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![Previous (earlier) Story](/images/sty-down.gif "Maritime Net "Delivers" Baby to Sailor at Sea"){kind=small} Previous: Maritime Net "Delivers" Baby to Sailor at Sea |  Next: The K7VVV Solar Update |
Aug 16 2001
(In alphabetical order: )
ARRL Section Manager is a man of musical talents: ARRL Eastern Washington Section Manager Kyle Pugh, KA7CSP, is multi-talented. Not only does he lead a good convention forum, as he did during the recent ARRL Eastern Washington Section Convention in Spokane, but he plays tuba in an "ooom-pah" band and a mean bass in a jazz or Dixieland setting. That was confirmed after he and wife Sue, KA7PZW, extended an invitation to some conventioneers to attend an outdoor evening concert. Songs were performed by the Dennis Carey Group--known as "The Little Band with the Big Band Sound"--and KA7CSP is their bass player. ARRL Northwestern Division Director Greg Milnes, W7OZ; Rosalie White, K1STO; Eastern Washington OOC and DEC Mark Tharp, KB7HDX; and Eastern Washington Assistant Emergency Coordinator Jo Whitney, KA7LJQ, enjoyed the concert held in nearby Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, as part of that city's art festival. Pugh says he plans to get the music for "CQ Serenade" to use at future concerts!
 NARL member Richard Lawrence, KB1DMX, tackles a portion of the NA1SS QSL card requests. XYL and ARRL staff member Rose Anne Lawrence, KB1DMW, also is assisting in the NA1SS QSL-handling duties. |
Club agrees to process NA1SS QSLs: ARRL Field and Educational Services has announced that the Newington (Connecticut) Amateur Radio League has agreed to handle QSLing duties for NA1SS. The club counts several ARRL staffers among its members. Others on the NA1SS QSL team include Ed Matthews, KC1JV; Mark Bonadies, NS1T; Bob Burke, KA1KOV; Doc Oettle, KB1EEE; Harry Abery, N1JTL; Nomar Vizcarrondo, AA1JV; and Karl Witter, WB1FNK. Margie Bourgoin, KB1DCO, reports that as of the first week of August, the ARRL had received 175 QSL requests for two-way FM voice contacts, 49 for packet QSOs and 77 for listener reports. Among recipients of the first NA1SS cards to be mailed was Jim Romelfanger, K9ZZ, who worked Susan Helms (KC7NHZ) while he was at the WB9FDZ Field Day site. "It's fun to be part of a true ham radio first!" he said. US stations working NA1SS or RS0ISS aboard the International Space Station should send QSLs to Margie Bourgoin, KB1DCO, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is required to get a QSL in return.
CQ WW RTTY Contest dates: The dates indicated in September QST ("Contest Corral") for the CQ WW RTTY Contest are incorrect. The contest is September 29-30 weekend.
Filing electronic comments via the FCC Web site: Some ARRL members have reported problems filing electronic comments to the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System on the ARRL's rule making petition, RM-10209. The petition, put on public notice this week, asks the FCC to allocate 5.250-5.400 MHz for a domestic, secondary amateur allocation. Comments are due September 12. The FCC said that due to a problem on or about August 15, the ECFS was not accepting comments on RM-10209. The problem has been corrected. Those whose comments were rejected by the system are urged to file again. The EFCS Help Desk also advised that commenters should be certain to include the RM number in the correct format, which includes a hyphen and upper-case letters: RM-10209. Anyone having problems filing comments should get in touch with the ECFS Help Desk, ecfshelp@fcc.gov or 202-418-0193.
