RADIOACTIVITIES Newsletter of the Argonne Amateur Radio Club
Volume XLIII, Number 8	August, 2002

Things were a little slow at first getting set up but we didn’t exactly want to melt in the heat that by noon already felt like the inside of an oven. It didn’t help matters much that we found that there were tent stakes and guy ropes missing but with a little help from a friend who knew how to make such things in a hurry we got through. The screen tent served us admirably for another year and the free flowing air through it was greatly appreciated by all.

First, the 2-meter antenna went up, not without a little difference of opinion as to how, and then the 80 full wave loop went up. All the while, we were all drinking plenty of fluids to stave off dehydration. It was thirsty work pounding in guy stakes with a 12-pound sledgehammer.

We even had some company of the deer kind when during the erection of the hf loop a young doe walked by a mere 30 yards away. It listened to us as the directions were spoken for coordination.

One thing that did not cooperate were the band conditions. When we brought the generator up and turned the hf rig to 20 meters we had to check and double check that everything was hooked up properly. To say the least band conditions were not the best but I guess that is to be expected on the falling side of a sunspot cycle.

Twenty meters was worked and as usual, it took awhile to run through the band and log all the stations we could hear. Then it was on to fifteen where things were a little thinner. Ten was disappointing with few contacts. As night came on forty and seventy five were worked and they were nice. Two meters was a little on the thin side but still managed to turn in a respectable total. The overall score when we put it all together was just shy of 1100 points. Not bad at all.

I would to thank all that came, helped and operated: Chuck-KB9UMF and his son Michael, Deni-W9DS, Hank KB9CRU, and Kurt-KB9ZFR. Without their help, it wouldn’t have gone so well.

I hope to see you there next year!

Bruce and Dennis reported that the new antenna for the repeater has been tested but not yet installed. We are waiting for the go-ahead for the linemen to perform the installation. Coordination of a date with the State Police, the linemen’s schedule, and the weather are all factors in determining when the installation can and will be done.

Joe read a letter received from Bob, W9TIE.

Bruce has checked with the Westmont Postmaster regarding whether they preferred our newsletter after being folded be stapled or taped shut. The Post Office prefers stapling as we have been doing.

We discussed perhaps holding an outside meeting on the evening of September 10. Also discussed were possibly holding a fox hunt and/or club picnic. Bruce and Chuck will consider and discuss further and report back at the next board meeting.

Need to take an exam to upgrade? Call Deni, W9DS at 630-986-0061 and set up an exam time.

About a dozen members and family of the Argonne Amateur Radio Club attended the affair and we would like to thank Mike Kiley-WA9ZPM, for his assistance and the use of his audio equipment as we presented the slides. He serenaded us with piano music as we had our dinner...on CD discs. And our sincere thanks go to Doris and Bill Karraker-W9AVE, for their assistance in their purchasing some dinner supplies and the hand made Zimbabwe national flags with an explanation of its origin and meaning.

Also our thanks go out to Deni-W9DS, who helped with the clean-up and also carried out the heavy projection equipment after the program.

A sincere THANKS to all who participated.....

Anne and Chuck Vesely, KA9BIO

A new national weather coordinator for the weather office has been assigned. His name is Jim Stetkovich. He has a Technician license with the call KD5HLE so if you hear him welcome him to Chicago.

There will be no more SKYWARN training this year but will resume again next year. Even if you are not trained, please listen in to the net to find out what is what and check in when you feel comfortable.        73, Deni

“It’s our goal to increase the credibility of the Amateur Radio Service, especially after 9/11,” Haynie said. “We know we have a great service that we can offer, and the resources are at no cost to the taxpayer, and it just makes good sense to us to use the Amateur Radio operators of America to help with homeland security and defense.”

ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, briefed the gathering on ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Communications on-line training course series http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html. Copies of the Level I emergency communications course were distributed to meeting participants for their suggestions and comments.

Chairing the session was Gene McGahey, AL7GQ, who is deputy manager of Communications Technology Technical Assistance for the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center. NPSTC http://www.npstc.org — pronounced “nipstick” — is a coalition of organizations involved in public safety communications. ARRL is a NPSTC participant.

