with KR1ZAN
Howdy everyone. Hope you've had a pleasant and enjoyable Summer. Nancy, K5NCK, and I have spent August in Maine. Now, before you say, "Cool", let me tell you it gets as hot here as it does in Texas, with significantly higher humidities and mosquitos the size of ... well, er, Texas!
Nevertheless, it's still been enjoyable. Haven't had too much time for Hamming. We did make it to a breakfast with some of the locals (Portland Amateur Wireless Association) one Sunday morning. They don't meet for most of the Summer, so it was nice to meet up and have an eyeball QSO.
We've been running APRS on our trip. If you'd like to see where we are and follow us home later in the month, check out http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=KR1ZAN There's lots more things available for APRS on the Internet at the www.findu.com web site.
Just got word from Justin McAllister, K5AEA, President of the UTD Ham Club (it's actually the Comet Amateur Radio Club) that the club is getting geared up again for the Fall. If you'd like to know more about their club, check out http://ham2.utdallas.edu/ham/index.php
There's going to be an APRS Workshop at UTD on Saturday, September 6th.
You can learn all about it at
http://www.n5oom.org/2003_nt_aprs_workshop/ The Workshop is free. I'm
told there's about 100 people signed up thus far. Plans are to have
tracks that cover the basics, APRS+SA, UI-VIEW and some other advanced
stuff.
Venturer Crew 73, a BSA youth group for teens (young men and women) who have an interest in amateur radio, the outdoors, public service and emergency communications, has also been gearing up for the new school year. The Crew is now meeting the 1st and 3rd Thursday evenings, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the City of Richardson Service Center, 1260 Columbia Drive, in Richardson. Contact me via email frank@krizan.org or via phone 972-495-3479 for more details about the Crew. The Crew's web site is http://www.qsl.net/k5bsa
We're gonna need volunteers for amateur radio communications to support the Telecom Corridor Corporate Challenge 5K Run and 15K Bike Race on Sunday mornings, September 7th and 14th. Races start at 8 a.m., but operators need to be on site by 7 a.m. The races are held on (and about) the UTD campus. Generally, a 70 cm handheld will do it. Preferably, operators would be equipped with dual band mobile rigs and their own vehicles to give us flexibility. The races are usually over by 10 a.m. and many of us enjoy breakfast at a local cafe. To volunteer, please send your name, call sign, email address, phone number and capabilities to frank@krizan.org
About 5 people have signed up to be Charter Members of the Packet Radio Special Interest Group being formed within the AARA. A formation meeting will be held sometime in September. If you have an interest in Packet Radio and would like to get involved, I'm (also) the person to contact -- frank@krizan.org
Many thanks to Kris Mraz, N5KM, for making us aware of the Broadband over Power Line (BPL) interference potential recently. If you haven't read about, look at the references available on the ARRL web site, http://www.arrl.org/ A fund has also been established to help fight this threat to our hobby.
Did you know that American Radio Relay League (ARRL) members who successfully complete the Emergency Communications Courses offered through the ARRL's On Line Curriculum get fully reimbursed for the costs of the course? The courses are normally $75, but ARRL members can take them for only $45 and when they pass the final test, a refund check is written for the full amount. PLUS, if you're an Alcatel ARA member and not currently a member of the ARRL, you can join at a $15 discount. Just contact the Treasurer, Clarence Sebesta, K5YO, k5yo@arrl.net, for details.
Until next month, 73, Frank KR1ZAN
The Alcatel Amateur Radio Association will hold a joint meeting with other Telecom Corridor Amateur Radio Clubs on Tuesday August 26, 2003.
The AARA Business Meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. in a "break out" room
near the main auditorium (see below).
The Joint Program will beging at approximately 6:00 p.m.
Where: MCI Campbell Creek Building, 2400 North Glenville Drive, Richardson.
Directions: Take US75 to Campbell Road EAST to Greenville Avenue (2nd traffic light). Turn left (north) on Greenville Avenue and proceed to the next traffic light at Glenville Drive. Turn left on Glenville Drive and then right into the main entrance of MCI. Enter the building lobby by the flagpoles, and take the elevator (or stairs) down to the meeting/conference rooms. No visitor badges are required.
