The Starved Rock Radio Club (SRRC) meets on the first Monday of every month, unless otherwise scheduled, at 7:00 p.m. at the SRRC clubhouse in Leonore, Illinois. Club nets are held on the SRRC repeater (W9MKS) every Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. The W9MKS repeater is located in Ottawa, Illinois, and it operates on a frequency of 147.120 MHz (+ 103.5 PL). The Starved Rock Radio Club was organized in September of 1934, and has remained an ARRL affiliated club since 1934.
The mission of the Starved Rock Radio Club has continually
been to give faithful, co-operative service and assistance for the betterment
of amateur radio, in the promotion of interest in amateur radio communications,
for the advancement of the radio art, for the use of amateur radio for
public service and welfare, and for the maintenance of fraternalism and
the promotion of good fellowship along with a high standard of conduct.
Visit us on the web at www.qsl.net/w9mks
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Silent Key
It is with deep regret that we inform you of the passing of Starved Rock Radio Club member Bernie Ernst, KB9ZGV. Bernie passed away late last month, and was a very recent addition to our club. A resident of the Veterans Home in La Salle, Bernie had become very active in amateur radio since he received his license last year. His presence on the W9MKS repeater will be missed.
Also, the club received a very nice card of thanks from Hilda Borri, wife of longtime SRRC member Hugo Bori, W9LIG. Hugo passed away November 10, 2001. The SRRC sent both a card and a monetary memorial gift to Mildred as a remembrance to Hugo. The thank you letter reads as follows:
Thank you so much for the card and money – He enjoyed
the radio club very much. W9LIG will be engraved on his tombstone.
I am here in Florida with a lady friend in our mobile home – I love to
walk and I can do it here.
Love, Hilda Bori
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Proposed Bylaw Change
A proposed change in the SRRC bylaws was very briefly discussed at the March meeting.
Currently, SRRC will reimburse you the exam fee when you upgrade your license. For 2002, the exam fee is $10.
I propose that the SRRC will also reimburse you the exam fee when you pass the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course. Currently, the Certification Exam is $10.
Emergency communications is so diversified and so much information is available, the material is broken into three levels: Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Emergency Communications (Levels I, II and III).
Level I
Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Course (EC-001) Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communications.
A basic course to raise awareness and provide additional knowledge and
tools for any emergency communications volunteer
Level II
Intermediate Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course
(EC-002) Intermediate AREC. A more in-depth study into Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications to enhance the skills and knowledge received from previous
experience. Level I ARECC is required prior to taking Level II.
Level III
Advanced Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course
(EC-003) Advanced AREC. This is the third and final stage of the planned
3-level ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Courses. This course
is designed to bridge the gap between basic participation and leadership.
Both Level I and Level II certifications are required prior to taking this
course.
The official proposal, to be voted on at the next meeting, is written as follows:
29. REIMBURSEMENT FOR COMPLETION of ARRL Certification - Continuing Education (C-CE) Course.
The club will reimburse any member the Certification Exam fee upon successful completion of any ARRL Certification - Continuing Education (C-CE) Course.
Submitted by Joe Tokarz, KB9EZZ
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Secretary’s Report – March Meeting Happenings
KB9RKU told us that the new computer for the HF
side of the club
station is in. He also emphasized to the
members that while there are lots of computer hardware of all kinds around,
no one is to just take anything. If you want or need a part, ask
Kurt first!
The hamfest Chairs reported that we are still very far behind on both advance ticket sales and table sales. Please sign up for jobs. There are still plenty of blank spaces!
KF9NZ told the members about the current configuration of the repeater. We are using one antenna on top of the tower as a receive-only antenna, and the other one below it as a transmit-only antenna. This helps keep the receiver from being de-sensed by the 100 Plus watts from the amp. We need some help at Leonore while KF9NZ is at Etna Rd. to re-align the remote site properly. The Spectrum cross-band rig is going back in to Spectrum for transmitter work.
It was decided to buy some of the ARRL emergency training texts, and the list of STATIC recipients that are not Club members was approved.
DE KF9NZ
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Membership Announcements
First, a big welcome to the following new members: Casey MacKay, KB9VFW – Technician, from Utica; Frank Bellinger, KA9HRO – Extra, from Minooka; Robert Jensen, KD9IC – Advanced, from La Salle.
