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 at the SRRC clubhouse in Leonore, 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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Welcome New Members!!
We wish to extend a sincere welcome to the following
members, who have either joined or re-renewed their membership with the
club at the last few meetings. The new members are as follows:
Harrison Lee Eaves, KC9BQU, of Henry; Brian Wicks, KB9ETI and Kim Wicks,
of Streator; Don Newburn, K9TWZ, of Peru; and Mike Bara, N9UZD, of Peru.
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Secretary’s Report – September Meeting Highlights
The meeting was well attended, 30 members, and
went very smooth and short. The Panasonic computers were
discussed. We still don't have a complete and correct list of who
has what. If you have one and have not let the Club know the serial
number, please do so we don't have to report them as being stolen.
The hamfest committee reported a little more detail on the survey results, and promised to go into them in more detail. They will schedule a committee meeting for members to voice their opinions and ideas. The Training Committee reported that there were 5 licenses earned at the recent VE session. Joe will schedule some software training for UI View soon.
We are still looking for a permanent repeater site. We have had quotations
from at least three, and they all want a monthly fee of at least a dollar
a foot a month. In some cases more than that for equipment room space.
Right now the best site is K9PHW's place. Members were asked to keep
looking and to pull any strings they may have. There was o interest
in reviving the LST special event this year.
Let's keep Dec 7th free for the Skywarn Appreciation Day thing at Romeoville.
DE
KF9NZ
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Hamfest Committee Report
We conducted both the vendors’ hamfest survey and attendee hamfest survey participants drawing at this past meeting. The winners of free hamfest tickets to the Starved Rock Radio Club’s 2003 Hamfest are as follows: (Attendee) – Jo Ann, KA9BOI; Chip Moore, K9IOC; Don Johnson, KA9SQB. (Vendors) – Steve Zahos, KR4S; Tom Brehmer, N0LOH; P.A. Alpiser, N9NGU. Congratulations to each winner, and we received much valuable insight from the surveys. Results of the surveys will be presented at next months meeting in more formidable detail.
Matthew Weaver, KB9VZH and Jesse L. Risley, KB9TMA
SRRC Hamfest Co-Chairmen
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Activities Report / Calendar of Upcoming Events
¨ ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest II, 0600 local Sep
21 to 2400 local Sep 22 (see Mar QST, p 115).
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¨ The Chicago FM Club will host its annual “Radio
Expo 2002” at the Lake County Fairgrounds, Rts. 45 & 120, in Grayslake,
IL on September 21st & 22nd. For table information, contact Radio
Expo at 630-628-1501 or visit their web site at http://www.chicagofmclub.org.
TI: 146.16/76 MHz (107.2 Hz PL).
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¨ Special Event Station – Lake County, IL:
Lake County RACES/ARES, W9FUL. Noon-9 pm your local time Sep 28. 50th anniversary
of RACES. 28.383 14.283 7.283 CW PSK-31. QSL. Lake County RACES/ARES,
1303 N Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048. http://www.races.org/.
RACES/ARES groups invited to participate.
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¨ A reminder again that the SRRC Tech Session, in
preparation for the Pumpkin Pie Ride, will be held at the club house on
Saturday, September 28 from noon to 5 PM.
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¨ Special Event Station - Springfield, IL: Sangamon
Valley Radio Club, W9I. 1500Z Sep 28-2300Z Sep 29. International Route
66 "Mother Road" Festival. 14.275 14.250 14.225. QSL. Sangamon Valley Radio
Club, c/o Sangamon Valley Chapter American Red Cross, 1025 S 6th St, Springfield,
IL 62703.
¨ The Illinois Valley Radio Association (IVRA) will
host their next monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 1st 2002 at 7:00 p.m.
at the Hennepin Town Hall in Hennepin, Illinois. Everyone is welcome
and encouraged to attend the meeting!
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¨ The Streator Amateur Radio Club will be hosting
their monthly dinner/meeting on Saturday, October 5th 2002 at Chippers’
Grill, route 23 North in Streator. The dinner/meeting begins at 5:30
p.m., and everyone is welcome!! This dinner/meeting will focus on
reorganization and resurrection of the club, so everyone is encouraged
to try and attend!! If you would like to attend the monthly dinner/meeting,
please make reservations no later than Friday, October 4th 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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¨ A Reminder that the SRCA “Pumpkin Pie Ride”
will be held on Sunday, October 6th. If you have not already done
so, please sign up for a shift if you are able to assist!!
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¨ The Cenois Amateur Radio Club will host their “Decatur
Old Fashioned Hamfest” on Sunday, October 6th 2002 at Richland Community
College in Decatur, Illinois. The college is located at the intersection
of Rea’s Bridge & Brush College Roads in Decatur. For table or
ticket information, contact Jerry Sebok, N9RBQ, at 217-423-2095 or e-mail
n9rbq@yahoo.com. TI: 147.100+ and 442.250+ (103.5 PL).
