THE N6ENV REPEATER GROUP NEWSLETTER Summer, 1995 P.O. Box 70 9857 Mills Ave. Agoura Hills, CA. 91376 Montclair, CA. 91763 818-884-8030 909-626-6990 MESSAGES FROM FORREST By Forrest, N6ENV When you read this in the newsletter, hopefully we have made a decision about moving from the more expensive Loop Canyon site to the less costly Oat Mountain Microwave Telco site located on the westerly most end. The most important consideration in my mind is not to make any move if it is not an improvement in coverage and, of course, not at the expense of good coverage for our members in the areas we already enjoy. This is one of the highest sites on Oat and we should gain greatly over our present coverage areas. There will be good coverage into Simi Valley and Ventura County as well as improved coverage into San Bernardino County. But if this has not happened upon your reading of this news letter...as the great men of literature might say...OH WELL! The infamous "pass" should see a marked improvement from Placerita Canyon through the 210 split. Also we are hoping for major improvements into Burbank, Rocky Point, and the Calabasas Grade. By making this bold move into better coverage, we are faced with a major dilemma, one we have been trying to foresee and correct ahead of time by a channel change, and that is the major overlap of our 440 repeaters. I have applied for a channel change for Keller several times but it seems to be a slow arduous process at SCRRBA for such a high level and open system as ours is. I have also put in for a channel change for San Diego since the co-channel with 224.52 here in L.A. has such a commanding presence there! We are currently testing three frequencies for Mount San Miguel. One of these should work out well since the co-channels in L.A. have such a low use level. Castro is back on the air with improved Ventura County coverage and less signal overlap into Orange and San Bernardino Counties on the co-channeled 224.34 frequency. This year I have taken out a major loan to upgrade all our repeater systems including a fairly complete makeover for both of the east side repeaters. Autopatch and linked coverage will be the top priority this summer for Keller and her users! To this end we have dedicated a majority of the loan funds to make this a reality before the snow falls! Lastly, but most important, we desperately need your help with our many and various work parties to complete these very ambitious goals! Please volunteer for as much work with us this summer as you possibly can. Only if we work together can we realize such a superior system as we have planned! Please contact Bob Jones, KD6KEZ at (805) 298-0528 to help in this endeavor. de: Forrest Oden, N6ENV 73--SEE-YA-LATER-BYE, FROM THE PREZ By Gary, N6UU Busy times on our repeater systems since the last newsletter! Many thanks to all our users who have endured through system changes, weather problems, jamming, and vandalism. We're on the up swing now, with many changes and improvements already under way on both the East and West systems. System coverage has improved, thanks to Bob Jones, KD6KEZ; Forrest, N6ENV, and all of our control ops! Check out the article elsewhere in the newsletter on the Active attenuator. It's a useful addition to my hamshack and enabled me to successfully locate illegal interference on the Keller Peak system and tune up a UHF radio from scratch. It's easy to build, inexpensive, and a must for any transmitter hunter. If you have problems locating parts, with construction, or tune-up, please give me a call at (909) 626-7325. Special wishes for a continued speedy recovery to Harvey Blohm, who has been in Hemet Valley Hospital for a couple of months and just left intensive care. Harvey and his XYL, Esther, N6HBY, were in a terrible car accident after leaving our dinner meeting in Victorville on Feb. 12. Cal, KE6HLL, has been relaying updates to us on Harvey's progress through 224.34. We have an urgent need for suggestions from users for an appropriate place to hold our annual Holiday Dinner Meeting. We need to make reservations early, and we're looking for a place to accommodate up to 100 attendees. Please give all suggestions to Judy, WD6FWZ, or Perry, WA6LLB, who volunteered to head up the search for a good location. We would like something accessible between East and West side users. We need to publish it in the next newsletter. Our Vice-President, Rick, KD6ODU has researched the Petroleum Club in Long Beach, which has excellent banquet facilities and is used by the Long Beach Amateur Radio Club. Speaking of Long Beach, join the N6ENV Group at the ARRL Southwest Convention at the Queen Mary in September. KD6ODU