There has also been a change in the clubs “membership renewal with ARRL renewal” policy. Pay ARRL dues through club dues, only if you are a new ARRL member or if your renewing your ARRL membership after a 2+-year lapse in membership. Clubs no longer receive a rebate for current renewals, so any current ARRL renewal should be sent directly to ARRL headquarters.
Finally, if your mailing label shows year 01 next
to your name, then you are delinquent on your SRRC dues for the year 2002.
If this is wrong, you need to contact Francis (WB9VLW), and let him know
of this discrepancy ASAP. Otherwise, this is the last issue of “Static”
that you will be receiving.
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LA SALLE NUCLEAR STATION DRILL - MARCH 20
The ARES will participate. We NEED YOU to help. The drill usually starts around 9:00 AM and runs until early afternoon. We need to man the Emergency Operating Centers that participate in the drill these will probably be Seneca (Village), Brookfield Twp and Grand Ridge this year. We will hold a meeting soon to decide how we are going to operate. I have recently appointed KB9EZZ as the Deputy Emergency Coordinator. He will be able to make decisions or act in my place if I am not available. There's not much time left guys and gals!
De KF9NZ
Activities Report / Calendar of Events
¨ The Sterling-Rock Falls ARS will host their clubs
annual hamfest next Sunday, March 17, 2002 at the Sterling Middle School.
For more information, visit
http://www.sterlinghamfest.com or Contact: Lloyd Sherman, KB9APW at PO
Box 521
Sterling, IL 61081-0521; Phone: 815-336-2434 - Email:
lsherman@essex1.com
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¨ Russian DX Contest, CW and SSB, from 1200Z Mar
16-1200Z Mar 17. Frequencies: 160-10 meters; work stations once per band/mode.
Categories: SOAB-HP and -LP (<100 W), SOSB, MS (10 min rule), MM, SWL;
SO may enter Mixed Mode, CW, or SSB; MO and SWL are Mixed only. Exchange:
RS(T) + serial number; RU stations--RS(T) + Oblast designator. QSO points:
own entity—2 pts; different entity, same continent--3 pts; different continent--5
pts; with Russians--10 pts. Multiplier:
DXCC entity + Oblasts, count once per band. Score: QSO
points × multiplier. For more information, http://www.rdxc.org/.
Logs must be emailed or postmarked within 45 days of the contest to rusdxc@contesting.com
or to Russian DX Contest, PO Box 59, 105122 Moscow, Russia.
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¨ CLARA and Family HF Contest, Phone and CW, sponsored
by the Canadian Ladies ARA, from 1700Z Mar 19 to 1700Z Mar 20. Frequencies:
CW--14.033, 21.033, 7.033, 3.688; Phone-- 28.300, 21.225, 14.120 14.285,
7033, 7.200, 3.750, 3.900 MHz, work CLARA and YL stations once per band/mode.
Cross-mode contacts count as phone for both stations. SO category only,
no time limit. Exchange: RS(T), name, QTH, and whether CLARA member,
Family member, non-member YL, or OM. QSO points: 5 pts for CLARA-members;
2 pts for CLARA family members; 3 pts for non-CLARA YLs; 1 pt for OMs.
Multipliers are VE provinces and DXCC entities (only if QSO with
YL) counted only once. Score is QSO points × multipliers.
Logs must be emailed or postmarked by April 20 to archibal@pubnix.net or
to Helen Archibald, VE2YAK, 130 Embleton Cres, Pointe Claire, QC, Canada
H9R 3N2.
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¨ The North Shore Radio Club, NS9RC, will be hosting
their annual hamfest on Sunday, March 24, 2002 in Grayslake, IL.
