First off, I'd like to thank Norm N9ZKS, Rick WD9HRU, Jim
WB9UWA, Earla KB9VXY, Connie KB9IGT, Larry N9NPH &
Mitch KB9PXL for helping out at the Jingle Bell Races on Sunday
November 15th in Normal. What started looking like a cold day
turned out to be a rather nice one for a run. This year, we were an
integral part of the race, starting the computers & timers at the
finish line from communications with the starter in Ash park. In
past years, their timer would stand right next to the starter, then
drive as quickly as they could (legally) to get the end of the race
before the runners did. I've heard they have been rather close at
times - this year was a breeze. Once again Norm had something
fall off a moving vehicle - this time he lost a little LED flasher,
Jim looked for it as he followed up the last of the walkers but to no
avail. Perhaps if they come back after dark their chances will be
better... The Lake Run club had a little change in plans and
moved one of their officials up to the 1 mile start mark - luckily,
Larry was nearby & took care of it with no trouble. Again, thanks
to all who helped out.

Hope Floyd W9EX is out of the hospital & feeling better - we
were  thinking of you & Rick held your post at Colleen Hoose
school.

In a different light, for all those who may or may not have known
about our repeater site issues, I'm happy to say that the club now
has a written agreement with the owners for us to remain
operating on their tower as we have in the past and without
charges. We applaud Corn Belt Electric Co-op on their decision to
accomodate both of our needs in this way.

Don't forget to check out the Leonid's meteor shower next
Tuesday (Nov 17) night - should be a real treat -- Of course, VHF
& UHF bands are greatly enhanced during these times, so get your
gear out & work a few non-locals.

CUL & 73's, de Chuck N9RZV

President: Chuck Kostelc, N9RZV
815-842-4058
Vice President: Rick Kempf, WD9HRU
309-828-8054
Secretary/Treasurer: Norman Huber, N9ZKS
309-378-4674

The CIRC is a not-for-profit ARRL special service club whose
purpose is to advance the service of Amateur Radio.  Located in
Central Illinois, CIRC and its members welcome all to use  the
146.94 repeater and to attend club meetings.

Submissions for the newsletter must be received by the 10th of the
month and may be e-mailed to the editor at:
e-mail  nihuber@ice.net

Permission is granted to Amateur Radio-related organizations to
reproduce contents of Short CIRCuits provided full credit is given.
November Meeting
Wednesday 25 November

Primary topic will be the election of the 1999 board..

December Meeting
Wednesday 2 December

The meeting was called to order by our President, Chuck -
N9RZV at 7:30 PM.
Mark Rayburn appeared to request our help for and answer our
questions about the annual Jingle Bell Run. We collected a list of
volunteers and made preliminary assignments.
Next a discussion was held on the lessons learned at the disaster
drill.
One of the problems found was the effect of the wind. One needs
to use the method used by motor cyclists. Use a small boom mike
with a good wind-cover over it. Also, it is desired to have a mic
element with a very good cutoff of the audio frequencies outside
the voice range. Another advantage may be had by using a headset
of being able to hear incoming traffic in the presence of outside
noise.
Choosing the best operating mode is also important. With the
addition of a simple antenna at the Net control location, simplex
becomes a viable alternative for an emergency contained in a
smaller area. Most HT's have a couple of priority frequencies one
can scan so this would allow the use of a repeater frequency and a
simplex frequency at a site.
We were reminded that the ESDA ID cards are accepted as ID
and may be necessary to enter a disaster scene. At exercises,
additional temporary ID may be issued to volunteers, but
presentation of the official ID should be accepted without
question.
Also discussed was the use of cross band repeaters. They can be of
use. During the AIDs walk in Peoria a couple of years ago, we
used a cross-band mobile in a car parked at a high point to relay
the communications so that people in the "hollows" could get in.

The membership was reminded that elections will be held at the
November meeting, Anyone wishing to depose any of the current
board may have theirchance by simply volunteering to run against
them.
A report of the prices of the entrees at Ozark House for the
Christmas dinner was given by Rick -WD9HRU. See the
reservation form for the particulars.
A short discussion was held on the progress of the negotiations
with Corn Belt Electric for the rights to maintain our current
antenna site. (see article on page 2 of the newsletter).
At 8:40 PM, a motion to adjourn was made by Floyd - W9EX and
seconded by Jim - WB9UWA. It was passed and the group
adjourned to a social meeting and a display by Dean - AA9BS of
the beautifully built Ten-Tec receiver kit he had just completed.

NOTE
Anyone who becomes aware of something of interest to the group
is requested to send me an email for forwarding. I have all the
email addresses which were entered on those applications I keep
annoying you all about in a folder and can forward mail to all
members with email with a couple of key strokes. Chuck and
probably many others who work and do not make the coffee klatch
are late to find out the news affecting the club members.