has offered us his room as a hospitality suite. I accompanied a very successful work party that went to Keller Peak on June 3, and were able to restore both the 220 and 440 repeaters to normal operation. The culprit was a blown isolator on the 220 transmit side and water/debris in the 440 feedline connection. Many thanks to the following who helped in the effort: Steve, KB6PZD (antenna climber); Perry, WA6LLB; Alvin, KD6UZM; and Len, KA7TKS. Breakfasts on the East side have been moved to the Plum Tree Restaurant, Mountain Avenue at Foothill Blvd., in Upland. We meet at 8:30 a.m. on the first Sunday of every month, except holiday weekends. Thanks to Anne, N6BOP and Nina, KD6VON, for helping locate the new facility. We have also had several successful group dinners on the East side, rotating through several locations throughout the Inland Empire. Contact any control-op or officer to find out about the next one! Let's all keep up our support for Forrest and the great systems we have to use! 73, Gary Andary, N6UU From the Secretary By Judy, WD6FWZ Rim of the World Rally and Amateur Radio Another Rim Rally has gone by and approximately 55 to 60 hams helped make it a success. Several hams from the N6ENV repeater group took part in it. For those who want to know what part Amateur Radio plays in the rally, I'll try to explain our importance. We have hams riding with the VIP's (organizers, press people and safety crews) as well as having hams at the start and finish of each stage. Then, there are hams at different areas of the stage (called blockages) as they are blocking a road that comes onto the stage. The start ham will radio as each car leaves, and as it passes each blockage it is radioed in. When the car arrives at the finish, that ham will radio that it has finished. This way we can keep track of the cars throughout the stage and pinpoint where we lose one. In 1984, Mike & Paula Gibeault (N6PYM & N6OQQ), organizers of the "rim," called up CBers for communication. Due to the unsatisfactory results, they called upon hams to help out. After the rim they were both so impressed what ham radio could do that they got their licenses. September 23, 1995 is the Gorman Ridge Rally. I am looking for radio operators for this event. Call me at (818) 884-8030, if you are interested or want information. Ham exam dates at Santa Clarita, September 16, 1995 & November 18, 1995 pre-registration required. Call Judy, WD6FWZ at (818) 884-8030. The N6ENV repeater group welcomes the following new members: KD6RLH - Walter Carnegie WD6FGO - Jan Westerhold KD6TBR & KD6TPA Brenda & Charles D'Andrade N6HBY & N6HGP Esther & Harvey Blohm KE6JUX - Larry Lambdin KE6PKG - Gary Rakes KD6HHJ & KD6HHK Paula & Tom Desmond KD6AGY & N6PLL Claudea & Jim Boudreau KA6JJT - Basil Kostrzewski 73 for now, Judy Active Attenuator By Gary, N6UU The Eenhoorn Active Attenuator was a QST article in 1992. It has been reprinted in the '94 and '95 ARRL handbooks. I built one up to use for transmitter hunting, but found a million other uses! It allows radio direction finding to within a few inches of a hidden transmitter. Also you can use it to tune up transmitters and point beams accurately. What is this amazing device? It is simply a 500 kHz 2 transistor oscillator/mixer. You simply turn it on and attach it to any receiver/antenna input and the antenna to the attenuator. You can then reduce ANY strong received signal (VHF/UHF) to a level that allows you to take accurate S-meter readings. The circuit is simple, foolproof, and very forgiving of construction layout. It is stable without critical part tolerances and can be tuned up with on-the-air signals. You actually take signal measurements based on the sum or difference from the input frequency at successive 500 kHz intervals. The device has only 18 components, most of which can be obtained at any Radio Shack. The cost is under $10, and it can be powered by a single AAA battery forever on only 1/2 m.a. current drain! I will provide complete plans AND a free circuit board to group members who contact me at: 71401.34@compuserve.com 73. Gary TWO WHEEL MOBILE By Ken, KE6KDV Hello! My name is Ken Butler and I am a new member of the system. I was in a QSO with Bob, AC6AV, the other day and he asked me to jot some thoughts about something very near and dear to my heart. So here goes..... As we Angelenos know, there are many ways of getting around town. Most of us get around on four wheels--cars, trucks, etc.. But some of us lucky ones get to do it on two--MOTORCYCLES! Most of us have the luxury of a nice mobile rig(s) in the vehicle with the usual array of antennas on the roof or trunk. My way of getting around