What: Program - 802.11b and the Radio Amateur. Mike Willett, KD5MFM, will discuss this state of the art topic including:
Who: Mike Willett, KD5MFM has been involved in communications for over 22 years. A graduate of RETS with a degree in communications, Mike holds a patent and an Emmy for his design work. Recognized in National Science Foundation (NSF) reports regarding implementation of spread spectrum wireless technologies in education in the mid '80s, Mike continues to support NSF projects and scientists in Long Term Ecological Research from the river basins and mountains of Alaska to the rain forest of Puerto Rico. His latest project with Michigan State University focuses on utilizing acoustical measurements as a key environmental indicator, with spread spectrum transferring the data from very remote locations to the Internet.
Michael holds a Technician level amateur radio license, with a primary interest in antenna theory and fabrication, communications through satellites, and data communications via various modes available. This past year, Michael assisted with the Space Shuttle Recovery efforts in Nacogdoches, TX, implementing a spread spectrum link from the Internet to the Net Control RV on the expo fairgrounds, helping with volunteer coordination, weather information and call sign queries.
Mike works at Megger in South West
Dallas as Vice President of Engineering, and runs his own company, Open
Minds, supporting scientific research and communications integration.
Refreshments will be provided!
By The Old Man
IF any body wants to know the candid opinion of Yours Truly about this amateur closing up business, let him be advised right here and now, that he considers it ROTTEN. Nothing better. And if anybody else wants to know what is going to be done about it, let him be advised that the Lord only knows and he won't tell.
I have lived a long and eventful life, Mr. Editor, and have seen many rotten things, but all the Rotten Fists, Rotten Sending, Rotten QRM and Rotten Luck fade away into the lead colored background, compared with this latest and Rottenest of all Rottens. I give up. In the privacy of my little old Den, I have searched my soul and my vocabulary for words with which to express the sentiments which oscillate within me over this closing up business, but I cannot find anything with enough bite in it, and which could be put into print. Mere words fail.
It used to be that after coming home at six o'clock and getting outside of a good supper, hearing about all the things the boy had been told to do and didn't do, and all the things the little girl had been told not to do and had done, I would light up the old pipe and take a slant at the paper or the last issue of QST, knowing that along about eight o'clock I would put the phones on. It seemed very ordinary. But now, how plain it was that I did not appreciate my good fortune. Then I used to cuss the QRM and spit on the cat when signals were not properly sent. Now, I would let the cat spit on me if it would mean just five minutes of listening in.
Instead of an occupied and pleasant evening at home with the good wife at my elbow contentedly reading or sewing, now its fill up the old pipe again, stare at the remains of the good old set, contract a grouch, cause the little wife to get the fidgets, and finally storm down street to the movies. Say, do you suppose Mr. Wilson knew the awful results that would follow, when he proclamated that last one, closing us up? Ten to one he never thought of it, but just went and did what some sore head said he ought to do. What harm would we perfectly good Americans do listening in? Of course we could not expect to do any sending, but what earthly harm would we do listening? Might we not do some good? It seems to me, standÂing out here on the side lines, that this closing up business shuts off all us good law-abiding citizens, who wouldn't listen in even in secret because it was wrong to do so, whereas all those who are not law abiding simply hook into some kind of a hidden aerial and go ahead. It would take some smelling around to find every one of these, especially if the common garden variety of cop is the one selected to do the smelling. I will bet I could make any cop I ever saw believe any old clothes line was a secret aerial and could prove conclusively that a real working aerial was nothing but an old guy wire.
There is one thing this closing business has done and that is to brace up attendance at the Radio Clubs, where the latter are the right kind. You know there are two kinds of Radio Clubs. One kind chucks up the sponge and closes up with the receipt of the closing order. The other puts on more steam and holds meetings every week instead of once a month. Our Club is the latter kind, and it certainly does help let off pressure. We had a great meeting the other night. Old Final Authority was around, the little chap with the radical ideas on ground leads and the pointed way of expressing himself, the poor old boob with the wart on his nose and who never yet has succeeded in learning the code or understanding why an oscillation transformer is necessary and the husky president with the strong right arm and the heavy gaval. I privately suspect the latter was once a blacksmith's helper. But he is not afraid to wallop the desk until the most violent altercation is drowned out by the awful noise. He sure knows how to preserve a dignified and scientific atmosphere, and beat the tar out of a desk.
At the meeting I refer to, the President outlined the war situation, told about the seriousness of not obeying the closing up order, and read the official notice for the benefit of the small fry who had no licenses and who did not receive a copy. As customary on occasions of this sort, he called upon Final Authority, to state for the benefit of the members what he knew about the situation.
