Texas Adventist Emergency Communications
Communicator
Volume 2 Issue 11
Table of
Contents
Part
Description
What’s Happening in the Club
Well
everyone, it’s time for elections again. It has been a great three years but
it is time to pass the torch to someone else. Or is it? A nominating committee
was selected last meeting, consisting of Aaron Moses, Ray Always and myself,
Curtis Mohr. We will be meeting this month and select our officers for next
year. Who will change, who might stay the same? Who knows? Everyone, please try
your hardest to be at the club meeting this month, we will be electing our
officers for next year and we need everyone there possible.
In the September meeting the bylaws were reviewed and some changed were
made. Instead of a three-year term for our officers, it will now just be a
one-year term. A few other changes were made as well. This change will give
others a chance to serve as an officer if they wish and are voted in.
Also in the September meeting a committee was made to put together a TAEC
Handbook, which would include things such as, a copy of our bylaws, rules for
events, members names, callsigns and email addresses. Also, a committee was made
to put our disaster plan on paper. This will allow us to be more efficient in
the event of a disaster. Everyone will know what to do and there hopefully
won’t be as much confusion.
The Keene Christmas parade is coming up very fast. In the November
meeting we will be having Regan, the Keene Police Chief, at our meeting to go
over the procedures of the parade, and changes that have occurred from the 4th
of July Parade, any thing that we need to look at, and answer any question that
our club members might have. Now that we have a bigger club membership our
coverage will be much greater, therefore, easing the stress level of the entire
event.
Donny Gore, the Keene/Ft. Worth Area Coordinator the Pathfinders was at
our meeting and requested that we do security for the Pathfinder Camporee 2000.
It will be at the same location, Summerville State Park, again this year so it
will be a little easier than last year, since we know what to expect. This year
they are expecting about 1700 kids and about 300-500 adults, so we will have
about 2000 people there.
Hope to see each and everyone of y’all at this months meeting!! 73...
Curtis
Mohr, KC5PWP
Newsletter Editor, TAEC
Reminders
 | Don’t forget!! All Amateur radio operators must sign up with the
ULS before any changes can be made to your license, upgrades, and renewals.
You can sign up online at http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls/ |
| I’m looking for articles that can be put into the newsletters.
Please email any articles to me at [email protected],
no later than the specified date below. |
| The next club meeting is on November 19th |
| The December Communicator Deadline is December 6th |
Secretary’s Report
October 15, 2000
The
meeting was called to order at 7:15 p.m. Gerald Mohr, KC5PWQ, had the
devotional, and Joe Watts, KC5PKF, had prayer.
The
minutes were read by Rita Elsner, KB7KST. Curtis Mohr, KC5PWP, made a motion to
approve as read, and this was seconded by Joe Watts.
Sherri
Cash was not here for treasurer’s report, so will have this read next month.
Motion was made and carried.
There is
a possibility of a new class started after the first of the year.
We
discussed the campout at Whitney. There were 38 people that turned out. Gerald
thanked Ray,KD5DON, Rob, KB7PTS, and Tony, KD5HWK, who were on the committee.
Joe Watts had the church service and Tony had the song service on Sabbath.
Several HF rigs were set up, and several contacts were made to the Olympics.
Also some talked to the island off Honduras during hurricane.
There was
discussion of selecting a committee to plan for social event each quarter. This
was tabled until a time when there are more members present. Ray Alway, KD5DON,
made a motion to table till next meeting. Curtis, KC5PWP, seconded the motion.
Election
of officers was discussed. Nominating committee was selected (three). Ray Alway
nominated Aaron Moses (chairman). Carl Elsner named Ray Alway. Joe Watts
nominated Curtis. Jean, KD5DOM, moved nominations cease. Charlene, KB5SHW,
seconded the motion.
Gerald
told of upcoming class on SKYWARN. Would be held in January at Wharton
Auditorium. Date has not been set yet. Also talked of spotting during storms.
