SOLID COPY  The Monthly Newsletter of the Monongalia Wireless Association

It's that time again! Once again we put the call out to all HAMs to join us for a low key, low pressure, fun filled, and not least of all, free food-filled time handling communications for these dedicated walkers!

For the fifth time we have been asked to coordinate the walkers, watch the troubled traffic areas, help at the rest stations, and in general make this what has become, with our help, the safest walk in this county.

May 4th is the date, Krepps Park is the starting place, check in for walkers is 12:00 to 1:00, HAMs need to show up around 12:30. Mig (N8TJJ) will be handling First Aid for the American Red Cross and logistics for the walk. Randy (N8OZY) will probably be Net Control.

For new HAMs this is a great opportunity to get a chance to participate in a working net. There is very little pressure. All you have to do is report when the first walker reaches your station, when the last walker goes past, and if you see anyone who might have a problem. We won't ask you to do any kind of first aid, just let Mig know if you see someone who might need her help and she'll take care of it. You would also let Net Control know if you need anything at the rest stop you're at, or if there's a problem at your traffic post.

And when you get done at your post, it's back to Krepps Park for free food and drink, and the feeling of a job well done.

If you'd like to help out, contact Mig or Randy. One of them is usually listening on 145.43 repeater and they're usually around for the Wednesday night net. If not, call 292-0532 in the evening. And if anyone wants to WALK!, Mig has sign-up cards for that and they'll be at the April meeting. If you're interested give them a call.

73s to you all and hope to see you on the 4th!

N8TJJ, Mig
 

The ARRL is seeking a change in FCC rules to relax regulations regarding the Amateur Radio Service and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES).

The League wants the FCC to allow hams actively supporting emergency or disaster communication or involved in drills and tests to communicate "between and among" RACES stations and those stations registered with civil defense organizations operating under RACES. The League also wants the FCC to relax time limitations on RACES emergency drills and tests. This would permit stations operating under RACES (organized under the Federal Emergency Management Agency and operating under local civil defense agencies) to communicate, as necessary during emergencies, tests and drills, with stations operating under the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, or ARES (begun by the ARRL in 1935) or with other non-ARES or non-RACES-stations also engaged in emergency communication or drills. Right now, RACES and ARES operate independently of each other, although some hams participate in both organizations.

Relaxing the rules "would permit intercommunication with other amateurs active in emergency communications, and enable a form of 'mutual aid' in the Amateur Service," the League said in its filing. "It is time that the Commission permit, but not require, communications between RACES participants and non-RACES amateurs during emergencies or emergency drills and preparedness exercises." The League said the Commission has an opportunity to eliminate a restriction that "arguably should never have been enacted in the first place," and that has "outlived whatever utility it may ever have had."

The League also seeks to increase the time limit on RACES training drills and tests from one hour per week to up to five hours per week.

The ARRL Letter
Vol. 16, No. 12
March 21, 1997

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council has chosen "Telecommunication In The Service Of Humanitarian Assistance" as the theme for 1997 World Telecommunication Day (WTD-97), a theme lying at the very heart of Amateur Radio. World Telecommunication Day takes place each year on the anniversary of the creation of the ITU, May 17, 1865.

A specialized agency of the United Nations, the ITU has the vital role of overseeing the division of the range of radio spectrum for the entire world. Based on the demonstrated or perceived needs of different services, which include broadcast, maritime, aeronautical, amateur and others, member-nations of the ITU decide which radio services will be allocated which bands of frequencies. Once that's done, the regulators for each country take over to write domestic regulations in accordance with ITU international agreements.

Amateur Radio is expected to be featured in a special telecommunications center designed to commemorate the event, to be located in front of the ITU Headquarters building, at the Place des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland. It is expected that special event station operators will use the call sign 4U1ITU, which is the call of the ITU Headquarters club station.

ARRL International Affairs Vice President and IARU Secretary Larry Price, W4RA, and Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, will be in Geneva for other meetings and are planning to represent ARRL and IARU in person. It is further anticipated that ARRL will arrange a schedule with the Geneva special event station to convey a commemorative message from ARRL/IARU. (IARU is a Sector Member of the ITU. ARRL is the International Secretariat of the IARU). US groups involved in emergency communication programs such as ARES and RACES would also be invited to contact and exchange messages with the station.

Other planned activities and demonstrations in Geneva include live videoconferencing (possibly with relief workers at the site of operations in Rwanda and/or Burundi), satellite equipment (provided and operated by commercial suppliers), and VHF and HF mobile equipment. Videos, including a program currently in production on telecommunication in the Rwanda and Burundi operations, will be shown.

The ARRL Letter
Vol. 16, No. 13
March 28, 1997

April 9, 1997 -- KB8VVT
April 16, 1997 -- KC8DFW
April 30, 1997 -- W8PT

Net control station needed for the following date(s):

April 23, 1997
May 7, 1997
May 14, 1997
May 21, 1997
May 28, 1997

April 16, 1997 -- Flatwoods Hamfest
May 4, 1997 -- March of Dime Walk-A-Thon
May 11, 1997 -- MARA Mother's Day Special Event Station
May 16-18, 1997 -- Dayton Hamvention
June 1, 1997 -- Breezeshooters Hamfest -- Butler, PA
June 28-29, 1997 -- FIELD DAY
August 23, 1997 -- State Radio Council Convention and Hamfest -- Jackson's Mill
September 7, 1997 -- Butler Hamfest
September 14, 1997 -- Wheeling Hamfest
 

TESTING SESSIONS The next VE test session sponsored by MWA will be on Thursday, at 7 pm in the Engineering Sciences Building at WVU.
April 24, 1997	June 26, 1997
For additional information contact Jan Ditzian (KX2A) via one of the following methods.   Telephone: 412-324-9160   Packet: @ W8SP   E-Mail: [email protected]  If you are planning to attend one of the sessions, please contact Jan prior to the testing date so the VE team can properly prepare for the exams.

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR If you have articles for SOLID COPY please contact me via any of the following methods:  on packet at W8SP  by mail at  Rt 3, Box 421  Morgantown, WV 26505  via telephone (304) 296-8823.  via E-Mail: [email protected]  Articles for the May 1997 issue of SOLID COPY are due to me by Tuesday, May 6, 1997.

The meeting of MWA will be Tuesday, April 15, 1997 at 7:30 PM in the Engineering Sciences Building. The topic will be VHF Contesting by Ray, K2PQI.

Copyright 1997 by the Monongalia Wireless Association. Material published herein is the opinion of the indicated authors and not necessarily the Monongalia Wireless Association. Permission is granted to reproduce materials herein in whole or in part provided credit is given to both author and to SOLID COPY.