Final got up with ponderous dignity, knowing full well his eminent position in radio science, and stated that he had been privileged to see certain secret papers which the Government Authorities were preparing to send to the Chiefs of Police of the various towns and cities of the country. He could not tell many things which he knew about (here he stared darkly at his arch enemy, the little chap with the radical ideas on ground leads) but he could say that the Government would prosecute relentlessly any one who might have any radio apparatus of any kind which might under any circumstances whatsoever be made use of to receive or transmit radio signals; and that furthermore, Secret Service agents were known to have been instructed to bring to the bar of justice everyone against whom there was a breath of suspicion.
Final looked pointedly at his opponent of the radical ideas on ground leads as he sat down. The latter said nothing. He turned very red and wriggled in his chair a bit but bided his time.
"What about taking down masts?" asked a chap who had built four and had busted three of them trying to get them up. Final said that matter had been considered but not decided. Where the mast was on a building in which radio equipment might be secreted, it was the policy to insist that it be taken down.
"But it cost me $875 to get up what I have in the way of a pole. It would cost me $50 to take it down," objected the poor chap. Final shook his head sadly, and Radical Ideas wriggled some more in his chair.
"I understand that if you put a United States Flag on your pole they cannot make you take it down." This from the Boob with the wart on his nose, and who always understands with his feet instead of his brains.
"I have not heard of that being the case," said Final Authority, "but I can readily understand that the National Emblem may be considered as protecting everything to which it is attached."
There was a pause here, while all hands thought how easy it would be to hoist the Flag over an enemy alien's wireless set. Radical Ideas here cleared his throat, and everybody realized it was the same thing as clearing for action. "Is there some law which says that?" asked he, very pointed like, looking hard at Final.
"I am not positive, but I believe there is something on the statute books to that general effect", answered Final.
"Can the pole have guy wires and still be protected by the Flag?" continued Radical.
"It would probably depend upon the nature of the guy wires", responded Final.
"Wood guy wires with ten inch electrose insulators at each end and a lead wire connecting them be protected by the Flag?" asked Radical. The President here reached for the gavel.
Five young men tried to answer this question and when one overheated young man made a pass at Warty, bang, bang, bang, went the gavel, and time was called.
"I think there is no need carrying this discussion any further", commanded the President. "The Flag obviously cannot be used to protect any illegal wireless plant. Mr. Jones, I am told you have had some experience with the Chief of Police. Will you tell us about it?"
Mr. Jones got up and said he had taken down his aerial when the order came to do so, but that as he thought it over, it seemed to him that it was a bad idea, because if everybody followed the order there would be no way to tell if enemy aliens were not using the air. He said he began thinking about it and it occured to him that his front door bell system was pretty well insulated and ran up pretty high in the air, and was long enough to have a pretty fair wave length. He coupled on to it one evening and found he was right. He could get signals fine. He enjoyed himself about a week at it and one night he caught some signals which looked queer. He copied them and the more he studied them, the more queer they looked. He finally talked them over with Mr. Smith who was also present, and the latter decided he would also try his hand. His door bell system, however, was not so good, so he used the electric light wiring of the house, opening the main switch down in the cellar and hooking on to a socket in his wireless room. Until it got dark enough to need the lights, this worked fine, and he copied the same suspicious stuff.
When this had gone on another week, they decided to see the Chief of Police. The later had indicated considerable interest but seemed in a quandary as to what to do. One moment he seemed to think he ought to hang them both for operating a secret wireless station and the next he thought they were deserving of some kind of a medal. He seemed to be up a stump, in other words, and finally said he would report the matter, but they must stop operating their wireless instruments, and if they heard any more signals to please let him know!
A laugh greeted this story, and each bug began mentally considering the suitability of his dor bell system and electric light wiring.
Final knocked it all, however. He allowed as how it was plainly contrary to the Navy Department's orders to operate any kind of an antenna.
Radical, who had not had enough yet, came back and asked what constituted an antenna. Final was leary and hesitated, while the President reached for his war club again.
"An antenna is anything which may be used for the collection of radio signals," finally decided Final.
All right! Is a coil of wire on a spool resting on my table an antenna?" came back instantly.
"Why, no that is I should say hardly under ordinary circumstances.
"All right I Is a Paragon Regenerative Receiver standing on a table an antenna?
"I do not believe it is".
"All right. Is a ground lead an antenna?"
Here the President hitched forward ready for the trouble that was surely coming. Ground Leads is a delicate subject in our club.
"I would rather not pass on that until I saw the ground lead", parried Final.
"Never mind the ground lead then. Is a Paragon Regenerative Receiver standing on a table and a pair of phones connected to it an antenna?"