You may be directed to another area where there is no coverage.
Pathfinder
Camporee is coming up in April. Security coverage is needed for the camporee. We
were invited back to the same camping area. Twenty four hour security visibility
is needed.
At the
next club meeting in November Regan Scherencel will talk about security for the
Christmas parade.
Motion
was made at 8:15 p.m. by Jean to adjourn, and Richard seconded the motion.
Respectfully
submitted by,
Rita Elsner, Secretary
Treasurer’s Report
Im sorry, but I did not receive the
Treasurer’s report before this newsletter
Was sent out.
Radio Comparison
In this issue I will be comparing the Kenwood TH-D7AG and the Icom
IC-W32A. These two radios have a lot of similarities but they also have many
differences. Both have dual receive, both can be programmed from a computer,
both have an alphanumeric screen for naming memories, and both have 200 memory
channels. However, the differences definitely set these two radios apart from
each other.
First off, The Icom has 5 watts of output power at 13.5 volt power. It
has a smaller screen than the Kenwood, it is only 8 characters wide and 2 rows
tall. On the other hand, it has independent band controls for tuning and volume
which are assignable to either knob. Unlike other radios that I have seen, this
radio can be switched in which knob controls which band. For example, you can
set your preferred band to the outside knob so you can get to it easier.
Finally, one of the best functions it has is it on-air cloning capabilities.
With this radio you can clone your radio memories, and other settings to another
radio over the air waves or through a cloning cable.
Now, the Kenwood TH-D7AG, puts a 5.5 watts output at 13.6 volts, which
really doesn’t seem like much, but it could be just enough so that you will
cross that noise-to-signal ratio when you are having a QSO. It has a larger
display than the Icom. The display on the TH-D7AG is 12 characters wide and 3
lines high. It comes with CTCSS encode and decode already installed. And
the best function of this radio is it’s built-in terminal node controller or
TNC for short. You can hook this radio up to a handheld GPS receiver and use it
for Automatic Potion Reporting System(APRS). This is a very nice feature,
especially when you are working in a disaster area or working in storm spotting,
because the radio will automatically transmit your exact position, speed, and
direction of travel to others that have APRS setup. This is especially useful if
something happens to you when you are out, if you get hurt, people will be able
to find you without having to wait for you to respond. Another function of the
TH-D7AG is it’s ability to work with the VC-H1 visual Communicator, allowing
slow scan tv to be transmitted to other stations.
Although the similarities and differences between these two radios are
few, the differences is really what sets these two radios apart, and it all
depends on personal preferences as to which radio you choose. If you want just a
good radio for a cheaper price, one that has independent band controls, and
cloning capabilities, go with the Icom. However, if you want to get into APRS,
Packet and Slow Scan TV, go with the Kenwood.
The Kenwood retails for about $380 and the Icom is about $100 cheaper at about $280 dollars. Which do you choose? Below you will find the specs for both radios as well as other information about them.
Kenwood TH-D7AG
|
|
Kenwood goes beyond the limits of what today's
Amateurs expect from a radio. The TH-D7AG is equipped with a built-in
AX.25 TNC for simple packet operation or to be used with a handheld GPS
(NMEA-0813 compatible) as a full function APRS(TM) Automatic
Packet/Position Reporting System. The TH-D7AG is capable of reporting
exact position, speed and heading as well as calculation of distance to
destination. ·
Suggested Retail Price: $379.95 ·
MIL-SPEC 810C/D/E water resistant ·
5.5 WATTS @ 13.6 Volts ·
Built-in 1200/9600 baud TNC ·
Built-in APRS(TM) operating software ·
Dual RX on the same band for voice and
data (VHF only) ·
Large 12 digit x 3 line dot matrix
display ·
200 memory channels w/ 8 character
display ·
PC Programmable for frequency and name
(PG-4W required) ·
144/430 MHz operation ·
Built-in CTCSS encode and decode ·
channel DTMF telephone auto-patch memory ·
HF
SkyCommand operation (requires PG-4R) ·
Monitor DX Clusters ·
TM-V7A and TM-742AD DTMF Remote Control ·
VC-H1 Visual Communicator advanced
control operation ·
Uses the same accessories as the TH-G71A |
Icom W-32A
|
|
"With
its five big watts and a plethora of features, the IC-W32A provides just
about everything you could possibly need in an H-T. Best of all, perhaps,
the IC-W32A makes a serious effort to take some of the pain out of using a
small, complex piece of technology" -- QST, July 1997 Specifications:
|
Next
month I will compare two mobile radios. See you then…
ARRL Excerpts
FCC
COMMENDS BAND PLANS IN ENFORCEMENT LETTER
FCC
Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth used the
occasion of an enforcement letter to commend the value of band plans.