is on my Harley, which I ride just about every day, rain or shine, hot or cold. As a new member of the hobby, my primary concern was to find a way to enjoy Ham Radio on my bike without drilling holes and ruining the aesthetics of it. So, I began to ask questions. And I got answers and opinions from everyone--even those who I had never discussed the matter with! It seems that opinions are like belly-buttons, everybody has one and some have two!! Well, I came up with a solution on two meters and with the proper rig, it can be modified to any band. Here is my set up: I use a Yaesu FT-11R because of its size (and also because I'm partial to Yaesu products), along with a Yaesu headset/boom mike with a PTT switch that I clip to my riding vest, a suction cup mount that I attach to my windshield, and an Anli RD-78H antenna. You also need the type of motorcycle that will lend itself to this type of thing. I have a Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic. This is the big, touring bike with a full fairing and windshield. The windshield cuts down on the wind noise into the boom mike and also allows me to hear better as I wear a "half shell" police- type helmet. I can tell you that it works very well. Not only do I get to enjoy my two favorite hobbies, but I get to enjoy them at the same time. Now, to figure out the right set up on 220..... Riding and "hamming" does present its share of problems, though. Like working the PTT switch while trying to negotiate the crazy traffic patterns. This is something that I would not recommend to the novice rider. Riding requires all of your available concentration. I am a former California Motorcyclist Safety Program Site Coordinating Instructor and have trained many riders in the area, so I'm aware of many of the pitfalls. If you are comfortable with your riding skills, try using a radio on your next outing. It will really enhance the ride! It might be great fun is to get a bunch of riders and have a Ham Ride. Let me know!! 73, KEN BUTLER, KE6KDV 818-346-7273 SCANNING THE UHF/VHF BANDS By Tony, KD6AJG It seems that I am constantly being asked questions about scanners and frequencies on the repeater, and lucky for me it is my favorite subject to talk about. The most common question is, "What's the best scanner on the market?" My answer to that has always been "Radio Shack." Whether it's a handheld, mobile, or base scanner that you are looking for, Radio Shack scanners, in my opinion, are the best. I have owned lots of different scanners over the years and put them through the test. Working as a television news cameraman for the past six years, the scanner has become part of my life and my wife's too. Just ask her. I currently own a Radio Shack Pro 43 handheld and a Radio Shack Pro 2022 base/mobile. Both are excellent radios with little or no intermodulation. In the past I have owned Uniden and AOR scanners. Both do not measure up to any of the Radio Shack scanners. Uniden wasn't too bad, but you couldn't give me another AOR. It had to be the most worthless scanner I have ever owned..... terrible intermod. Finally, one other little piece of info for those of you with Pro 62 or Pro 43 handhelds. There is a very nice leather case made by Radio Shack for the Pro 62 that also fits the Pro 43's. It is a special order item that you have to carefully explain to the Radio Shack employees, so that they can order it for you. Just ask them to call up their special order line and ask for the leather carrying case for the Pro 62, model # 11269586. It will cost you $17.99 and they will ship it right to your house. Now for commercial radio news. By print time I should have in my hot little hands, a Motorola Astro Sabre. Those of you that have heard me talk about this little gem of radio know all about it. But for those of you that are lucky enough not to hear me on the repeater all the time, I will tell you a little about it. It is a 256 channel, computer programmable, fully digital, commercial radio with encryption and many other features. The Astro is the same radio that LAPD is slowly switching over to. Next time you see a cop on the street, look at his radio and if it is a slim black radio with a digital display and blue buttons, then your looking at the latest and greatest in radio technology. As of now, most of the divisions within LAPD are switching over to the new radios. Metro/SWAT has been using them for about a year now, and by 1996 LAPD will go digital on most of their frequencies. That means that you will no longer hear LAPD on your scanner, at least the digital frequencies. They will still have analog frequencies, but a lot of their tactical channels and other specialize