Former NNY Section Manager George Veraldo, WB2BAU, SK: George Veraldo, WB2BAU, of Norwood, New York, died August 9. He was 75. Veraldo was the first Northern New York Section Manager and was serving as Affiliated Club Coordinator for the section at his death. "George was always ready to step up to help the section," said current NNY SM Tom Dick, KF2GC. "We all enjoyed meeting with him and he always made us feel a part of this wonderful group of Amateur Radio enthusiasts. We all feel this loss to our amateur community." Veraldo is survived by his wife Pat, WB2CRY. A funeral was held August 11. Cards may be sent to Patricia Veraldo, WB2CRY, 36A Prospect St, Norwood, NY 13668-1116.--Tom Dick, KF2GC
Hams track police radio interference: Hams in Middletown, Ohio, helped track down a local amateur who was subsequently arrested August 7 on state charges of "disrupting public services." Authorities allege that Kenneth Kelly, WT2FBI--a Tech Plus licensee--was interfering with police radio calls while using a modified transceiver. The charge is a fourth-degree felony. The FCC has been notified, and Kelly, 28, also could face federal charges. "The alleged offender was repeating what sounded to us to be CB broadcasts onto the police channel," said ARRL member Ernie Howard, W8EH, a city radio maintenance shop employee who was involved in the tracking. Kelly had apparently just moved to the area. Authorities reportedly said the interfering operator also attempted to talk to dispatchers and police officers and made racial slurs and obscene remarks. At a preliminary hearing, Kelly was bound over for possible grand jury indictment. He is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond.--thanks to Ernie Howard, W8EH, and The Middletown Journal
 Coffee cup at the ready, Paul Donahue, AG4EZ/AAT4ZS, coordinates traffic on the Army MARS "Hotel Net" linking Military Affiliate Radio System members in Atlantic hurricane country. |
Ill winds spawn new MARS net, good radio: Tropical Storm Barry--never quite a hurricane--proved to be a fizzle for weatherwatchers. But for Army MARS members in Florida and the Caribbean, Barry offered an opportunity to test a new emergency link. The "H"--or Hotel--Net, formed last May just before the hurricane season, is largely the creation of retired telephone worker Paul Donahue, AG4EZ/AAT4ZS, of Palatka, Florida, who had noticed Puerto Rico members trying to check into Florida's Military Affiliate Radio System nets. He proposed establishing a transcaribbean linkup. With encouragement from state MARS officers, Donahue devoted much of spring and early summer to getting it tuned up. And when the storm warnings were hoisted for Barry from Louisiana to northern Florida, the Hotel Net was ready.
 Tracking Tropical Storm Barry for the Florida Army MARS "Hotel" Net, Gerald Quick, KF4VME/AAT4XV, linked the Panama City EOC and seven other counties to the Net. |
What MARS brings to the table is access to a broad range of military frequencies, with more options for clear propagation and less vulnerability to overcrowding. Designated MARS members also have direct contact with federal disaster relief agencies through the government's National Communications System. By the time Barry died out, 19 stations joined the Hotel Net--including Hector Pinero, WP4JNL/ACM4HR, and Sebastian Hyden, WP4MJE/ACM4KV, in Puerto Rico, Earl Craig, NP2AP/ACM3VI--the US Virgin Islands MARS director--plus a handful of others along the East Coast. Links were also established to MARS VHF clusters in Florida and Puerto Rico. At the Ft Huachuca, Arizona, gateway station AAA9USA, contract operator Martha Bochicchio, KD7AIM/AAT9DS, kept her ear to the MARS national "911" frequency in case headquarters support was needed. Florida participant Gerald Quick, KF4VME/AAT4XV, in Panama City was close to the weather action. "Two shelters are open right now with 13 in one and 17 in the other," he radioed at one point. He was in touch with the EOC on VHF and telephone as well as with local law enforcement. NCS Donahue joined Army MARS in January 2001, not long after earning his first ham license. "My goal would be to bring the entire Gulf into the net with stations up the East Coast and with as many VHF clusters as possible reporting into a HF station to relay," he said. Although Barry came and went with much rain but not much damage, a lightning strike took out AG4EZ's modem.--Bill Sexton, N1IN
In the latest issue of QEX/Communications Quarterly: In the September/October issue of QEX/Communications Quarterly, Ron Barker, G4JNH, takes us on a journey down a feed line from the transmitter to the antenna and back. He shows a way to measure antenna impedance without climbing the tower. Grant Bingeman, KM5KG, explains how to get a bit more usable bandwidth out of your antenna by inserting an SWR-bandwidth broadening network. Bob Brown, NM7M, contributes another installment about the vagaries of MF propagation. Paolo Antoniazzi, IW2ACD, and Marco Arecco, IK2WAQ, present their studies of LF coils. George Murphy, VE3ERP, summarizes formulas for coils in general. Ron Tipton gives us a high-resolution voltmeter you can build. Editor Doug Smith, KF6DX, discusses "deconvolution" and describes a DSP technique to correct some forms of distortion. In "Tech Notes," Pete Bertini, K1ZJH, presents Sam Ulbing, N4UAU's piece about a Class D audio amplifier. In "RF," Zack Lau, W1VT, uses cell phone components to facilitate an 852-MHz local oscillator. Visit the QEX Web site for more details and subscription information.