"I should say no."
"Well, then, I can go on listening to Tuckerton and Sayville. because I have no ground lead and no antenna and. they both come in fine".
Silence fell and darn near broke a hole in the floor. Everybody looked at everyÂone else and gasped. Radical had thrown another bomb.
The whole blamed outfit started to ask him what sort of a bulb he used, how he tuned, etc. etc. etc., when the President again called a halt by whacking the desk. Final arose and said that the question wns entirely beside the point, because he happened to know positively that no radio signals must be received, no matter by what means, antenna or no antenna, and no radio apparatus must remain in such condition that it might be used for the reception of any electrical impulses.
"Can't I have my tuner on the table?" blurted out Radical.
"I think it amounts to primafacie evidence if you do," replied Final.
"Can I put it on a chair?"
"I think it would be construed as an equivalent".
"Well, how about the floor?"
"The same thing applies".
"Well, for the love of Mike, where can I put the thing and not be liable?" asked Radical, getting mad.
"Your case is peculiar", answers Final, taking upon himself the whole responsibility for the United States of America. "I grant your set is disconnected as to ground and antenna, but the order states that you must not receive any signals with it".
"Suppose I dig a hole out in the back yard and bury the thing? That would be safe, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, I imagine that would be conctrued as complying with the law," smiles back Final.
"All right", hops back Radical. "Suppose, to protect it from injury, I put it m a porcelain box. Is that all right?"
"I think one may rightfully take any steps necessary to protect one's property from injury", returns Final, showing signs of being bored.
"All right. Now suppose I bury my amplifier, and my battery and my loud speaking phone and horn along with it. And suppose the binding posts accidentally touched each other and the set amounted to being connected up the same as it is on the table in the house, and suppose the horn of the loud speaking phone sticks out above the surface of the ground. Would everybody who happened to hear a radio signal that came out of that horn be hung?"
Final had trouble with his collar at this point. After re-adjusting it and dusting off his well creased trousers, he took a long dark look at Radical over the tops of his glasses. "Under the terms of the law, it is my opinion that the owner of the set and the owner of the ground in which it is buried, would be liable."
"All right. Suppose both these criminals happened to be out of town ,at the time. How about the neighbors?"
"Accessories, and liable under the terms of the law," announces the judicial Final.
"All right. Then, the only way that anybody with normal hearing powers can escape being pinched in this here country, is to go around with their fingers in their ears, or else train a dog to learn the smell of an audion bulb. Me for the criminal classes under these conditions, and Radical tipped back in his chair with brush discharge leaping from every corner of him.
The gang here took voice again and the President nearly split himself walloping the desk. After everybody stopped talking and the President satisfied himself, he announced that it was time for adjournment and that it would be necessary to continue the discussion of this knotty legal problem at the next meeting.
I have a hunch that there will be several interesting tests to be reported upon at the next meeting. I am glad the meetings come every week these days. Will tell you how things come out next QST, provided I do not get landed in jail for living in the same town with Radical. GN GN.
[reproduced with permission, from the June 1917 issue of QST]
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Alcatel, PB7-10073, 3400 West Plano Parkway, Plano TX
The meeting was called to order at 1734h CST by Mark Dempsky, N5MD, President. Also present were Frank Krizan, KR1ZAN, Nancy C. Krizan, N5NCK, Clarence Sebesta, K5YO, Ernie Brouwer, KD5MFE, and Art Dunkle, KD5YIL.
SECRETARY'S REPORT:
TREASURER'S REPORT:
VP OPERATIONS' REPORT:
EXECUTIVE VP'S REPORT:
PRESIDENT'S REPORT:
OLD BUSINESS:
NEW BUSINESS:
ADJOURNENT:
There being no further business, Ernie, moved that the meeting be adjourned. Nancy seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote and the meeting was adjourned at 1758h CST.
PROGRAM:
Following the business meeting, Frank, presented the program, "Basics of Packet Radio".
Respectfully submitted,
Ernie Brouwer, KD5MFE, Secretary
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Alcatel, PB7 Club room, 3400 West Plano Parkway, Plano TX
The meeting was called to order at 1705h CST August 12, 2003, in the Alcatel PB7 AARA club room. Present were President Mark Dempsky, N5MD, Treasurer Clarence Sebesta, K5YO, Vice President of Operations Kris Mraz, N5KM, and Secretary Ernie Brouwer, KD5MFE.