channels will be going to digital technology. They will be using the 484.00 Mhz band for their digital operations. I received a copy of how the Metro/SWAT radios are programmed and as of now they still have the regular frequencies as well as a digital frequency. So they can at any time go to a digital frequency for security. The only way, as of now, to hear them is to purchase one of the Astro radios or any other commercial radio that will go digital. There are no scanners on the market that can receive digital signals. You cannot even detect that there is a signal there. The Astro radios are unavailable to the general public, unless you have a contact at a commercial radio store and they retail between $2,500 to $3,800 each. Motorola has not made too many of them so they are very hard to get. As I was sitting here typing this I heard over one of the LAPD's dispatch frequencies that several Astro radios fully programmed with LAPD frequencies and labeled "LAPD" on the front were just stolen off of a Fed-X truck. So these radios are going to be even harder to get. Now a quick lesson on some of the other Hi-technology radios that are out there for even greater security than digital radios. Most of the government agencies such as, the BATF, FBI, CIA, DOJ, Secret Service and BOPS (Bureau of Protective Services) need radios with the highest amount of security available. There are a few companies that make hi-level security radios and only sell them to government agencies. There are two kinds of security when it comes to radios, voice security and transmission security. Voice security utilizes scrambling and encryption, in either an analog or digital system to secure your voice transmission. It has a very low probability of intercept. Listeners may not know what is being said, but know something worth securing is being said, and the signal can be monitored and the location and general importance of the transmission can be obtained. Stealth or Frequency hopping radios hide the transmission itself, employing the spread spectrum method. Stealth radios can be programmed to hop from 12 to 50 times a second, randomly selecting a different frequency for each hop. At 50 hops per second, the radios signal is present on any one frequency for only a few thousandths of a second, thus any standard receivers are unable to lock onto and follow the signal. With stealth technology, no one is even aware of a transmission. So next time you're at an event with the President and there are guys in suits talking into their sleeves you can forget pulling out your scanner and trying to listen to them. They are using the most secure equipment made. Until next time......keep on scanning.....Tony, KD6AJG. HAM RADIO AND 9-1-1 By Mark Rediger KC6UIH It's probably not too difficult for most of us to visualize what we'd do if we were at home and one of life's emergencies happened. After all, we've seen it on TV lots of times. All one has to do is pick up the telephone and dial those three magic digits that'll send help rolling with lights and sirens... 9-1-1 !!! That's fine if we're at home, but what about when we're in our car out and about with nothing but our trusty HAM radio? What then? If you're an autopatch member, you still have the option of dialing 9-1-1. However, if you're not an autopatch member, or you can't reach your home repeater, you'll have to rely on another HAM who's listening to make the call for you. In either case there are a few things that you need to know. 9-1-1 operators need information, and they know what questions to ask to get it. What may seem to you like superfluous questions, really aren't. Even though you're in a stressful situation don't get irritated when the 9-1-1 operator asks you a long string of questions. 9-1-1 calls are routed to the law enforcement agency local to the source telephone of the call (with the exception of 9-1-1 calls made from cellular telephones which are routed directly to the California Highway Patrol). Because this is so, you should tell the 9-1-1 operator the type of emergency you wish to report, i.e. traffic accident, fire, and where the emergency is. In this way the 9-1-1 operator can either handle the situation or transfer you to the proper agency and you won't have to tell your story twice. You might be transferred and maybe more than once, so be patient! Most metropolitan 9-1-1 systems are of the "enhanced" type. What this means is that whenever a call is placed to 9-1-1 the telephone number and address of the caller are instantly displayed at the answering point. This is of major significance, as we soon shall see. Let's assume you have autopatch privileges on the Oat