"Although band plans are not mandatory, they exist to enhance the
required cooperation and sharing of frequencies in the Amateur Service,"
Hollingsworth said in an enforcement inquiry to a Connecticut ham.
The
FCC wrote Advanced licensee Alan J. Koepke, K1JCL, on October 11, 2000, citing
complaints received by the Commission alleging that Koepke was operating an
uncoordinated AM-mode repeater on 144.65 MHz that was causing interference to
coordinated repeaters in Massachusetts and New York using that frequency as an
input.
"Evidence
indicates that you have been coordinated, but not for that frequency
configuration," Hollingsworth wrote. The ARRL Repeater Directory
indicates that the Connecticut Spectrum Management Association coordinated the
K1JCL 2-meter machine for output on 145.25 MHz and a 600-kHz negative offset
input.
Hollingsworth
says Koepke apparently has flipped the input and output frequencies for which
his 2-meter repeater was coordinated, contrary to the prevailing band plan. In
addition, Hollingsworth said, Koepke has been using
"A
repeater operating contrary to coordination is an uncoordinated
repeater," Hollingsworth told Koepke. Citing Section 97.205 of the rules,
Hollingsworth said that where there is interference between a coordinated and
an uncoordinated repeater, "the licensee of the uncoordinated repeater
has the responsibility to resolve the interference."
"Band
plans minimize the necessity for Commission intervention in Amateur operations
and the use of Commission resources to resolve amateur interference
problems," Hollingsworth wrote in expressing the FCC's position on band
plans. "When such plans are not followed and harmful interference
results, we expect very substantial justification to be provided, and we
expect that justification to be consistent with Section 97.101."
Hollingsworth
said he included the statement to reiterate where the FCC stands on the
question of band plans. "You can't possibly have a rule for every
circumstance," he said.
Last
December the FCC dismissed an ARRL petition calling on the Commission to
equate observance of voluntary band plans with "good amateur
practice." The FCC said defining band plans as the ARRL had proposed
"would have the effect of transforming voluntary band plans into de facto
required mandates," something inconsistent with current FCC policy.
--
Excerpts from “The ARRL Letter” Vol. 19 Issue 40
(October 20, 2000)
ALL-HAM CREW SETTLES IN ABOARD ISS
The
all-ham crew of US astronaut and ISS Expedition 1 Commander William "Shep"
Shepherd, KD5GSL, and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev,
U5MIR, now is aboard the International Space Station. After blasting off from
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 31, the crew arrived at the ISS
early November 2 aboard a Soyuz vehicle that will remain docked with the space
station.
"Give
us a fast ship," Shepherd--a Navy captain--was quoted as saying before
the launch. Shepherd, 51, is only the second US astronaut to go into space
aboard a Russian launch vehicle. The Soyuz lifted off from the same launch pad
where the space race began 43 years ago last month with the launch of the
Sputnik 1 satellite.
Not
long after arriving aboard the ISS, Shepherd asked for and was granted at
least temporary permission to dub the new space outpost "Alpha."