This week’s meeting was a followup to a brainstorming session last February in Washington, DC, in which ARRL took part. McGahey said discussion this week included the public safety aspects of the proposed secondary domestic amateur allocation at 5 MHz; the relevance of accreditation and training programs and their role in validating Amateur Radio’s participation in public safety communications support; the potential of 4.9 GHz to relieve public safety pressure from 2.4 GHz; and proposed research involving Amateur Radio’s public safety role.

Two surveys are under consideration for sometime within the next 12 months. One would determine Amateur Radio’s specific emergency resources and capabilities. A second would assess the utilization and need for Amateur Radio resources by public safety officials.

Haynie said after the meeting that he’s optimistic about Amateur Radio’s greater involvement in public safety and homeland security communications. “It’s a whole new mindset since September 11,” he said, “and we now need to pay attention to how all Americans — whether they’re in public safety or Amateur Radio — can cooperate to make this a safer nation.”

Stearns County SKYWARN activated at about 7:40 PM local time with John Wetter, K0WDJ; Jack Maus, W0MBD; and Brian Wall, KC0IOG, handling net control duties and Stearns County Emergency Management Director Marvin Klug, KB0RRS, in the 911 dispatch center.

At 7:58 PM, Bill Klundt, KG0DX, spotted a tornado about five miles southwest of Sauk Centre. The report was shared with the National Weather Service office in Minneapolis/Chanhassen, K0MPX, which issued a tornado warning for Stearns County.

Spotters continued to watch the storm as it moved through the county, with a report of a funnel cloud near Freeport from Ron Kittelson, K0OS, and again near St Stephen.

Funnel clouds were again spotted as a new storm formed and moved near St Cloud. A brief tornado was reported in Sauk Rapids at 9:18 PM, but no damage was confirmed.

The SKYWARN net stood down at 9:45 PM as the storms weakened and moved out of the county. — John Wetter, K0WDJ

The RABC will make its recommendations to Industry Canada later this year. The band 220-222 MHz already is a Land Mobile band in the US and is not available to amateurs in most parts of the world. The remainder of the band — the 222-225 MHz portion — is not up for discussion. RAC recently conducted a survey http://www.rac.ca/220survey.htm on its Web site to gather information on band usage.

01		KA9PON		Tom		Tinley Park, IL
02		KD9CM		Paul		Naperville, IL
03		AB9BZ		David		Chicago, IL
06		KA9QAD		Don		Plainfield, IL
08		W9GQY		Dan		Burbank, IL
09		AG9H		Dale		Lockport, IL
09		K9TP		Mark		Chicago Ridge, IL
14		KA9BNQ		Howard		Plainfield, IL
15		N9FFT		Ronald		Downers Grove, IL
22		K9LJK		Dennis		Palatine, IL
23		W9HXM		Richard		Redmond, WA
24		WA9GQR		Albert		Lockport, IL
27		K9IB		Dick		Downers Grove, IL
29		WA8LIS		Jan		Lockport, IL
29		N9UWK		Joan		Joliet, IL

1. Indecision is the key to flexibility.
2. You can’t tell which way the train went by looking at the track.
3. There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.
4. Happiness is merely the remission of pain.
5. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
6. Sometimes too much to drink is not enough.
7. The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant.
8. The careful application of terror is also a form of communication.
9. Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world.
10. Things are more like they are today than they ever were before.
11. Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for.
12. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.
13. Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.
14. I have seen the truth and it makes no sense.
15. Suicide is the most sincere form of self-criticism.
16. If you think there is good in everybody, you haven’t met everybody.
17. All things being equal, fat people use more soap.
18. If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.
19. One seventh of your life is spent on Monday.
20. By the time you make ends meet, they move the ends.
21. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
22. The more you run over a dead cat, the flatter it gets.
23. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
24. This is as bad as it can get, but don’t count on it.
25. Never wrestle a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.
26. The trouble with life is, you’re halfway through it before you realize it is a do-it-yourself thing.