Mountain Repeater (224.520). That repeater is located on a mountain above Northridge, in the county of Los Angeles. So, what does this mean to you as a HAM radio 9-1-1 caller? Well, it means that when 9-1-1 is called via Oat's autopatch, the call will be routed to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the 9-1-1 operator's screen will display the telephone number and address of the repeater... not the location where you are!!! Therefore, it is very important that you are aware of where you are (what city) before you call. When making a 9-1-1 call via an autopatch, the first thing you should tell the 9-1-1 operator is that you're on a radio, therefore, the two of you can only talk one at a time. Next, tell the operator what type of emergency you are reporting and exactly where it is. "What type of emergency you are reporting." This brings up other important issues. A traffic accident with injuries or a gunman at the convenience store are emergencies. A flat tire or having locked your keys in the car are not! Do not use 9-1-1 for anything other than an emergency. For if you do, you will surely be told to call back on a non-emergency line. Once again, keep in mind that the operator is going to have questions for you. So, keep your transmissions short and try to specifically answer the questions without adding anything else. After the 9-1-1 operator has asked all of his\her questions, you may have the opportunity to add any additional information you feel is important. So much for autopatch 9-1-1 calls. What if you don't have autopatch privileges? Most popular repeaters are monitored by at least one person, almost all the time. With this in mind simply get on the air, give your callsign and ask if there's anyone monitoring who will call 9-1-1 for you. Then relay the emergency information to the operator via the HAM who's making the call for you. If you don't have autopatch privileges and cannot find someone to make the call for you, stop at the nearest phone booth or highway callbox. Dialing 9-1-1 doesn't require twenty cents. Do not drive the rest of the way home (and possibly into another law enforcement agency's jurisdiction). By the time you get home the person whose car you saw flip over, may have already died! Good luck, and be careful out there. 73, Mark, KC6UIH FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK By Angie, KC6TWO & Bob, AC6AV We want to thank everyone that submitted an article for the N6ENV newsletter. Readers enjoy the newsletter and like to hear from the members. Submitting to the newsletter is a way to have a captive audience and lets us know about you. Please, everyone consider submitting to the newsletter. Write about whatever you like that pertains to ham radio, family, and fun. Contact us at 818-368-4570 to discuss any topic or if you need help with an idea. Please submit via Diskmailer, IBM format, Word Perfect or ascii to: Dr. Bob Marselle, AC6AV 15541 Harvest St. Granada Hills, CA. 91344 Via packet at AC6AV@WB6WFH (SFVBBS) Via Internet AC6AV@AOL.COM Anything Submitted in data form can be as long as you like. 73.. de Angie, KC6TWO & Bob, AC6AV FROM THE SHACK OF AC6AV By Dr. Bob, AC6AV Since the last newsletter, I had the opportunity to become involved in a few projects for the N6ENV REPEATER GROUP. Going to the 220 SMA meeting with members of both sides of the N6ENV system was fun and very interesting, particularly the voting on the digital 1 Mhz piece of spectrum from the 220 band that the FCC has given back to us. Many of you know I am very active in packet, as well as HF digital operating. The process that governs our local 220 spectrum was eye opening. The meetings are open to anyone. It was nice to meet with the east side and see some faces. On the west side, the new repeaters have required much attention. Bob, KD6KEZ; Frosty, N6ENV; Ron, KD6KZZ; and I went to the sites. Frosty and I paired up while Ron and Bob worked on some logistics at the lower site. I had the opportunity with Frosty to open up the 224.52 box and got a mini seminar on the spectrum analyzer as Frosty and I adjusted the input and output frequency. We also made adjustments on the output power. This was my first time working with a spectrum analyzer, and being able to work with Frosty on the home repeater was a true ham experience. After Frosty and I finished we went down to the other site to help Ron and Bob. Ron and I put the 440 equipment in the racks and powered up. Bob did the tune up while Frosty gave tech support. This too was a true ham experience. Ron and I just watched as Frosty and Bob barked at each other all the while we all dodged incoming helicopters.. Another ham experience! Frosty