| President: | Jack Reed | WA4FXX |
| Vice President: | Dennis Bodson | W4PWF |
| Secretary: | Mike Callaham | NW3V |
| Treasurer: | Mike Ingles | KG4RKL |
| Activities Chairman: | Alan Bosch | KO4ALA |
| Editor: | Mike Callaham | NW3V |
| July 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| Meetings: | Usually Third Tuesday of each month, 7:30 P.M., Red Cross, 4333 Arlington Blvd. (US 50), Arlington,VA. Nonmembers are invited to attend. |
| Net: | Tuesday (except meeting nights) at 7:30 P.M., 144.87/145.47 MHz FM |
| WWW: | http://www.w4wvp.org/ |
| Roster: | http://www.w4wvp.org/roster.censored.txt |
| Affiliate: | ARRL, FAR |
| Information: | Jack Reed, WA4FXX, wa4fxx@amsat.org (e-mail), (703) 685-7933 (phone). |
|
|
At the July 20 meeting of the Arlington Amateur Radio Club, Program Chair Alan, KO4ALA (or a stand-in, if necessary) will screen an ARRL video (MPEG on CD-R) on Broadband over Power Line (BPL) interference to Amateur Radio communications and a video on (WW2?) Hallicrafters boxes from Tom Azlin/N4ZPT. As usual, there will be a TDMA (time division multiple access) opportunity for chewing the communal rag.
--Mike, NW3V
A good time was had by all who participated in the AARC's Field Day 2004 operation. We didn't make as many Morse contacts as last year, and we may not have scored as many points as last year, but we did make a couple of PSK31 contacts (a new mode for W4WVP), and some RTTY contacts as well. There were some interesting eyeball-band QSOs as well: your Secretary and some others were mightily impressed with a demo of LCD display breadboards by Jaskaran ("Jazz"), KG4YIQ, and with discussions of EmComm activities of Chuck, KI4DHW, and of APRS activities of Dan, N8YSZ, to mention a few highlights. Dennis, W4PWF, Trustee of club station W4WVP, and our Vice President, and ARRL Roanoke Division Director, and -- well, I could go on and on about Dennis -- has already fused our multiple paper and digital (WR9R) logs into something coherent enough to deliver to ARRL via courierre, and he's delivered them. Results will appear in the December issue of QST or thereabouts. My guess is that we'll rank first in class for the sixth year straight, or at worst second in class.
--Mike, NW3V
The W4WVP home page at http://www.w4wvp.org/ will be updated with FD2004 photos and commentary--stay tuned! Don't touch that mouse--er, dial!
The meeting was called to order by President Jack, WA4FXX, at 1930L. Also attending were Vice President Dennis, W4PWF, Secretary Mike, NW3V, Treasurer Mike, KG4RKL, Activities Chair Alan, KO4ALA, and Members Mike, W4GKI, John, WD4MIS, Jaskaran ("Jazz"), KG4YIQ, Chuck, KI4DHW, Keith, KG4UIR, Ian, KI4DTP, and Mike, KA8OPJ, and visitor/SWL Maria Worris.
Secretary Mike, NW3V, reported that he had misplaced his manuscript Minutes of the May 2004 meeting. He asked that attendees fill him in on important business transacted at the May meeting, and on attendance. Responses indicated that the main items of business were an advance approval of expenditures up to $75.00 by George, KR4MU, for food for Field Day 2004, and an advance approval of expenditures by Treasurer Mike, KG4RKL, for shipping costs for FD2004 tee shirts and pins ordered for Members. There was also a request for help (information) from the Arlington Prepares representative. Members attending the May 2004 meeting included at least Mike, KG4RKL, Mike, NW3V, Chuck, KI4DHW, Ian, KD4DTP, and there was no question of a quorum.
Treasurer Mike, KG4RKL, presented the Treasurer's report on Club finances. He also mentioned that he had invited Carl Lindgren (ACFD, OEM) to Field Day. Mike also mentioned, and handed NW3V a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) email regarding "Emergency Vehicle" tags.
FAR representative Alan, KO4ALA, said that he didn't attend the Foundation for Amateur Radio meeting, because he was away.
ARRL Roanoke Division Director Dennis, W4PWF, exhibited and discussed the ARRL's reply to FCC's NPRM. Dennis noted that in previous Minutes he was quoted as saying there were four items [of interest to ARRL], whereas actually there were five, including one about quiet zones. Dennis said, "There's nothing in here that's hurtful to Amateur Radio".
Jack, WA4FXX, said that "several of us participated in the Arlington Prepares activity. I have several copies of the After Action Report here to pass around. Mike (NW3V) can keep one for records--don't publish it. Comments?"
Chuck KI4DHW, asked "is there there any kind of feed-through coupling to feed coax through glass--with coax connector?" Ian, KI4DTP, said "I think I saw something about this in Popular Communications about five months ago, in relation to California brush fires." Alan, KO4ALA, said "I didn't see anything about that in the article."
Jack asked, "anything else?" John WD4MIS, asked about 1700 kHZ signal reports. He said, "It's S-1, R-1 where I live." There followed reports by KO4ALA, KI4DHW, and NW3V.