Kentucky proclaims Amateur Radio Day: Kentucky Gov Paul E. Patton proclaimed August 12 as "Amateur Radio Day" in recognition of The Bluegrass State's 8700 radio amateurs as significant contributors to the welfare of the Commonwealth's citizens. Emphasizing "Amateur Radio Awareness," the document notes that ham radio is an integral part of the Kentucky Emergency Operations Plan and that amateurs provide free emergency communications. In addition, the proclamation noted, hams have provided educational radio links between Kentucky students and astronauts in space. The proclamation also cites ARRL--the National Association for Amateur Radio and its W1AW bulletins and code practice transmissions available to hams and others around the world. The proclamation also noted ARRL Field Day, which exercises amateurs' abilities to operate under simulated emergency conditions. Visit the Kentucky Section Web site.
More than 300 stations sign up for International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend: More than 300 lighthouse/lightship stations in 43 countries are ready to take to the airwaves during the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend August 18-19. The US tops the list with 74 stations; Germany and Australia follow with 27 and 25 stations, respectively. See the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend Web site for a list of stations expected to participate. Among them will be VY2PEI on Prince Edward Island, Canada, which will operate from Cape Bear Light. Cape Bear was the site of one of the seven Marconi stations that went into service in 1905. During the winter the station was in service 24 hours a day keeping in contact with icebreakers between Georgetown and Pictou. Cape Bear also was the first Canadian land station to hear the distress call of HMS Titanic as she sank 153 km south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
Salvation Army takes advantage of Amateur Radio in hazardous materials spill: The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division in Chicago responded August 8 to requests from the Chicago and State of Illinois authorities to an incident on the Dan Ryan Expressway that escalated into a fire and a Level-III hazardous materials incident. A tractor-trailer carrying 2000 gallons of hazardous, flammable material that had overturned underneath an overpass and immediately caught on fire. Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Network Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E, reports that due to a problem with a commercial repeater normally used, Salvation Army personnel took advantage of Amateur Radio operators to provide communication for the operation. Capt Jim Spencer, KC8NAL, was the incident commander for the event. Salvation Army responders also supplied drinking water to the on-scene emergency teams.
Sign up now for August Introductory Emergency Communications on-line class: A few openings remain in the August on-line Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Introductory Course (EC-001). To sign up, visit the ARRL Course Registration Page while there's still time. Join the hundreds of other Amateur Radio operators who've taken advantage of this continuing education opportunity. The ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Home page and the C-CE FAQ page should answer most typical questions. For more information, e-mail Dan Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org. Registration for Level II--Intermediate Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (EC-002) will open Monday, August 27.
Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for August were Garry Shapiro, NI6T, and Tom Harrell, N4XP, for their article "Kingman Reef 2000 DXpedition." Congratulations, Garry and Tom! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award--given to the author of the best article in each issue--is determined by a vote of ARRL members. Voting takes place each month on the Cover Plaque Poll Web page. As soon as your copy arrives, cast a ballot for your favorite article in the September issue of QST. Voting ends September 15.
