THE ARLINGTON BEACON

		January 2005 AMENDED
		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

In Memoriam: John Maher, WD4MIS-SK

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of John Maher, WD4MIS and EI4AG, who became a Silent Key on December 27, 2004. John joined the Arlington Amateur Radio Club shortly after it was founded in 1974. John was a great Morse Code operator, earning us many points each Field Day by flawlessly copying the ARRL Field Day bulletin and making many Morse contacts. During Field Day 2003, the last Field Day in which John participated at Arlington Amateur Radio Club station W4WVP, John made almost half of the contacts and earned more than half of the points, securing first place for us in class 9F. John served as Treasurer of the Club from July 2002 through the end of 2003. John spent Field Day 2004 in Ireland, where he held the callsign EI4AG and was one of only twelve Honorary Members of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS). IRTS Honorary membership may be conferred by the committee on persons who, in their opinion, have rendered distinguished service to the society or who have made an acknowledged eminent contribution to amateur radio, or to radio research, communication or experimentation, or to a related subject. John was also a Member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) and a traffic handler for the Northern Virginia Traffic Net (NVTN). John was a nominee for the ARRL A-1 Operator Club, and has frequently appeared on the Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR) for his message handling for the National Traffic System (NTS). We remember John as a gentleman, an expert, a volunteer, and a good friend.
-- Mike Callaham, NW3V, Arlington ARC Secretary

Pre-January Meeting

The Arlington County Chapter of the American Red Cross will offer a Volunteer Orientation course at the Chapter House (4333 Arlington Boulevard) on January 18, 2005, at 6:30 PM. Arlington ARC Activities Chair and ARES Emergency Coordinator Alan Bosch, KO4ALA, writes, "That is the [course] which needs be taken by any of you interested in acquiring Red Cross IDs for ARES work. It would also be a good thing for all our members to take. There is no need to sign up with the ARC...." Please consider attending, if you haven't taken the course already. If you do take the course, be sure to get your 2005 AARC dues ($7.50) to Mike, KG4RKL, before the AARC meeting ends (or at least before January ends).

January Meeting

Those not attending the Red Cross Volunteer Orientation course can attend the Arlington ARC meeting at 7:30 PM in the Chapter House conference room. No formal program is scheduled. We'll quickly dispose of business and then have time to chew the rag or refamiliarize ourselves with the gear in the shack. Have you tried RTTY or AX.25? You can also pay your AARC dues for 2005, if you haven't. Hope to see you there!
--Mike, NW3V, AARC Secretary

February Program Plans

Activities Chair Alan, KO4ALA, plans to have ACPD Capt. Tom Panther update us on the new County emergency plan and EOC developments.

Keith, KG4UIR said: "The January 11 session is open; if people want to participate in the Inauguration support they must attend. You must register to particiate in the session: email disaster@arlingtonredcross.org (I'm not sure if that's the correct email address; it's the general disaster one at Arlington) or call Kate Hanson."

KI4DTP said, "Kate just graduated from CERT."

KO4ALA said, "There have been meetings and conversations among ARES here to Loudon and beyond to discuss problems with support and ARES interests at the local level. Examples of problems are: ARES shut down a SKYWARN net when the severe weather was just reaching Northern VA, and problems getting members. "One problem that's been dicussed is the size of the Virginia section. They're trying to define the problems and find solutions. The next meeting will be geared towards club participation--clubs are invited to attend the meeting at Winterfest March 13 at NVCC."

Adam, KG4VNC, said "Chuck Norton, KI4DHW, sent the CERT training schedule for the beginning of 2005." Ian, KI4DTP, asked, "Are there any winter SKYWARN classes in NoVA?" Alan, KO4ALA, replied: "The first NCAC Institute of 2005 will be next one."

WA4FXX asked, "Keith, what's up with the Inauguration [communications support]?" KG4UIR replied, "All Red Cross people had to be tagged & shot by DC EMA for Secret Service. This is for ID'd people inside the area. There's another group going to an outside contingency site in Montgomery County that doesn't need ID. For the Inauguration, there are 8 people signed up, one not sure of their duties yet. Because of the turnout we can't meet the goal of providing secure communications; instead we'll be running a simple 2m directed net with Nextel backups. Probable we'll have 2 to 3 people assisting with net control, passing messages, etc. We might need somebody to sit at the DOC (Disaster Operations Center) or Arlington. The downtown DOC will be closed; the radios will be moved to JP (Jefferson Park)." KR4MU asked, "Did they talk about Rollin' Nolan?" KG4UIR answered, "Yes, the position is already decided." WA4FXX said, "Keith, be sure to list 2m frequencies to the Secret Service and report that in the past there has been interference, indications of jamming in the past by pranksters." KG4UIR replied, "This will be a controlled net, even though the participants may not necessarily know what that means." WA4FXX offered, "Keith, feel free to use the email list to get the information out. In case you haven't done Presidential support, be aware that in past events like this where the U.S. Marshals were tasked to provide support, the Secret Service rejected some of the volunteers for their own reasons, so make sure you have backup personnel for critical positions." Gary, KC7TNU, said, "We're looking for people with Law Enforcement, OSHA, or Emergency Management experience to help out."