For more information, visit
http://www.ns9rc.org or Contact: Jacob Fishman, NE0NS at 834 Bach Street,
Northbrook, IL 60062. Phone: 847-291-4160; Email: ne0ns@arrl.net
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¨Spring QRP Homebrewer Sprint--CW and PSK31, sponsored
by New Jersey QRP Club from 0000Z-0400Z Mar 25. Frequencies: QRP CW and
PSK31 frequencies on 80-10 meters; CW and PSK31 are considered separate
bands. Exchange: RST + SPC + Output power. QSO points: 2 pts for QSOs made
with Commercial Equipment; 3 pts for homebrew xmtr or rcvr; 4 pts for homebrew
xmtr and rcvr or xcvr; 5 pts for homebrew PSK31 station, kits are okay
for homebrew. Multiplier: SPC counted once per band. Power multiplier:
0-250 mW = ×15, 250 mW-1 W = ×10, 1-5 W = ×7, >5 W =
×1. Score: QSO points × SPC (total for all
bands) × power multiplier. For more information, http://www.njqrp.org/qhbsprint/Fall2001/qrphomebrewersprint.html.
Logs must be emailed (text only) or postmarked 30 days from the contest
to n2cq@arrl.net or Ken Newman, N2CQ, 81 Holly Dr, Woodbury, NJ 08096.
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¨ CQ WW SSB WPX Contest--SSB, sponsored by CQ Magazine,
from 0000Z Mar 30-2400Z Mar 31 (CW is May 26-27). Frequencies: all HF bands;
work stations once/band. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, SO-Assisted, -HP, LP and
-QRP, MS (10-min rule), MM, SO-Rookie, SO-Tribander-and-Single-Wire, SO-Band-Restricted.
SO operate 36 hours max with off times at least 60 min. Exchange: RS(T)
+ serial number. QSO points: with different continents 3 pts (14-28 MHz)
and 6 pts (1.8-7 MHz); with North America 2 pts (14-28 MHz) and 4 pts (1.8-7
MHz); with own country 1 pt. Multipliers: prefixes worked (ie, N8,
KA1, HG73, JD1) counted only once. Score: QSO points ×
multiplier. For more information and instructions on
paper logs, http://home.woh.rr.com/wpx/ Logs must be emailed by May 10
(CW, Jul 10) to wpxssb@kkn.net (wpxcw@ kkn.net).
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¨ MARAC County Hunters Contest--SSB--sponsored by
The Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club from 0000Z Apr 6 to 2400Z April 7.
Frequencies: 3880, 7240, 14275, 21340, 28340 kHz. Work fixed stations once/band
and mobiles once for each county and band. Exchange: RST and county or
SPC. County line QSOs count as one QSO but separate multipliers.
QSO points: Fixed stations in NA--1 pt, Mobile/Portable--15 pts, DX--5
pts, one station must be in a US county. Score is QSO pts × US counties
(count only once). Mobile/Portables sum score from each state. For more
information
http://www.countyhunter.com/. Logs must be postmarked
by 10 May to (US logs) Duane Traver, WV2B, 99 Oregon Hill Rd, Lisle, NY
13797-1002 or (non US logs) Scott Nichols, VE1OP, 387 Rudderham Rd, Point
Edward, NS B2A 4V6, Canada.
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¨ 46th Annual QCWA QSO Party--CW/Digital/SSB--sponsored
by the Quarter Century Wireless Association from 1900Z Apr 6 through 1900Z
April 7. Frequencies: CW--1.910, 3.540, 7.035, 14.040, 21.050, 28.050 MHz;
Phone--1.910, 3.890, 7.244, 14.262, 21.365, 28.325 MHz plus all VHF/UHF
bands, no crossband or repeater QSOs. 15 QSOs with each station maximum
and only one QSO with stations in home QCWA chapter. Exchange: Last two
digits of year licensed and QCWA chapter or SPC. QSO Points: Phone--1 pt,
CW/Digital--2 pts. Score: QSO Points × QCWA chapters + SPC counted
once per band. W2MM counts as a 3-point multiplier on each band. For information
and log sheets, send SASE to QCWA HQ, 159 East 16th Ave, Eugene OR 97401-4017.
Send logs to WØHXL, Dick Newsome, 2924 North 48th St, Omaha, NE
68104-3726.
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¨ The Streator Amateur Radio Club will be hosting
their monthly dinner/meeting on Saturday, April 6th 2002 at Chippers’ Grill,
route 23 North in Streator. The dinner/meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.,
and everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!! If you would like
to attend the monthly dinner/meeting, please make reservations no later
than Friday, April 5th by contacting Jesse Risley, KB9TMA on the air, or
by phone at 815-673-1023 (home) or 815-674-1059 (cell).
