--Cub-O-Ree 9am-12pm Mendota Fair Grounds Saturday September 25th.  Show the
scouts our hobby.   Talk in on 146.52 and if we can string an antenna high
enough 147.12.  ARESPACK demos will be on 145.550. Hope to QSO.

--W.D. Boyce Council of Boy Scouts of America will have a Camporee at
Illinois Central College in East Peoria 16-17OCT.  Hams are going to get
some stations set up ala field day and operate for the full 36 hours. To
paraphrase Field of Dreams, we feel that if we set up the towers, they will
come. We are trying for three stations plus a reasonably complete vhf/uhf
station to include APRS and packet. Norm Huber, N9ZKS  (309) 378-4674
nihuber@ice.net

--Illinois Communications Drill Stay tuned 23OCT at 2300 on 3.905, 7.283,
147.12, 146.62 and 146.895 for an all-state communications drill

--LaSalle County Emergency Packet Node KA9JNV is now K9PHW.  Frequency
remains the same at 145.550.

--Illinois Power Rejected SRRC Application Again. More than 275 entries were
received,  IP awarded $150,000 to 50 organizations to support initiatives in
such areas as education, economic development, redevelopment, beautification
and others.  SRRC again applied for a $3,000 grant to assist local schools
in IP territory use ham radio in a  classroom fitted with a VHF
voice-packet-satellite station.  The only winner associated with radio was
from Macon County ESDA to purchase a portable back-up generator and new
radio equipment for volunteer emergency response teams.  Three's the
charm...in 2000!!!

--Thank you, ComEd   To date, ComEd has loaned the Amateur Radio Emergency
Services of Kankakee, Will, Grundy, Livingston, LaSalle, Ogle, Whiteside,
Hancock and Kendall counties laptop computers.  They're perfect for running
the DOS-based ARESPACK.  Kankakee ARES is using theirs for APRS and weather
spotting.  Visit http://www2.arrl.org/members-only/extra/features/
1999/0801/1/  and read "Where have all the Laptops Gone?"

--US Congressman Jerry Weller supports Ham Radio as the 65th of 109
cosponsors to the 'Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 1999':

--From The ARRL:  ARLB054 Salvation Army amateur net handling earthquake
traffic  The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network--SATERN--is running
a health-and-welfare traffic ops on the SATERN 20M traffic net is 14.265 MHz
at 1400 UTC.  qnwa4bzy@mindspring.com

--Going to a hamfest?  Could you distribute SRRC Hamfest information or sell
tickets at these local hamfests.  The list is from the Hamfest and
Convention Calendar at  www.arrl.org--did I miss any?
SEP25-26  708-457-0966  Grayslake
OCT10       773-545-3622 Oak Brook Terrace
OCT16       618-466-1909 Godfrey

--If you are ready to upgrade, these VE sessions are ready for you!
16OCT VAIL CORDELL     (815)968-0080 LOVES PARK
16         ROBERT E DAVIS (309)925-3141 MORTON
 

>From the ARRL: ARLB077 NC and VA ARES/RACES continue flood response  NC SM
Reed Whitten, AB4W,  estimate that upwards of 300 amateurs statewide are
actively involved in the Hurricane Floyd response.   Hams also are staffing
shelters, handling traffic, and acting as net control stations, as well as
supporting outside relief efforts by the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and
others.
More relief operators were scheduled to travel to the hard-hit community of
Tarboro this morning. Tarboro was completely cut off by the flooding of the
Tar River, and relief workers have had to be transported in and out via
helicopter.

The City of Franklin--near the North Carolina border--has experienced its
worst flooding ever . Nearly all traffic going in and out of
Franklin--including police and fire communication--is being handled by ham
radio.
ARES/RACES officials in NC & VA have requested that amateurs wishing to
volunteer first sign up with ARES officials. Whitten (ab4w@arrl.org) said
volunteers should have at least a Technician license and a 2-meter mobile
radio with portable power and should be prepared to stay for at least two days.

VA volunteers should contact him (at 757-545-1290) or the Virginia
Department of Emergency Services (vaeoc@w4za.ampr.org). He said hams
volunteering should have dualband (2 meter/70 cm) capability, preferably
with 50 W.

Volunteers SHOULD NOT attempt to travel to stricken areas without being
specifically requested to do so.
Gahagan has requested that all health-and-welfare traffic entering and
leaving Virginia be handled as packet as much as possible. He said traffic
should be routed to KR4MA@KR4MA#tide.va.usa.noam.

73  de kb9ezz@arrl.net

September SRRC Meeting Notes

It was reported that Johnny, W9ZEN was in St Margie's in Spring Valley for a
tuneup.  We wish John well and hope he is out soon in good health.

--QSL Contest N9MRG took it; target is N2THF in Schenectedy NY.

--Hamfest  N9PIB reported all is going well and tickets and flyers are ordered.

--Antennas We need an antenna party before bad weather arrives.

--Repeater  We  voted to hire N9JNK to help align and set levels without
which the system will not work properly.  The construction of the remote
receive system has been completed.  The antenna was put up on the County
tower a few weeks back.  The system is now pretty complex.  It really
consists of two repeaters and
the voting apparatus.  For it to work properly it needs to be adjusted
right.   Further complicating the matter is the fact that the radios for the
remote receive part (Two receivers and a transmitter) were ordered without
the PL options in them.   This was because at the time we were not using PL!
This complicates the installation, and is part of the reason the remote site
does not have PL on it.  It will take about $150.00 to buy the needed parts
to equip the remote site.  Another item not previously thought of is the
fact that there is no means of shutting down the Leonore site as required by
FCC rules.  That will take another
$100.00 or so.   In the meantime, I have more or less tamed the beast so
it works fairly well.    When I went to Etna Rd last Saturday to work on the
system, the first thing I found was that the power amplifier was only
putting out
about 20 watts instead of the 100 it should.   Thi$ may be espen$ive.

de KF9NZ