has more plans for the system and has put out the call for volunteers. If you want to be part of the hobby in a bigger way, help out. You will learn and get to know the members better. The eyeball QSO's and working together make friendships stronger. Doing the net for Judy, WD6FWZ, was a great deal of fun and very exciting to do for the first time. Thanks go to Judy for asking me to cover for her while she was gone. Thanks to all of you for all the comments on how well things went. Again, a true ham experience! Hopefully by the next newsletter Frosty's ambitious projects for the system will be in effort. I look forward to including his messages in the next letter. Likewise, please, all of you as members, submit something to the letter. Thanks go out to those that have submitted. The submissions have all been in data form, and it has made doing the letter much quicker and more practical due to my time limitations. I received most of the submissions via the Internet and packet. Both have proven to be reliable, however there are other ways to submit. I prefer the Internet or packet. Read messages from the editors desk to get specific information. Again, thank you all for making my radios worth listening to, and I wish you all the best, 73.... de Dr. Bob, AC6AV Note: This "Rusty Bumpers" column is from the May 1993 issue of "Solid Copy", the Richmond (VA) Amateur Telecommunications Society's monthly newsletter. Most of the examples used by "Rusty" have happened on the local repeaters exactly as written, although some of the items are exaggerated slightly for humor. (Step 35 was written before the 1993 "no business" rule change.) HOW TO SOUND LIKE A LID by Rusty Bumpers, N4LID On the radio lately, I have noticed a tendency of people making a concerted effort to sound like a Lid (i.e. poor operator). Since this appears to be the new style in amateur radio, I thought I would present this handy guide to radio nerd-dom. The following is what I call: "How to sound like a Lid in one easy lesson." 1) Use as many Q signals as possible. Yes, I know they were invented solely for CW and are totally inappropriate for two-meter FM, but they're fun and entertaining. They keep people guessing as to what you really meant. i.e. "I'm going to QSY to the kitchen." Can you really change frequency to the kitchen? QSL used to mean "I am acknowledging receipt," but now it appears to mean "yes" or "OK." I guess I missed it when the ARRL changed the meaning. 2) Never laugh, when you can say "hi hi." No one will ever know you aren't a long time CW ragchewer if you don't tell them. They'll think you've been on since the days of Marconi. 3) Utilize an alternative vocabulary. Use words like "destinated" and "negatory." It's OK to make up your own words here. "Yeah Bill, I pheelbart zaphonix occasionally myself." 4) Always say "XX4XXX (insert your own call) for I.D." Anything that creates redundancy is always strongly encouraged. That's why we have the Department of Redundancy Department. (Please note that you can follow your call with "for identification purposes" instead of "for I.D." While taking longer to say, it is worth more lid-points.) 5) The better the copy on two-meter FM, the more you would phonetically spell your name, especially if it is a short and/or common one. i.e. "My name is Al...Alpha Lima" or "Jack...Juliett Alpha Charlie Kilo." If at all possible, make up unintelligible phonetics. "My name is Bob...Billibong Oregano Bumperpool." 6) Always give the calls of yourself and everyone who is (or has been) in the group, whether they are still there or not. While this has been unnecessary for years, it is still a wonderful memory test. 7) Whenever possible, use the wrong terminology. It keeps people guessing. Use "modulation" when you mean "deviation" and vice-versa. And even if the two-meter FM amplifier you're using is a Class C type amp, and thus not biased for linear amplification, be sure to call it your "linear." Heck, refer to all FM-style amplifiers as "linears." You'll be king of the "wrong terminology" hill. 8) If someone asks for a break, always finish your turn, talking as long as possible before turning it over. Whenever possible, pass it around a few times first. This will discourage the breaker and, if it is an emergency, will encourage him to switch to another repeater and not bother you. 9) Always ask involved questions of the person who is trying to sign out. Never let him get by with a yes or no answer. Make it a question that will take a long time to answer. 10) The less you know about a subject, the more you should speculate about it on the air. The amount of time spent on your speculations should be inversely proportional to your knowledge of the subject. 