned for the next time the Carbon ARC goes "on the road" with it's meeting.  It has been fun for all.  Make your voice heard.  Attend the next meeting for the election of officers!  Your president would appreciate it!  73s de Larry N3CR....

 

Propagation

By Larry, N3CR

 

It has been a while since my last report but little has changed.  For a while enhanced solar activity was making a mess of things, especially the 10m and 12m bands.  Along with the usually summer noise, the A Index spent most of the month above Ai of 10.  Many days were spent at the Ai 20 level leaving all but the big antenna/high power stations on 10 meters.  Signals on 15m and 20m were down as well with mostly stateside stations being heard with the noise-free signals.  DX was being worked but a beam was needed to work the good ones.  At the same time, signals were propagating on the 80m and 160m bands with more activity being heard.  40m is still the best band for hearing activity at most parts of the day.  Evening DX had its moments of activity before 10 pm local time.  VHF had been showing regular periods of enhancement between 6 am and 8 am local time and again between 9 pm and 10:30 pm evenings.  One evening I heard a South Carolina station into one area mountaintop UHF repeater.  (Must have been a trough.)  He report hearing 3 or 4 other repeater tails each transmission.  This lasted almost a half hour.

 

With the autumn equinox approaching September 22nd, we should see the return of signals on 10m and 12m along with a lower summer noise factor.  Morning and afternoon sessions of DX should be heard on those bands once again.  F Layer propagation should return and increased signals found on all the DX bands.  Sunspots and solar flux average about 20 points lower than conditions found in May.  Sunspots should hold at about 160 level and solar flux at about the 150 level.  This should give us fair propagation to any one area on a regular basis, especially on the 20m, 17m, 15m bands.  Activity on 10m should be down until the hours of darkness increase when signals will come up but the band will close earlier.

 

Six meter operators got use of their radios over the summer.  Although the openings are usually of short duration, signals were being heard coast to coast with the east coast reaching some of the newer stations being heard on six meters.  Generally, the openings have been occurring between 9 am and 10:30 am and evening openings from 6 pm to 8 pm local time.  One opening the end of June lasted four hours for some stations filling the band from 50.110 MHz to 50.250 MHz.  With more six meter capable radios out there, more stations are being worked, most with simple antennas or small 3 to 5 element beams.  Six meter FM activity on 52.525 MHz is a telltale indicator that things are pretty warm on 6m SSB.

 

As always, thanks for your report.  I read them all.  I was always told, put up an antenna as big and high as you are able, buy the hottest radio you can, and turn up the wick if you want to work the good ones.  Then I hear stations running verticals at 15 feet and wonder why I am not hearing them.  Often it helps to disconnect the dummy load!  Until next time, 73s de N3CR Larry... 

 

 

Carbon Amateur Radio Club

Regular Meeting Minutes

July 19, 2001

 

President, Larry Lilly, N3CR, called a regular meeting of the Carbon Amateur Radio Club to order at 7:53 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, 2001 at the Caruso’s Restaurant in Lehighton.  Fourteen people attended.

 

The minutes were read by Bob, K3PH, and approved by the members in attendance.

 

John, W3MF, read the treasurer’s report.  At the last meeting, we had a balance of $980.38.  We had receipts of $30.00 and disbursements of $5.44 for mailing the newsletter plus $200 in Field Day expenses, leaving a total of $804.94.  The members in attendance approved the Treasurer’s report.

 

The club expressed its thanks to Goody, N3CR, for organizing the CARC Field Day effort this year.  It also expressed its thanks to Bill and Lisa Kelley for hosting Field Day.

 

It was noted that Nancy Marsh, KF4TAA, recently passed away.  Bert, W3OWP, moved that we donate an ARRL Handbook to the Slatington library in her memory.  The motion passed unanimously.  Bob, K3PH, will order the Handbook.

 

Nominations were taken for officers for the coming year.  Goody, K3NG was nominated for President, Bruce, N3RXJ, was nominated for Secretary, John, W3MF, was nominated for treasurer, and Bob, K3PH, was nominated for At-large Director.

 

Larry, N3CR, mentioned a new cell tower was erected in Jim Thorpe, which could become an issue that could affect amateurs because it is being called a “telecommunications” tower rather than a “cell phone” tower.  So, any new regulations with respect to telecommunications towers could affect amateur radio towers.  Larry will file comments to try to educate the town fathers regarding PRB-1.

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:13 p.m.

 

 

ARRL DX Bulletin

 

DX Bulletin 31  ARLD031

From ARRL Headquarters

Newington CT  August 2, 2001

To all radio amateurs

 

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin, PS7AB, The Daily DX, QRZ DX, 425DXnews, DXNL and Contest Corral from QST.  Thanks to all.

 

TUNISIA, 3V.  New station 3V8MED has been QRV on 20 and 15 meters using SSB.  QSL via DL1BDF.

 

NIGERIA, 5N.  Paulo, 5N3NDP/6, has been QRV on 14241 kHz from 0100 to 0300z.  QSL via IK5JAN.

 

KUWAIT, 9K.  Special event callsign 9K11POW is active until August 5.  QSL via 9K2RA.

 

EAST MALAYSIA, 9M6.  Irwin, KD3TB, is QRV as 9M6TBT from Kota Kinabalu until August 5.  QSL to home call.  Meanwhile, Phil, G4JMB, will be QRV as 9M6CT from August 4 to September 16.