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¨ The next regular monthly meeting of the Starved
Rock Radio Club will be held on Monday, April 8th 2002 at 7:00 p.m. at
the SRRC clubhouse in Leonore, Illinois. Everyone is welcome and
encourage to attend the meeting. There is a “pre-meeting” over dinner,
held prior to the regular meeting, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Schmitty’s
Grill. Come on over for some casual chat, and enjoy the evening steak
dinner special!
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¨ The Illinois Valley Radio Association (IVRA) will
host their next monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 9th 2002 at 7:00 p.m.
at the Hennepin Town Hall in Hennepin, Illinois. Everyone is welcome
and encouraged to attend the meeting!
73's DE
Jesse L. Risley, KB9TMA
SRRC Activities Chairman
Around the Hobby – Stray Items Relating to Amateur Radio
ILMAG Input Requested
I'm looking for input. In recent months I
have been re-evaluating the operation of ILMAG on 145.010. With the loss
our forwarding station for packet mail I am curious how much activity it
still on that frequency? I would like to hear from users of 145.010
and if they need ILMAG to digi to W9MKS or others. If there is not
sufficient interest, my plan is to reconfigure ILMAG for APRS. I
have no timetable for doing this and will consider all replies pro and
con.
Thank you.
KA9VAU / Paul - proberts@maxiis.com
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E-mail Notification server
There is currently in operation an e-mail service titled
the "Emergency E-mail Network". By signing up for this reflector type e-mail
service, you'll be sent free e-mail alert, via computer, from local and
national government sources. Select you state and county and
select what messages you want to receive, such as severe weather, evacuations,
health emergencies and such. If interested, please visit http://208.184.24.125/
Submitted by Don Houde, K9EWU
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ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MULLS OMNIBUS FCC FILING, CC&R
LEGISLATION
As a result of ARRL Executive Committee action, the ARRL
moved another step closer to asking the FCC to act favorably on its Novice
band "refarming" recommendations. The EC also further mulled strategy regarding
a possible congressional solution to the issue of deed covenants, conditions
and restrictions--CC&Rs--as they affect the ability of amateurs to
erect outdoor antennas. Meeting March 2 in Arlington, Virginia, the EC
waded through a full agenda of regulatory and legislative items. President
Jim Haynie,
W5JBP, chaired the session.
Within the next few weeks, the ARRL is expected to file
a Petition for Rule Making that, among other things, will ask the FCC to
revise its Amateur Service rules in accordance with the modified Novice
band refarming scheme the ARRL Board of Directors okayed in January (see
"ARRL Board Adopts Modified Novice Band Refarming Plan,"
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/01/21/101/>).
That plan--based on recommendations of the ARRL Novice Spectrum Study Committee--would
eliminate
the Novice/Technician Plus CW subbands as such and reuse
that spectrum in part to expand phone allocations on 80 and 40 meters.
The plan would permit Novice and Tech Plus (or Technician with Element
1 credit) to operate CW on General-class 80, 40, 15 and 10-meter CW allocations
at up to 200 W output.
The ARRL's pending "omnibus" petition also would seek other minor changes to the Part 97 Amateur Service rules. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, is putting the finishing touches on the draft Petition and will circulate it to the ARRL Board of Directors prior to filing.
The EC took no formal position on several other recent Part 97 rule making petitions. While initial comment deadlines have passed, the Committee noted that another comment opportunity will open "if and when the FCC incorporates one or more of the petitions into a Notice of Proposed Rule Making."
On the legislative front, meetings with several members of Congress during the week leading up to the EC meeting were said to have "offered encouragement" regarding the possible introduction of legislation to extend PRB-1 preemption to include CC&Rs. Existing draft legislation was reworked to reflect the tenor of the Capitol Hill discussions, and the EC reviewed and concurred with the revised draft. Details have not yet been released, however.
In an effort to reduce or eliminate the necessity of filing paper vanity call sign applications, the EC authorized ARRL Headquarters staff to develop a vanity call sign filing service for members and to charge a fee to recoup expenses. In addition, the EC asked Imlay and ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, to draft a letter to the FCC advocating "a prohibition on multiple applications for the same call sign by a single applicant."
Minutes of the March 2 EC meeting are available on the
ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/announce/ec_minutes_469.html>.