Jack, WA4FXX, said, "We got a request for operators for the June 12 Tour d'Cure for ADA (American Diabetes Association). Also, there's a hamfest: the Maryland Mobileers, January 30, 8am until noon, at the Odenton Firehall. For information contact N3SEO@aol.com or call 410-647-3335."

Contests

WA4FXX announced some upcoming contests: Straight Key Night on New Year's Eve and the RTTY Roundup 8-9 January. He said that he was at W4WVP for the sweeps, but nobody else showed up. He said, "We can open the station in the future if people want to operate in multi-op contests from there." He also mentioned the NAQP Phone contest January 15 & 16, for 12 hours.

Old Business

Jack reported that there was nothing new on the grant search; "We will pursue that in the New Year." He added, "For people looking to get into the hobby, Venture post 80 is offering a no code class January 15, 21, and 29, and February 5." Alan, KO4ALA, added, "There will be VEC exams on March 13 at Winterfest." George, KR4MU, added "The exam rate went up to $14."

Jack reminded, "We're switching officers to the newly elected slate." [Ed. note: "Meet the new boss, ..."]

New Business

Jack opened the floor for new business. Keith, KG4UIR, asked, "Is there budget to cover the $47.29 spent on shelving for the shack?" Jack answered, "Yes, and we appreciate you putting it in." A motion to reimburse Keith, KG4UIR, for the cost of shelving for the shack was made, seconded, and passed.

Adam, KG4VNC, said, "I've been participating in the K4VOC Simplex net, Friday and Saturdays at 146.595. Around two dozen stations were participating when I was on, from all over Virginia and suburban Maryland. The net has a Yahoo group web site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K4VOC-Simplex-Net/."

WA4FXX segued: "It's time to start thinking about people with four-wheel-drive capability being prepared to volunteer to help Red Cross transport people during snow events." Jack, KB3KKY, and Ian, KI4DTP, said that they may be available to help. Gary, KC7TNU, said "The [Red Cross] Hummer has transmission problems and is out of comission right now."

New Pprograms

Activities Chair Alan, KO4ALA, outlined plans for future programs: He has a videotape of the miniature antenna field testing demo, "an impressive demonstration of how antenna changes effect fields. I will show that sometime.

"I'm trying to put together a presentation on ARRL services to clubs, maybe a presentation on what's at the ARRL web site. Also, I want find out who did the Fairfax County digital modes presentation and see if they can come to W4WVP. Digital modes is a topic for the January Auto-Call." He added, "I have an extra weather radio, if anybody else wants one."

Adjournment

President Jack, WA4FXX, adjourned the meeting at 2030L. The meeting was followed by the seasonal party.

Amended per vote at 2005-01-18 meeting.

Respectfully submitted,
--Mike, NW3V
AARC Secretary
Thanks to Adam, KG4VNC, for recording the Minutes in my absence, and typing them.--NW3V

CERT Class 20

AARC Activities Chair Alan Bosch, KO4ALA, has provided the following schedule for the next CERT class. He noted that "missed classes in this course will have to be made up in the next one after that -- September."

F.A.R. Seeks Applicants for Scholarships

AMATEUR RADIO
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

THE FOUNDATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO, INC., a non-profit organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C., plans to administer fifty-five (55) scholarships for the academic year 2005 - 2006 to assist licensed Radio Amateurs. The Foundation, composed of over seventy-five local area Amateur Radio Clubs, fully funds three of these scholarships. Ten are funded with the income from grants. The remaining forty-two (42) are administered by the Foundation without cost to the various donors.

Licensed Radio Amateurs may compete for these awards if they plan to pursue a full-time course of studies beyond high school and are enrolled in or have been accepted for enrollment at an accredited university, college or technical school. The awards range from $500 to $2500 with preference given in some cases to residents of specified geographical areas or the pursuit of certain study programs. Clubs, especially those in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, are encouraged to announce these opportunities at their meetings, in their club newsletters, during training classes, on their nets and on their world wide web home pages.

Additional information and an application form may be requested by letter or QSL card, postmarked prior to April 30, 2005 from:

FAR Scholarships Post Office Box 831 Riverdale, MD 20738

The Foundation for Amateur Radio, incorporated in the District of Columbia, is an exempt organization under Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. It is devoted exclusively to promoting the interests of Amateur Radio and those scientific, literary and educational pursuits that advance the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service.

Links to Bulletins

ARLB-001: W1AW 2005 Winter Operating Schedule

This is just a sample. For other recent bulletins, check out http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/, or listen to W1AW.

APRS Sightings

N8YSZ
N8YSZ-9

Online Roster

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).

Accessing Web Pages by Email

The Arlington Amateur Radio Club
4333 Arlington Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22203