 W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, makes some adjustments in the station's 2.4 GHz AO-40 antenna system. [ARRL Photo] |
W1AW gets AO-40-ready: Maxim Memorial Station W1AW has become equipped for AO-40. Recently installed by W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, with help from Building Manager Greg Kwasowski, KB1GJF, is a Down East Microwave Model DSH12-17 Heliax for 2.4 GHz. "It's temporarily mounted on a Yaesu G-5400B Az-El rotator," Carcia reports. "We're using the DEM 2400-144RX receive converter with it." It tracks in tandem with the permanent satellite antennas mounted atop the 60 foot tower nearest the W1AW building. Carcia explains the installation will remain where it is until it can be installed on W1AW's permanent satellite array. For now, it's providing 2.4 GHz downlink reception for AO-40. W1AW has yet to make a QSO via the satellite, primarily because of schedule conflicts with the station's bulletin transmissions.
Weather injects realism into Jersey hams' Field Day experience: When 10-70 Repeater Association Hams in New Jersey woke up the morning of Field Day, they were greeted by a succession of ever-worsening special weather statements. The National Weather Service initially called for the possibility of heavy rain and strong thunderstorms, but the ante was upped to a possibility of wind gusts near 60 MPH and dangerous lightning. The intrepid Field Day crew set up anyway--the annual event is, after all, a test of emergency preparedness. But some 41 minutes into Field Day, the NWS was forecasting torrential downpours and calling for area residents to curtail outdoor activities. Operations were suspended for the duration of the storm. An hour or so later, up to three inches of rain had fallen in nearby Ramsey, and widespread urban and street flooding was reported. The 10-70 Field Day site, at Campgaw Ski Area in Mahwah, gingerly resumed operation. One tube-type transceiver was filled with water, but Pete Malvasi, W2PM, dried it off with a hair dryer and had it back on the air. In the meantime, Bergen County SKYWARN Coordinators Mike Adams, WA2MWT, George Sabbi, KC2GLG, and David Kozinn, K2DBK, checked the Davis Weather Station and the portable APRS station and they were still functioning (and worth 100 points). Adams said that with vigilant lightning monitoring, all 12 Field Day stations stayed on the air. Later that evening during a family-style barbecue, the 10-70 Repeater Association was presented with a New Jersey General Assembly resolution that saluted members' participation in public service activities, including SKYWARN, and its work with the Ramsey and Bergen County offices of emergency management.
We've never heard this one before: ARRL staffers have heard a lot of stories from members about how they became interested in Amateur Radio, but, as Assistant Circulation Manager Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, says, "We've never heard this one before!" As she relates the story, she spoke to a mom who had placed an order on behalf of her young son for Now You're Talking and ARRL's Tech Q&A. "When I asked her how her son found out about these titles, she informed me that they had been at the dump and her 11-year-old son started snooping around among the magazines and newspapers dropped off for recycling, and he came across the July issue of QST," Capodicasa said. "She told me that he hasn't been able to put it down since." Of course, an easier--and less messy--way to find out more about Amateur Radio is to visit the ARRL Web site and on-line catalog.
William Sprague, WA6CRN, SK: William Sprague, WA6CRN, of Whittier, California, died July 14. He was 74. An ARRL member, Sprague was a founding member and long-time secretary of the Medical Amateur Radio Council. He also was a member of the ARRL A-1 Operator Club. His wife, Nancy, and five children are among his survivors. A recent edition of the MARCO newsletter cited Sprague as "one of its true giants" and a man "beloved and respected by all who knew him."
Young visitor to ARRL treated to in-person award presentation: Summer vacation recently provided the perfect opportunity for 14-year-old Tomas Marquez, KB1GJI, of Hartford, Connecticut, to visit ARRL Headquarters. To make his visit even more memorable, ARRL staffer Dan Miller, K3UFG (left in photo), personally presented Marquez with his first award--The Friendship Award. The award is available to ARRL members who submit log extracts that show two-way communications with 26 stations whose call signs end with each of the 26 letters of the alphabet. Miller just happens to sponsor the local youth club, Connecticut Amateur Radio League of Youth--CARLY. Marquez has recently become active with CARLY, and is often heard on the Sunday evening CARLY 2-meter net. He also assists with net control duties on a local National Traffic System evening net. To top his visit off, he made several contacts from W1AW on 6 meters. "With Tomas' enthusiastic participation, Amateur Radio has a brighter future than ever!" Miller said.
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