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2001 Illinois QSO Party Results
The results are in from the 2001 Illinois QSO Party, which
was sponsored by the Radio Amateur Megacycle Society on October, 21 2001.
Notably, W9MKS (operated through Jim, N9PLM and Chris, KB9WJ) scored 3,080
points, with 70 PHN and 44 MULT contacts. Also, Steve, KB9UPS, scored
1,496 (44 PHN – 34 MULT) from his own station. Congratulations on
a job well done!
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YHOTY nominations invited
Nominations are open for the Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award for 2002. Created in 1986, the award recognizes one young radio amateur under the age of 18 in the continental US for his or her contributions to society through Amateur Radio. Nominating forms and additional information are available at the Amateur Radio Newsline Web site, <http://www.arnewsline.org>. Amateur Radio Newsline must receive all nominations and materials required by the official rules before May 30, 2002.
Submitted by Joe Tokarz, KB9EZZ
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ROUTINE VANITY PROCESSING RESUMES!
The vanity logjam has broken. With all outstanding vanity applications initially filed last October in hand, the FCC this week resumed routine vanity call sign processing. By March 7, some 455-vanity applications had been granted out of an estimated backlog of more than 2000. For more than a week, a single missing vanity application had delayed full resumption of vanity processing. The vanity holdup, which began last fall, had become source of growing irritation within the amateur community.
A spokesperson at the FCC's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
office said the Commission plans to run batches of applications daily until
amateur vanity processing is caught up. The FCC acknowledged the ARRL's
assistance in efforts to contact the lone elusive applicant to have the
individual resubmit a vanity application. Contact finally was made with
the applicant this week, and a reconstructed paper application was faxed
to the FCC in
Gettysburg.
At the core of the problem were some two weeks' worth
of October paper vanity applications sent from Gettysburg to Washington,
DC, last fall for anthrax decontamination, but which never made it back
to Gettysburg. FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau personnel were successful
in using information gleaned from payment receipts to contact most of the
known paper filers via e-mail or telephone to have them resubmit copies
of their vanity applications. As a result, a few vanity call signs trickled
out of Gettysburg in recent weeks. Prior to last week, no amateur vanity
call signs had been granted since February 1, and until late January, no
vanity call
signs had been issued since October 30.
Although the majority of vanity applications are filed electronically, the FCC's policy is to give equal processing weight to paper and electronic applications.
Excerpted from The ARRL Letter - Vol. 21, No.10 for March
8, 2002
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Training Report
The packet station at LaSalle County's Emergency Operating Center is now working as kb9mgm-1 only.
The MFJ TNC, from Manlius Township, is working. Thanks to KB9RKU for the MFJ tnc/mic switches...the cable came in handy! We have another kpc-3 available for the exercise.
Remember, there will be a training session at SRRC Leonore on Saturday March 16th from 10 am to 5 pm to help get our packet stations up and running with UI-View and ARESPACK.
Things to bring:
Bowl and spoon for the chili and crackers, laptop (if
you need one, please reply and let me know) radio with these frequencies
installed -----simplex: 145.01, 144.390, 146.520, 147.540) -----duplex:
147.12 + 103.5(?), 147.240 + 103.5, radio, tnc and laptop power supply
for 120 vac ops radio, tnc and laptop power supply for 12 vdc ops tnc (if
you need one, please reply and let me know), interfacing cables, and antennas
(we will be packeting to other stations)
73 and thanks
Joe, KB9EZZ
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From the Editor’s Desk
I do not have much of interest to report for this month. Publication and distribution of the newsletter have been flowing smoothly for the past few months. Due to my personal lack of access to a copy machine, Mark, K9ZQ, has agreed to accept the responsibility of copying and mailing “Static” to those members who do not receive the publication via e-mail.
In the next month or so, we will be running a hamfest worksheet flyer. Please be sure to sign up early and often to work a shift or two of your choice at this major club event. Keep sending items my way for submission in the newsletter, as we have been receiving many great articles for inclusion in the newsletter!
The deadline for submitting items for publication in the April edition of the newsletter will be Sunday, April 7, 2002.
Regards,
Jesse L. Risley, KB9TMA
Kb9tma@yahoo.com; 815-673-1023 (home phone)
SRRC “Static” Editor