SECRETARY'S REPORT
TREASURER'S REPORT
VP OPS' REPORT
EXEC VP'S REPORT (via email)
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
There being no further business, Ernie MOVED that the meeting be adjourned. Kris seconded, the motion was APPROVED and the meeting was adjourned at 1739h CST.
Respectfully submitted,
Ernie Brouwer, KD5MFE, Secretary
AMATEUR RADIO GROUP TO FLY HIGH FROM HILLSBORO AIRPORT
On August 30, 2003, Hillsboro Municipal Airport will be the location for the 10th mission of the North Texas Balloon Project (NTBP). In case of bad weather/Presidential Delay will launch the next week on September 6, 2003.
Two payload packages constructed of Styrofoam and housing communication devices will be attached to a weather balloon and lifted aloft to an expected altitude of 100,000 feet. NTBP officials will begin preparations at 7:30 a.m. and launch the balloon at approximately 9:30 a.m. NTBP's Doug Howard said, "This is being done mostly for fun. But, this exercise will support the President's call for Homeland Security and give an opportunity for us to practice our skills. It involves many different facets of amateur radio and thus a project that many types of amateur radio operators can enjoy together. There is also an educational component utilized by scouting groups, because it can be counted towards several different merit badges, as well as by teachers for science experiments."
Funding Sources - Generally, The Lockheed Martin Amateur Radio Club members provide all of the funding for the launches. However, it is worth noting that NTBP has not done a launch in about 5 years and many of in the organization thought it would never launch again. NTBP decided to dub this mission El Fenix, after the Beautiful Bird that rises from the ashes, and have received permission from the restaurant chain to use their logo and name, as a sponsorship decoration on the side of our package (and anywhere else we like) in association with this activity. So we have a bit of sponsorship/advertising support from El Fenix restaurants.
The equipment used normally has a communications range of about 25 miles, but that range will be increased to about 500 miles when at altitude. Radio operators from all over Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas will be able to communicate with each other using the equipment. An onboard GPS receiver will beacon its position once a minute. A television transmitter will show video from two cameras, one pointed up at the balloon and the other pointed back at the earth, to observe the ride to altitude. From that altitude, the curvature of the earth is visible.
A 35mm camera will also take photographs every four minutes throughout the flight. Two other devices will provide for two-way communications for ham radio operators. After reaching approximately 100,000 feet in about 90 minutes, the balloon will expand to its maximum volume and finally burst, free falling back to Earth in about 25 minutes riding on a pre-deployed parachute. Mobile recovery teams will use position reports from the onboard GPS and radio direction finding techniques to recover the payloads.
NTBP is a group of amateur (HAM) radio operators from Fort Worth, based at the Lockheed Martin Amateur Radio Club and since 1991 has also launched balloons from Cleburne and Clifton Municipal Airports. The public is invited to come out to the Hillsboro Municipal Airport, located at Exit 3 on Interstate Highway 35W, to watch the launch. For more information contact Mr. Dave Heald with the Hillsboro Municipal Airport at (254) 582-3731.
Communications:
There will also be a 35mm still camera with a timer taking pictures about once every 3.5 minutes
HF Launch Net 7.230 MHz
Doug Howard - KG5OA
2517 Coldstream Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76123-1239
[The following article is reprinted with stated permission from the EMCOMMWEST Bulletin, # 170, 5 August 2003. Archives of previous articles and lots of great emergency communications information is available at http://www.emcomm.org/ (de KR1ZAN)] [Slight formatting changes were necessary for publication in the AARA Newsletter -- Editor]
(Re-visited from ECWB #125)
The Autumnal Equinox is just six weeks away. "Back to school" sales are in full swing and soon Fall will be in the air. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere the days are gradually growing shorter, and we are anxiously awaiting improved band conditions! Now is the time to make sure your antennas and support systems are in good repair and that your station is ready-for-action! In addition to the appropriate transmitter(s), receiver(s), antennas, tuners, and other radio gear:
THE "WELL EQUIPPED AMATEUR STATION" will have:
(* All serious EMCOMM operators keep a READY BOOK within easy reach! I use a 3-ring half-size binder that accepts 5.5 x 8.5 paper Index it as you like...but you'll want a section for EMERGENCY numbers, and a section with names and addresses for contact persons in FIRE, OES, SAR, Red Cross, and NWS. I also have sections with VHF and HF frequencies, NET schedules, severe WEATHER reporting criteria, media contacts, plus addresses and LL numbers of friends and commonly called businesses. When updates are made, I make four copies to update "READY BOOKS" in the shack, two vehicles, and for YL Nannette, KE6MZT.)