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¨ The next regular meeting of the Starved Rock Radio
Club will be held on Monday, October 7th 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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¨ Special Event Station - Alton, IL: Lewis and Clark
RC, W9LD. 1400Z-2100Z Oct 12. Lincoln-Douglas Debate 144th anniversary
celebration. 28.370 21.370 14.270 7.270. Certificate. Lewis and Clark
RC, PO Box 553, Godfrey, IL 62035.
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¨ Special Event Station - Nowhere, IL: Iowa Radiosport
Society, W0FUN. 1500Z-2000Z Oct 12. The Royal Order of Thuggs Fram-A-Stam
event. 14.243. QSL. Iowa Radiosport Society, PO Box 73, Denmark,
IA 52624.
73’s DE
Jesse L. Risley, KB9TMA (Activities Chairman)
Around the Hobby – Stray Items Relating to Amateur Radio
Items for Sale
1) Free Standing TV tower with three legs. Have
five 8-foot sections of tower, asking $300.00 or best offer.
2) Singer sewing machine, Athena 2000 electronic model.
Asking $125.00.
For more information on either item, please contact Bill Chenneour, N9HON, 609 4th Street in Mendota, IL or call 815-539-9032.
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SRRC Tech Session Scheduled
Mark your calendar for Saturday September 28th. There will be a technical session at the SRRC in Leonore from Noon to 5 to get ready for the Pumpkin Pie Ride and other activities. Bring a spoon and bowl for some good 'road-kill' chili!
Getting your APRS station ready for the Pumpkin Pie Ride?
Here is info on the Magellan 310 GPS Magellan: Looking at the gps
db-9 female connector: Pin 2 is second pin from right / the top orange
wire / data out / wire to pin 2 of the tnc's db-9
Pin 5 is the right most pin on the top / black wire /
ground / wire to pin 6 of the tnc's db-9
For settings:
ABAUD 4800 then you will have to change
the com speed of your packet program to match 4800.
BLT
1 EVERY 00:15:00 STARTING AT 00:00:00
2 EVERY 00:15:00 STARTING AT 00:10:00
3 EVERY 00:00:00
4 EVERY 00:00:00
CD INTERNAL
CMSG DISC
DIGIPEAT ON
GPSHEAD
1 $GPRMC
2 $GPRMC
3 $GPRMC
4 $GPRMC
GPSPORT 4800 NORMAL CHECKSUM
GPSTIME VALID RMC
LTP
1 GPSLJ VIA RELAY,WIDE,WIDE3-3
2 GPSLB VIA RELAY,WIDE,WIDE
3 GPS
4 GPS
The Starved Rock Cycling Association has requested our assistance for the Sunday, October 6th Pumpkin Pie Ride. The ride starts at 8am and runs until 3pm, but helping during any 4-hour block of time would be must appreciated. Last year, members of SRRC showed more than 400 bike riders just what ham radio can do. We give excellent voice coverage and tracked the SAG (biker safety/repair) vehicles using GPS. UI-View really wow'd and dazzled the riders.
PPR 2002 will start at the Ottawa YMCA with rest areas in Seneca, Utica, Sheridan and the Streator YMCA. Hams will be needed to ride and or drive the SAG vehicles and operate the radios/computers at the rest areas. If you would like to drive your truck/van, as an official SAG, please let me know as soon as possible. I would like to get a list of volunteer hams to SRCA by the first of September.
Please let me know how you would like to help as a: SAG driver (mobile vhf & GPS is needed), SAG rider (mobile vhf & GSP is needed), Ottawa YMCA rest area, Sheridan rest area, Seneca rest area, Utica rest area, Streator YMCA rest area. Also, what is your shirt size (free T-shirt for all volunteers)?
73 and thanks,
Joe Tokarz, KB9EZZ
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August 24, 2002 VE Exam Session – SRRC Clubhouse
As a result of our VE exam session last month, please
welcome the newest hams in the Illinois Valley:
KC9CIN - Mark, KC9CIO - Paul, KC9CIP - Brian, KC9CIQ
- Matt, and KC9CIR - Loni. Also, a big thanks to our volunteers:
K9JKW, KA9HRO, KB9UPS, W9QA, K9PHW, N9MRG and KF9NZ.
73 and thanks,
Joe
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Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) 2002
Please note the correct dates...and we have the North and the new huge East shelter reserved. There are several scout groups attending, please come out and show them you skills as an Amateur Radio Operator.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ANNUAL "JAMBOREE ON THE AIR" CONNECTS SCOUTS AROUND THE WORLD
Ottawa, IL August 29, 2002 -- More than a half-million
Boy and Girl Scouts worldwide will create the ultimate global community
by talking to each other via Amateur Radio as part of the 45th annual Jamboree
on the air, October 19-20. Troop leaders and volunteers who want
to interest young people in technology and communications organize the
international event locally. Jamboree participants also learn about different
regions and cultures by contacting other scout troops via a variety of
Amateur Radio modes, including voice, Morse code, amateur television and
"packet," (or computer-to-computer
communications).