 

COLOMBIA, HK.  Dave, W5WP, is QRV as HK5/W5WP until August 10, and is active using mostly SSB, with some CW and PSK31 on 40 to 10 meters, including the newer bands.  QSL to home call.

 

SOUTH KOREA, HL.  Operators from the Hanyang University Wave Research Club are QRV as HL0C/4 from Wi Island, IOTA AS-148, until August 8.  Activity is on 40, 20 and 15 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.  QSL via operators' instructions.

 

MIDWAY ISLAND, KH4.  Ted, NH6YK, is QRV as NH4/NH6YK until August 5 as time permits.  Activity is on all HF bands and 6 meters using SSB.  QSL to home call.

 

MARKET REEF, OJ0.  Look for LA3IKA, LA5UKA, LA6YEA and LA9VDA to be QRV as OJ0/homecalls from August 5 to 8.  Activity will be on 160 to 2 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.  QSL via homecalls, except OJ0/LA6YEA via LA9VDA.

 

TRINDADE AND MARTIM VAZ ISLANDS, PY0T.  Look for ZX0T and PT0T, and possibly PY1LVF/PY0T and PY1VOY/PY0T, to be QRV from Trindade from August 7 to 10.  Activity will be on 40 to 10 meters, on the usual DX and IOTA frequencies, using CW and SSB.  QSL via PY1LVF.

 

BANGLADESH, S2.  Junji, JA7KXD, is QRV as S21YT until August 8.  QSL to home call.

 

COSTA RICA, TI.  TE8AT is active from Chira Island, IOTA NA-116, until August 5.  QSL via TI3MCY.

 

EUROPEAN RUSSIA, UA.  Special event station R3DAS is active until August 19 from Zhukovsky near Moscow.  QSL via UA3DJ.

 

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLAND, VP5.  Dick, K9APW, is vacationing on North Caicos Island, IOTA NA-002, until August 12 and will be QRV as VP5/K9APW on 6 meters, as much as he can.  QSL to home call.

 

CAMBODIA, XU.  Frank is QRV as XU7ABR and has been found on 30 meters on 10125 kHz after 1800z.  QSL via DL4KQ.

 

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO.  The ARRL UHF Contest, North American CW QSO Party, Ten-Ten Summer QSO Party, QRP ARCI Summer Daze SSB Sprint and the YO-DX Contest will keep contesters busy this weekend. Please see August QST, page 111 for details.

 

 

 

Check out http://incolor.inetnebr.com/n0ujr for other cartoons and to purchase N0UJR’s book, “N0UJR and His Friends.”

 

Comparison Chart Between Drug Dealers

And Software Developers

Drug Dealers

Software Developers

Refer to their clients as “users.”

Refer to their clients as “users.”

“The first one’s free!”

“Download a free trial version…”

Have important Southeast Asian connections (to help move the stuff).

Have important Southeast Asian connections (to help debug the code).

Strange jargon: “stick,” “rock,” “dime bag,” “E.”

Strange jargon: “SCSI,” “RTFM,” “Java,” “ISDN.”

Realize that there’s tons of cash in the 14- to 25-year-old market.

Realize that there’s tons of cash in the 14- to 25-year-old market.

Job is assisted by the industry’s producing newer, more potent mixes.

Job is assisted by industry’s producing newer, faster machines.

Often seen in the company of pimps and hustlers.

Often seen in the company of marketing people and venture capitalists.

Their product causes unhealthy addictions.

Doom.   Quake.   SimCity. 
Duke Nukem.

Do your job well and you can sleep with sexy movie stars who depend on you.

Damn.   Damn!   DAMN!

 

 

Heard Through the Grapevine…

 

The club needs an EC/RO for the ARES and RACES activities.  Contact Larry, N3CR, for details.


 

Carbon Amateur Radio Club – 2000-2001 Officers

 

President: Larry Lilly, N3CR [email protected]

Vice President: Glenn O’Donnell, K3PP

Secretary: Bob Schreibmaier, K3PH

Treasurer: John Schreibmaier, W3MF

W3HA Callsign Trustee: Bill Dale, WY3K

W3HA Repeater Trustee: John Bednar, K3CT

Public Information Officer: Bill Kelley, KA3UKL

 

Directors

 

 John Bednar, K3CT, Bruce Appleton, N3RXJ, Bert Rex, W3OWP

 

Illuminator Staff

 

Editor: Bob, K3PH [email protected]

DX: Bob, K3PH

Foxhunting: open

Propagation and Commentary: Larry, N3CR [email protected]

Newsletter Printing, Folding, and Mailing: Bob, K3PH

 

Services

 

W3HA Repeater: 147.255 Mhz + PL 131.8

 

CARC Website: http://www.cpals.com/~elitehom/carc/ 

Webmaster: Rob, KB3BYT [email protected]

 

CARC Email Reflector: see www.qth.net CarbonARC list for details

 

CARC Membership Information

 

Regular Membership is $15.00, which includes autopatch privileges.

 

All amateur radio operators are invited to join the CARC ARES / RACES net held 21:00 local time every Wednesday on the W3HA repeater at 147.255 MHz + offset, PL 131.8.  Any amateur radio operator or anyone with an interest in ham radio is welcome to attend our monthly meetings which occur the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Carbon County EMA Center on Route 93 in Nesquehoning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Carbon Amateur Radio Club
C/O Bob Schreibmaier K3PH
P. O. Box 166
Kresgeville, PA 18333-0166