When a power blackout struck at least a half dozen eastern states August 14, many Amateur Radio operators were ready and able to provide whatever assistance they could. Hardest hit were metropolitan areas like New York City, Detroit and Cleveland. With cellular systems overloaded or out altogether, the incident turned into a test of Amateur Radio's capabilities to operate without commercial power.
New York City-Long Island Section Emergency Coordinator Tom Carrubba, KA2D, called the response "a good drill," but says it was a cautionary tale too. "The lesson is that everybody gets a little complacent," he said. "Have emergency power backup and make sure it's working!" By and large, Carrubba said, ARES members did what they were trained to do. "It's going to show the worth of Amateur Radio," he said of the blackout response. "There were people on the air immediately."
Diane Ortiz, K2DO, the Public Information Coordinator for NYC-Long Island was one of them. When power went down in her Suffolk County community, she started up an informal VHF net. Over the next 20 hours or so, it passed some 500 pieces of traffic. In addition to handling messages for people stranded in the city, amateurs also relayed useful information, such as which stores or filling stations were open and operating. With many radio and TV stations dark, hams were able to help fill the information void, Ortiz said.
In the Big Apple itself, ARES teams provided communication support for Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) set up at main transportation centers in Manhattan. ARES members also accompanied ERVs on fire calls.
RACES activated in most Greater New York City area counties after a state of emergency was declared. Some ARES teams--including a few across the Hudson River in New Jersey--activated or remained on standby to help if called upon. In New Jersey, a net linked the Red Cross lead chapter's N2ARC in Princeton with other New Jersey ARC chapters.
Michigan Section Manager Dale Williams, WA8EFK, relied on his emergency generator. Some Michigan ARES teams assisted emergency operations centers and the Red Cross, he said. In Ohio, Section Emergency Coordinator Larry Rain, WD8IHP, reports that all ARES organizations in northern Ohio were activated. Still going strong at week's end were ARES teams in Cleveland and Akron. ARES handled communication support for Ohio Emergency Management.
Nancy Hall, KC4IYD--who lives west of Cleveland--said she's glad she took the ARRL Emergency Communications Level I class. "I have to say that being a ham and knowing about emergency preparedness did make life easier for me and my family," she said. (from ARRL Bulletin 54, August 18, 2003)
Retired NBC News science correspondent, producer and executive Roy Neal, K6DUE, of High Point, North Carolina, died August 15, after undergoing major heart surgery three days earlier. He was 82.
Recognized as a leading news expert in spaceflight and science, Neal--born Roy N. Hinkel--covered the early days of NASA's human space flight program, including the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions and the early shuttle flights. Neal's space news experience, led him to become involved with the Space Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX)--and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) programs. A joint project of ARRL, AMSAT and NASA, ARISS put Amateur Radio aboard space shuttles and developed the first permanent ham station in space aboard the ISS. Neal chaired the SAREX/ARISS Working Group and moderated ARISS international team gatherings and, quite often, school group contact teleconferences.
Earlier this year, he was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame for his role in persuading NASA officials to allow Amateur Radio operation from space in the 1980s.
A Pennsylvania native, Neal began his broadcasting career at WIBG radio in Philadelphia. He served as a combat infantry officer during World War II and later became a program manager for the Armed Forces Radio Network in Europe. After the war, he was a television pioneer at WPTZ-TV in Philadelphia. He subsequently set up NBC's West Coast news bureau.
Neal was an ARRL member and active amateur operator throughout his adult life. Survivors include his wife Pat and sons David and Mark. Arrangements are pending.
(from ARRL Special Bulletin 8, August 18, 2003)
Would you like a $15 rebate? Be our guest! If you're a member of AARA, you can join the ARRL as a NEW member and we will process your application at $15 below the regular rate. The present rate is $39 ($34 over 65) for one year. This is for new members only and former members with two years or more lapsed membership. Family, Blind or 21 and under discounted memberships are not applicable for any discount. The ARRL is a great organization, which promotes our hobby to the fullest. Many benefits include the outstanding QST magazine, representations in Washington and international conferences, QSL service, ARES emergency service, contesting, equipment insurance, and the members-only web access, which includes free e-mail forwarding. Simply submit an ARRL application with the discounted payment via the club treasurer. Contact Clarence Sebesta, K5YO at k5yo@arrl.net or 972-867-2691 for more information. I've been a member for many years and I heartily recommend it.