Keith, KG4UIR, said that the Arlington County Chapter may need help getting up a 47.42 antenna that will be freed up as the American Red Cross installs its new repeater antennas (purchased with grant money) in DC locations.
Mike, W4GKI, donated two radios and a nice hard go-kit case to the Club. One radio is a Cobra CB transceiver, the other is a GMRS transceiver.
John, WD4MIS, asked whether one of the Bencher keyers recently donated to the Club might be for sale--the answer was yes--and offered $20 for it. He said, using his keyboard-to-speech-synthesis device, that he wanted to try to use it, instead of a keyboard, for speech synthesis. Mike, NW3V, suggested that that was such a worthy project that the Club should donate one of the Benchers to John. This proposal was approved by the Members.
Treasurer Mike, KG4RKL, raised the topic of writing grant proposals for emergency communications equipment. Keith, KG4UIR, suggested that he contact Charles Blake, Director of Emergency Services of the National Capital Chapter. Mike also asked whether doors would be open at schools, for antenna siting surveys. Jack, WA4FXX, said that in general doors would not be open and suggested that Mike contact Captain Panther about access.
Jack, WA4FXX, said that the Arlington County Fair is coming up, and we'll need to know how many people would be interested in showcasing the Club there.
Jack, WA4FXX, asked Arlington County Emergency Coordinator (EC) Alan, KO4ALA, whether he had more information on the exercise planned for National Airport in September. Alan said he did not. [But he recently provided details from The Volunteer Word--see elsewhere in this issue.--NW3V]
Ian, KI4DTP, noted that the Frederick, MD, Hamfest was coming, and that WAMU has started digital broadcasting.
Jack, WA4FXX, noted that the IARU contest is coming up. Mike, NW3V, said AMSAT was soliciting money to defray the cost of launching Echo and other next-generation satellites. Jack said that AMSAT-North America will have its 2004 Space Symposium and Annual Meeting in Crystal City October 8-13. Jack proposed that the AARC might want to participate, for example, by talking-in out-of-towners arriving for the Symposium.
The next item of business was planning for Field Day 2004. Jack asked Mike, NW3V, whether he had put out a press release. Mike said that he had sent copy to the Washington Post for a listing in the "What's Doing" listings in the Weekend section, to appear the Friday before Field Day. He said it would also be good to get a blurb in The Arlington Connection or the Sun Weekly, if it wasn't too late.
Keith, KG4UIR, passed out copies of the post cards he had designed for mailing to GMRS licensees and others on the mailing list, and he invited Members to post them on bulletin boards at work or other suitable places. Keith also noted that the Arlington County Chapter is holding an exercise the weekend of Field Day, and participants were invited to visit W4WVP.
Jack read the letter that he sent to the Arlington County Chapter, asking them to activate the station 1000L June 26 through 1400L June 27 and offering to exercise the generator. It was moved and passed to reimburse up to $75 to whoever bought food for Field Day. There followed some discussion of which antennas and rigs we expected to be able to use during Field Day.
Jack asked Visitor Maria Worris to introduce herself. Maria said that she learned about the AARC by searching the ARRL web site. She said she became interested in ham radio as a young teen, after reading Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki. [I told her later that I, too, became interested in ham radio as a young teen, after reading Kon Tiki. In fact, I read it seven times in the seventh grade, and earned my Novice ticked the next year.]
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Callaham, NW3V
Secretary, AARC
[From The Volunteer Word, 2004-07-19] Volunteers from all Red Cross Chapters are invited to participate in the Reagan National Airport Drill on September 25. Opportunities exist to play victim roles (we're looking for 200 people) as well as leadership training, if you want more Mass Care experience. This is a Red Cross Washington Metro Area Consortium event hosted by the Arlington County Chapter. As we identify positions for the drill, Chapters can submit requests for volunteers to fill specific positions, enabling people who usually do not get a chance, to participate. There is a place for everyone to participate, including a table-top exercising decision-making as events unfold on the scene. The WMAC EOC will be at the Montgomery County Chapter. The on-scene Red Cross lead is Marci McCarthy. Travis Claggett and Keith Robertory are overseeing participation of Red Cross volunteers. Note: This is an excellent opportunity for people interested in Local Disaster Volunteer Management, to practice how to register a significant number of spontaneous volunteers. Victims do not need to be Red Cross volunteers but a Red Cross person needs to vouch for them, enabling us to invite friends, members of partner organizations, co-workers, etc. Youth are allowed, with the understanding of potential trauma from sights, sounds, smells, and other factors. To participate, RSVP to Keith at keith@robertory.com. Read More
ARLS010: AMSAT-OSCAR Echo Satellite Launched!
ARLB-020: FCC Sets New Vanity Fee Start Date: August 6, 2004
This is just a sample. For other recent bulletins, check out http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/, or listen to W1AW.
The Arlington ARC Roster is online at http://www.w4wvp.org/roster.censored.txt. Do we have your info correct? If not, please contact the Treasurer (Mike, KG4RKL) or webmaster (Mike, NW3V).
The Arlington Amateur Radio Club
4333 Arlington Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22203