"The Jamboree on the Air puts Amateur Radio in an international spotlight and gives Scouts the opportunity to make friends locally or in other countries," says Jean Wolfgang, Educational Programs Coordinator for the American Radio Relay League. "Since its inception in 1957, the Jamboree and Amateur Radio have connected millions of Scouts and Guides across the globe. This event is an excellent way to expose young people to a technical hobby that may even lead to a future career." Boy Scouts can earn a Radio Merit Badge by learning Amateur Radio, learning some Morse code and making contact with other Amateur Radio operators. Girl Scouts can use Amateur Radio to earn badges and participate in special-interest projects that range from high-tech communication to space exploration.
Based in Newington, Conn., the ARRL produces learning
materials to assist
Scouts who are interested in earning their badges or
Amateur Radio licenses. The Starved Rock Radio Club invites local
scouts to join them at Chief Shabbona Park (IL 23 North to N 42nd Rd. Left
(West) on N 42nd Rd to the park. Radio operations will be from 9
am Saturday until Noon on Sunday. Camping is by permit only.
Permits are available from Kerry Wiley, 1548 N. 4050th Rd, Earlville, IL
Last year, a local scout contacted the International Space
Station via amateur radio during JOTA. If you are interested in participating
in the Jamboree on the Air or earning your Amateur Radio license, please
contact Joe Tokarz of the Starved Rock
Radio Club at kb9ezz@arrl.net. For more information
on the American Radio Relay League at 1-800-32 NEW HAM or send e-mail to
jota@arrl.org. Information on Scouting and Amateur Radio is available
in ARRL's Scout Handbook.
73 and thanks,
Joe, KB9EZZ
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ARRL RESPONDS TO IMPLIED 222-225 MHZ THREAT
The ARRL has taken issue with a suggestion made in a non-Amateur Radio-related FCC proceeding to turn the 222-225 MHz amateur allocation over to commercial interests. In reply comments filed this month, the League urged the FCC to "do nothing" with the proposal of Data Comlink (DCL), a consortium of 20 electrical coops and allied companies.
"ARRL presumes that the proposal by DCL for reallocation of the 222-225 MHz band will not be seriously evaluated by the Commission, as it is well outside the scope of this proceeding," the League said in its September 5 filing with the FCC. Until DCL raised the 222-225 MHz suggestion last month in its own comments in WT Docket 02-224, the ARRL had remained silent in the proceeding. DCL claimed in its comments that the amateur allocation at 222-225 MHz "is being underutilized" and that the band "would be much better utilized for commercial use."
ARRL asserted that the band, far from being underused,
"remains a critical VHF allocation" for amateurs. The League noted that
the ARRL 2002 Repeater Directory--albeit not a comprehensive listing--lists
1690 repeaters throughout the US, indicating an even larger number of individual
users. "Indeed the number of individual amateurs using this band
has increased steadily since 1989, when the amateur allocation at 220-225
was reduced by 40 percent," the ARRL said, "and now much commercially manufactured
equipment is available to amateurs."
DCL had claimed that "only handfuls [sic] of individuals
in the Amateur Radio Service even use this spectrum, while hundreds of
thousands of potential commercial users wait with no alternatives." The
League characterized as "invalid" DCL's arguments in favor of reallocating
222-225 MHz from the Amateur Radio Service and noted that the FCC earlier
this year had set aside an additional 8 MHz of spectrum for Land Mobile
Service operations.
The League's reply comments in the DCL proceeding are
on the ARRL Web site
<http:// www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt02-224/arrl-comments.html>.
The ARRL has not commented in an unrelated Petition for
Reconsideration filed by Warren C. Havens on behalf of himself and Telesaurus
Holdings GB LLC, in which he holds a majority interest. Filing last month
under PR Docket 92-257 and RM-9664, Havens is seeking to have the FCC reconsider
its decision to auction certain AMTS spectrum and instead adopt his "Advanced
Technology Land Infrastructure and Safety Service" (ATLIS) proposal. Under
that plan, Havens wants to see 222 to 225 MHz reallocated from amateur
to public safety use. His ATLIS plan proposes to share
902-928 MHz on which amateurs are secondary.
Reprinted from The ARRL Letter, Vol. 21, No. 36, issued
on September 13, 2002.
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From the Editor’s Desk
I do not have anything of interest to report on for this month. Keep those submissions coming my way, however. If you experience any problems with delivery of the newsletter, please inform me so that we can get the problem corrected. Extra back issue copies of the newsletter are dropped of at the clubhouse each month.
The deadline for submitting items for publication in the October edition of the newsletter will be Sunday, October 13th, 2002.
Regards,
Jesse L. Risley, KB9TMA
Kb9tma@yahoo.com; 815-673-1023 (home phone)
SRRC “Static” Editor