MORTON EXAM DATES
Bob Davis AA9MY
If there are any questions phone 309-263-8620 (day) or 309-925-
3141 (evenings) My email is   redavis@dpc.net
All Morton exams begin at noon on Saturdays at the Morton
Public Library.
Dec 19
73 de Bob AA9MY

Weekly 2 Meter Net
Every Tuesday evening on the 146.940-
repeater at 9:00 p.m.
10/10 Breakfast
First Saturday of every month at 8 a.m. in the Steak and Shake at
Vernon Ave. and Veterans (Just south of College Hills Mall).

CIRC Meeting
Fourth Wednesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Red Cross
building in Bloomington (Just north of the airport).
 

The Christmas Party is to be held at the Ozark House on Dec 2
1998. We will be meetring at 6:30 PM for cocktails and
fellowship  with dinner at 7:00 PM. The meal prices are as
follows:

                            Price per Dinner                     Number
Ordered

1/2 Fried Chicken             $10.95
__________

Jumbo Shrimp                    13.50
__________

Catfish
12.95                              __________

Baby Back Ribs                   12.95
__________

Rib Eye                               14.95
__________

                                              Total Enclosed
____________
Please indicate your preferance and deliver this and your check to
me at the club address or the meeting prior to the dinner.

Name ____________________________________

There is no problem with enclosing your dues for 1999 with your
payment for the dinner. I would appreciate checks as it allows a
proper recording of information when I get home. The cash keeps
getting in the wrong place.

Field Day

The results are finally published for field day. There we are on
page 103 of the December QST, center column, third from the
bottom. 281 contacts, under 150 w, 23 operators, and 1330 points.
I looked hard for the rule giving us the multiplier of 10 for log
chasing in a thunder storm. that would have put us in first place.
Seriously, thank you all who helped. It was great fun, maybe we
should set up a station at one of the local parks some weekend and
have a ball making contacts and showing ham radio to whoever is
there.

Date:  November 18, 1998

The Federal Communications Commission held two forums
during the past week on Year 2000 issues relating to emergency
response communications and customer-premises equipment
("CPE").  UTC representatives attended each forum in order to
report the discussions that took place.  Members may access a
transcript of each forum in approximately 10 days at
http://www.fcc.gov/year2000.

Representatives from Nortel and Lucent estimated that their large
PBXs were 80% compliant, but that their efforts to warn
customers were hampered because few dealt directly with the
manufacturer.  Moreover, customers seem to focusing their
attention on computer related Y2K problems instead of CPE ones.
Nortel stated that its two biggest worries were fixing the last 15 %
of its PBXs, and preventing Y2K problems from migrating and
incapacitating other Y2K compliant systems.  Particularly
vulnerable to migration are CLECs that connect to noncompliant
equipment.   Small telcos like Hargray Telephone Company
claimed that their Y2K problems were relegated to small voice
systems, such as call accounting.

The General Services Administration ("GSA") used the CPE
forum to announce that it was collaborating on Y2K testing, first
with small companies and later with larger ones.   Although the
testing was limited to stand-alone, not interconnected equipment,
they only experienced Y2K inconsequential anomalies. GSA also
invited the public visit its new Y2K website at
http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/mks/yr2000/y2khome.htm.

Emergency Response Forum

While enhanced services that link dispatch operations to customer
proprietary databases topped the list of internal potential Y2K
failures, among the potential external Y2K failures, power outages
pose the greatest threat to emergency response efforts, if the
central office switches that route 911 calls are not supported by
sufficient generator or battery backup. Many officials also asked
the FCC to warn smaller communities of the seriousness of the
Y2K risk, and to dispel the myth that any internally Y2K
compliant systems are immune from externally pernicious Y2K
bugs.  For example, mixed-component equipment may only be
partially Y2K compliant, and manufacturers like Motorola will
not certify nor accept responsibility to repair the components that
are not theirs.

Moreover, public safety organizations must also consider the
stability of the local exchange network with which they
interconnect.  US West's assurances of Y2K compliance by 1999
were met with skepticism that central offices are equipped to react
to a Y2K related power failure.  Even Bell Atlantic admitted that
it had not yet studied the effect of sudden shifts from wireline
traffic onto critical wireless networks. It also predicted that
officials would be forced to prioritize responses to multiple Y2K
failures.

One official observed that "the year 2000 problem is not a
technology problem, but a management problem."  Success in
avoiding failures will be a function of identifying potential
problems and organizing routine testing and meeting schedules to
correct them.  Once all stand-alone testing has occurred, then
interoperability testing should begin.  Finally, groups should
develop contingency plans for Y2K failures.  At each stage of the
Y2K program, groups should document their efforts to limit legal
liability down the road.

