   
September
/ October 2013
Volume
3, Issue 5 |
WS1SM
Team Activates Douglas Mountain, W1/AM-140 for SOTA
Sebago,
ME
by
Tim Watson, KB1HNZ
SEBAGO,
ME - On September 22nd, WSSM members ventured to the 1382 ft
summit of Douglas Mountain to activate it for Summits on the Air.
Using a portable J-Pole for 2 meter FM, and a pair of HF antennas,
including a BuddiPole and a G-Whip end-fed zepp, they made over 100
QSO's in just a few hours of operating.
WSSM
Members To Teach Course for Wells / Ogunquit Adult Education
Intro
to Ham Radio
by
Tim Watson, KB1HNZ
On November 12th, WSSM members will teach a 3
hour
course introducing Amateur
Radio to students of Wells / Ogunquit Adult Education. The course,
which requires preregistration, is designed to launch students on the
path toward earning their
first ham radio license. Click here to sign up.
QSL
Corner
Here's a QSL card received recently by Thom Watson,
W1WMG, for a 20m SSB QSO at 2137 UTC on February 6th.
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Rubber Duck Antenna Comparisons Using the Comet CAA500
Scarborough, ME
by
Tim Watson, KB1HNZ
SCARBOROUGH,
ME - Modern handhelds offer features
never imagined ten
years ago, including APRS and digital voice, but have you ever wondered
about the performance of their antennas? We'll take a look at some
Kenwood and Yaesu OEM antennas, as well as popular aftermarket replacement antennas by Smiley, Nagoya, and Diamond.
September Exams Yield
new Licencees and Upgrades
Wassamki
Springs Campground
by
Tim Watson, KB1HNZ
SCARBOROUGH,
ME - On Friday, September 27th, the WSSM VE Team held an exam session
at Wasamki Springs Campground. We'd like to congratulate everyone who
earned their first licenses and those who upgraded their current ones.
We had one attendee who passed both his Technician and General class
exams in one sitting. Nice job!
FCC
Issues Shutdown Notice
Washington, DC
by
Tim Watson, KB1HNZ
In wake
of the recent government shutdown, the FCC has issued a communique
stating that the Commission is "limited to performing duties that are
necessary for the safety of life or the protection of property," and
that "FCC online systems will not be available until further notice."
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November
14th - from
7PM-9PM at the Gorham Recreation Department
December
12th - from
7PM-9PM at the Gorham Recreation Department
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Check
out the ads on page 2 to view items for sale, upcoming hamfests,
announcements, and wanted items.
The Wireless Society of
Southern Maine would like to welcome the following new members:
Tom Williams W8TOM, of Atlanta, MI, Annette Dumont, of
Greene,
ME, Shawn Brust, of Norway, ME, David Rivers, of
Gray, ME,
Lee Shaw, of Peoria, AZ, C.J. Carlsson, of Portland, ME, Miriam
Conners, of Topsham, ME, Gary Broad, of Saco, ME, Hal Tippets, of Saco,
ME, Roy Bryant III, of Old Orchard Beach, ME, Ronello Vaughn, of
Denmark, ME, and Roy Bryant, Jr., of Old Orchard Beach, ME.
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From
the Editor's Desk
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Autumn and Other Things
So
far this fall we've been blessed with awesome weather for our outdoor
activities, and good propagation on the HF bands. In recent weeks, 10
meters has made a reappearance, and several members have reported 10m
band openings, including during the recent Maine QSO Party.
The
September meeting featured officer elections, as well as a fascinating
presentation about the recovery efforts following the Space Shuttle
Columbia disaster in 2003, by Frank Krizan KR1ZAN. I'd like
to
congratulate Cindy Shepard W1CJSfor being elected President, and Ryan
Michaelson KB1YTR, for being elected Vice President for the
upcoming year. Also congrats to David Wood KB1FGF, for returning as
Secretary.
For November's
topic, we'll take a look at logging programs, and especially,
contest logging software, including popular freeware like N1MM, and pay
programs such as N3FJP's Contest Logs. The recent Maine QSO Party gave
cause for many to try a logging program for the first time, and
although the benefits were recognized immediately, their complexity can
be intimidating to first time users. If we have time, we'll also take a
look at using these programs to make easy uploads to web databases such
as LoTW, eQSL, andClubLog - which is important for keeping track of
entities, states, prefixes, etc., needed to apply for awards.
As
I'm writing this, the U.S. Federal Government is still in shutdown, and
I wouldn't even mention it except that it has an effect on Amateur
Radio. The FCC has shutdown its Universal Licensing System and
corresponding website, which means new license grants and updates are
currently not being processed. Even after the FCC reopens, there's no
telling how long it will take to catch up with the backlog of requests
being made. Unfortunately, hams-in-waiting, including those
who
just passed their exams during our VE session on the 27th, are
personally feeling the effects of this delay. Hopefully it
won't be too long of a wait.
I'd
like to remind everyone that we're now meeting at the Tim Hortons on
Rt. 1 in Scarborough, on the off Thursdays (from 7-9pm).
See you there!,
73,
Tim Watson
KB1HNZ
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