11) If someone on the repeater is causing interference, you should talk about that person at great length, making sure to comment on at least four out of six of the following: (1) His mental state; (2) His family; (3) His intelligence, or lack of same; (4) His sexual preference; (5) His relationship to small animals; (6) His other methods of self entertainment. 12) If you hear two amateurs start a conversation on the repeater, wait until they are 20 seconds into their contact, and then break-in to use the patch. Make sure that it's only a simple routine phone call. It's also very important that you run the autopatch for the full three minutes. This way, once the two re-establish contact, they won't even remember what they were talking about. 13) You hear someone on the repeater giving directions to a visiting amateur. Even if the directions are good, make sure you break-in with your own "alternate route but better way to get there" version. This is most effective if several other Lid trainees join in, each with a different route. By the time the amateur wanting directions unscrambles all the street names whizzing around in his head, he should have mobiled out of range of the repeater. This keeps you from having to stick around and help the guy get back out of town later. 14) Use the repeater for an hour or two at a time, preventing others from using it. Better yet, do it on a daily basis. Your quest is to make people so sick of hearing your voice every time they turn on their radio, they'll move to another frequency. This way you'll lighten the load on the repeater, leaving even more time for you to talk on it. 15) See just how much mobile flutter you can generate by operating at handheld power levels too far from the repeater. Engage people in conversations when you know they won't be able to copy half of what you're saying. Even when they say you are uncopyable, continue to string them along by making further transmissions. See just how frustrated you can make the other amateur before he finally signs off in disgust. 16) Give out wacky radio advice. When a newcomer's signal is weak into the repeater, tell him he can correct the problem by adjusting the volume and squelch knobs on his radio. Or tell people they're full quieting except for the white noise on their signal. Or....well, you get the idea. 17) Use lots of radio jargon. After all, it makes you feel important using words average people don't say. Who cares if it makes you sound like you just fell off of Channel 19 on the Citizen's Band? Use phases such as "Roger on that," "10-4," "I'm on the side," "You're making the trip," and "Negatory on that." 18) Use excessive microphone gain. See just how loud you can make your audio. Make sure the audio gain is so high that other amateurs can hear any bugs crawling on your floor. If mobile, make sure the wind noise is loud enough that others have to strain to pick your words out from all the racket. 19) Be as verbose as possible. Never say "yes" when you can say "He acquiesced in the affirmative by saying 'yes'." (No kidding, I actually heard that one.) 73, Rusty Bumpers, N4LID P.S. "Rusty Bumpers" is a pen name. He maintains anonymity so he can sit peacefully at club meetings and avoid the wrath (and breath) of the uninformed. FROM THE EDITOR: The LID list will continue with the next newsletter. There are over 30 LID activities. Heck you can probably think of a few more. REQUEST FOR HELP By Bob, KD6KEZ As you have probably noticed, or heard, a tremendous amount of work has been accomplished on the repeaters over the last few months. Still, there is an enormous amount of work to be completed. This is a "GROUP" system. As such, it depends on you, the members, for support. If you are willing to donate ANY of your time to help with the improvements, please contact me, Bob (KD6KEZ), at (805) 298-0528. If you think you have NO skills to offer, you are WRONG! No matter what your background, you can be of help. LAST MINUTE UPDATE! By Bob, KD6KEZ The Loop Canyon Repeaters, 224.52 and 447.025, have moved to their new home on Oat Mountain! You will enjoy the increase in coverage. All of the repeaters now have the new controllers installed. If you are an autopatch member, you will find enclosed an information sheet on the new controller, including codes. The autopatch is now available on: 224.520 (PL-156.7) - Oat 447.025 (PL-156.7) - Oat 224.340 (PL-162.2) - Castro The autopatch will SOON be available on: 224.340 (PL-156.7) - Keller 447.025 (PL-162.2) - Keller 22?.??? (PL-156.7) - San Diego Check in on the Sunday Night NETS for up to the minute updates