Broadcast and cable representatives responsible for activating the
Emergency Alert System ("EAS") reported only limited Y2K
problems with the system, because the EAS uses a Julian Calendar
dating system (which counts the number of days in the year). The
industry is more concerned that complacency among rural
electrical cooperatives may lead to EAS failures by small stations
that are dependent on the cooperatives for power.

UTC's Y2K Task Force is continuing to work on a special Y2K
Telecommunications Contingency Planning Guide.  If you have
any questions, about these issues or the Task Force, please contact
Brett Kilbourne at (202)872-0031 x 223 or at bkilbour@utc.org.

  UTC
  1140 Connecticut Avenue, NW
  Suite 1140
  Washington, DC 20036
  USA Tel:  +1-202-872-0030
  Fax:  +1-202-872-1331
  http://www.utc.org

ARRL Proposes simplified Amateur License Structure

More.... led to a majority support for a plan for four written
examination elements to establish amateurs' operational and
technical qualifications instead of the present five, and two Morse
code examination elements instead of the present three.

More...... the entry level to Amateur Radio would be known as
Class D, and convey the privileges of the present Technician
license. The written examination would be at the same level of
difficulty as that of the present Technician examination, but
consistent with the privileges of the license. All amateurs now
licensed as Technicians would become Class D

The next step would be known as Class C and would convey the
privileges of the present General license, but with phone subbands
expanded by 50 kHz on 75 and 15 meters, and by 25 kHz on 40
meters. Class C would be the entry level to high frequency (HF)
operating privileges. To up grade from Class D to Class C, an
amateur would pass a written examination on the operational and
technical qualifications required for HF operation and a 5 word
per minute Morse code examination. All amateurs now licensed as
General, Technician Plus, and Novice, would become Class C.

The third step would be known as Class B  and convey the
privileges of the present Advanced license, but with phone
subbands expanded by 50 kHz on 75 and 15 meters and by 25 kHz
on 40 meters. To upgrade from Class C to Class B, and amateur
would pass a more advanced written examination similar in
difficulty to the present Element 4A and a 12 WPM Morse code
examination. All amateurs now licensed as Advanced would
become Class B.

The final step would be known as Class A and would convey the
full privileges of the present Amateur Extra Class with telephony
subbbands expanded by 50 kHz on 75 and 15 meters and by 25
kHz on 40 meters. To upgrade from Class B to Class A, and
amateur would be required to pass the most difficult written
examination in the sequence.

Consisistant with the practice in other countries, no additional
Morse code examination would be required beyond 12 WPM. All
amateurs presently licensed as Amateur Extra Class would
become Class A

BOOTLEGGERS
I hope you can get the word out about a bootlegger that I heard on
the 10 meter band.
On 11-5-98 between 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM. I was tuning the 28.3
to 28.5 tech 10 meter band for interesting DX when I stumbled
across a local QSO using AM on 28.305.  It is disturbing to hear
the bootleggers when they are not local, but it is particularly
disturbing to hear bootleggers that say they are in Normal.
    The information that I gathered while listening is that the
Female is operating base and the male is operating mobile. She is
10 db over s9 here. S8 is equal to 50 uv. My receive antenna is a
vertical dipole at 70 feet. A quick check with a 5 element
horizontal yagi at 26 feet showed the strongest peak at 200
degrees from my QTH near the Normal Fire Department. The
Female is pregnant and is probably married to the Male (Husband
/ Wife communications). She has a roger beep on her base and
they both swear a lot.   I would expect the pattern to repeat
between 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM (commute home from work time?)
on 28.305, 28.315 or other 10 khz increments ending in 5 khz.
She may have mentioned that she was using an A99 antenna. The
mobile station was quite strong here to  (s8 to 10db over s9) but
difficult to understand due to echo and mushy modulation.
      This trend is of concern to me and I hope other locals are
concerned as well. We could ignore it and give up the low end of
10 meters, but where and when does it stop?  I suspect some of
them know exactly what they are doing and some may not. I am
hopeful that either the local bootlegging will stop soon or we will
be able as a ham community to supply sufficient information to
the FCC for "an official end" to the bootlegging.
Submitted by Jim -WB9UWA

Local DX Packet Cluster Information
Bloomington  Access and Transport node  BMIDX1 (AB9M-7)
144.91  1200 baud
Champaign    Access and Transport node  ILDX1 (KA6A)
144.91  1200 baud
Champaign    Network Node Server        CMIDXC (K9CW)
144.91  1200 baud
Connections to the network are made by first connecting to
BMIDX1, then connecting to ILDX1, then connecting to K9CW.
The primary purpose of BMIDX1 is to provide local access for
DX Packet Cluster.