In
a NASA interview, Shepherd said the ISS will give humans "unique access
to the space environment where we hope we can do very interesting and
productive research." But he and the other Expedition 1 crew members also
say they view the ISS as a stepping stone on the pathway to human habitation
of space.
"If
we don't have this progress with this space station, it means that humans in
space are pretty much destined to stay close to the Earth, and I don't think
that's what humans are about," Shepherd said.
The
Expedition 1 crew's four-month stay in the station will begin the permanent
human habitation of space. NASA said the crew's first tasks would be to
activate the station's food warmer, set up the sleeping quarters and perform
communications checks with flight controllers in the US and Russia.
"This
is a huge, huge event," said US Astronaut Frank Culbertson, who directed
the joint US-Russia program to put American astronauts aboard the Russian Mir
space station in the 1990s. Culbertson is set to command a space station
mission of his own next year. Yuri Semenov, who heads the Russian Energia
company that built the Russian ISS modules, called it "a historical,
remarkable day."
The
crew has a busy schedule that primarily involves getting the ISS up and
running for future research activities. Amateur Radio operation is not
expected to commence until mid-month, although the crew is said to be
enthusiastic about firing up the initial Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station--or ARISS--gear. Once installed temporarily aboard the Zarya
module, the equipment will provide FM voice and packet capability on 2 meters.
Tentative
operating frequencies are: Worldwide downlink for voice and packet, 145.80
MHz; worldwide packet uplink, 145.99 MHz; Region 1 (Europe) voice uplink:
145.20 MHz; Region 2 and 3 voice uplink, 144.49 MHz. Crew members may use
their personal call signs or one of the "club station" call signs
issued for ISS use--NA1SS, RZ3DZR, or DL0ISS.
The
Keplerian elements bulletin from ARRL now includes data for the International
Space Station.
Expedition
1 is scheduled to leave the station next February, when the three-member
Expedition 2 crew arrives on STS-102. When it's completed in 2006, the ISS
will be one of the brightest objects in the night sky and be as roomy as a
jumbo jet.
For
ARISS information and updates, visit the ARISS Web site, http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
--
Excerpt from “The ARRL Letter” Vol. 19 Issue 22
(November 3,
2000)
Mark your calendars for swapfest/Events - 2000
| Nov 19 |
November TAEC meeting at 6:00pm at the Resource Depot north of Keene on 2280. Regan will have our talking to us about the Christmas Parade. |
| Nov 25 | Houston Swapmeet |
| Dec 6 | December Communicator deadline. Email all entries to [email protected]. |
| Dec 10? | Keene Christmas Parade |
| Dec 17 |
December TAEC meeting at 6:00pm at the Resource Depot north of Keene on 2280. |
| Jan 10 |
January Communicator deadline. Email all entries to [email protected] |
| Jan 21 |
January TAEC meeting at 6:00pm at the Resource Depot north of Keene on 2280. |
| Feb 4 | Georgetown Sunday Swapmeet San Gabriel Park Exams in AM. |
| Feb 17 | Smit |
| Apr 12-15 | Pathfinder Camporee 2000 @ Summerville State Park |
| Apr 14 |
Belton Ham Expo- Mike LeFan, WA5EQQ www.tarc.org [email protected] |
TAEC Web site
http://taec.cjb.net
The KC5PWQ Web Site
http://vip.hpnc.com/~geraldm/
The KC5PWP Web Site
http://kc5pwp2.cjb.net/
Official Austin Ham Home on the web (ARO & AARC)
http://www.repeater.org
ARES information can be found at:
Main: http://www.tcares.org
Backup: http://www.sss.org/~ares
Newsline, PO Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066
The webpage address is:
http://www.arnewsline.org
The e-mail address is:
[email protected]
The Texas VHF-FM Society
http://www.txvhffm.org
Take practice ham tests on the web. A
few locations are:
http://www.hamtest.com
FCC's Universal License System
http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls
