Circuits
March, 2005
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Circuits |
TARC
Newsletter
March, 2005 |
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Club Officers
Bud Hughes, K4CWG 269-2796 k4cwg@cfl.rr.com Jose` Ramos, KC4VIO 267-5892 kc4vio@yahoo.com Becky Lee, KF4HTB 267-9375 lees@titusvillearc.org Titusville, FL
32781-0073 Pike Abell, W4EPU 269-4208 pikeatal@digital.net John Renninger, KE4ZPA 267-9431 ke4zpa@gnc.net Mic Woltman, KI4CFA 632-4601 mjwoltman@mindspring.
com Bob Farrington, W4YBI 633-5664 bobandlinda3@juno.com Les Griner, K4SJC 267-1565 Warren Murray, W4CEL pager - 638-5476 Mike Hensley, W4LOV 639-1553 Ken Denman, KD4HNW 269-5711 Next Meeting Tuesday March 22nd at 7:30 PM Tutusville Public Library, 2121 South Hopkins Avenue The President's Page The Titusville Amateur Radio Club wishes to recognize and welcome our new members, 1. Mickey Ramos KD4JAU (Jose` and Carole's Son) and his bride 2. Teresa Ramos KD4JYE who were absentee members for a while but happily have returned 3. Bill Gibbons ex W9KBV now W4ITA who is from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, but now resides in Clermont 4. Jim Harding N3OZZ of Linthicum Heights, MD, who upgraded to General while visiting our area.
Congratulations Jim. 5. John Porter WB3JBK upgraded to Extra. Good going John! 6. Before you know John's bride Pat KA3AAG will be joining him in the Extra Class 7. Jim Renfro KI4IUK and his bride live in Springfield, VA but they are wintering in the Great Outdoors.
He's working to regain his old W5CIP call from his youth in Texas. We are very pleased to have these fellow hams join our club. Say hello when you hear them on the repeater. We're
looking forward to their taking part in various club activities as their schedules permit.We had the pleasure of having Joe and Bert Barnardi N1PAW and N1OGE visit us from their home in Auburn, MA. Joe
and Bert are long time members and club supporters. We wish the two of you the very best. At a recent Thursday "eating meeting" our own Jose` KC4VIO was presented by Pat A3AGG a badge which says "kiss
me I'm Irish." Jose` just like the good soldier who follows orders stepped right up and collected a kiss for Pat. Jose`, old
pal, you just wait until Pat finds out you may not be Irish. Worse yet, you just wait until Carole's new camera gives up the
picture she took. More President's Corner TARC has been invited to participate in the "2005 ALL AMERICAN PICNIC AND RETURN TO FLIGHT RALLY". This
will take place April 9, 2005 beginning at 9:00AM until 4:00PM. Picnic lunch cost will be $5.00. In order for you to gain access to KARS Park you must have an entry badge. I will need all club members who will assist to contact me and let me know if you can be at the park either (1) All Day, (2)
Morning Shift or (3) Afternoon Shift. The club will set up a minimum of one high frequency trans-receiver and one 2-meter unit. For our use we will be furnished a 10x20 foot tent, 3 tables and 10 chairs. Also on April 9th, Stephanie K4MVO will be operating a station at Fox Lake in support of the Kiwanis Club special event.
We are looking forward to establishing contact between Kars Park and Fox Lake. Thanks to Mic KI4CFA progress is being made to get the Hog Valley repeater up and going. Two our members have been admitted to Jess Parrish Hospital. Les K4SJC and Pike W4EPU. If possible please go by
and pay them a visit. Also, our good friend Lou Gencorelli N2CTQ is at home and would love to hear from you at 385-2987. Club meets 3/27/2005 at 7:00PM. Hope to meet you there. Bring a friend! 73's Bud K4CWG The Vice Squad By Jose` Ramos KC4VIO TARC Vice PresidentHope y'all enjoyed W4GIT, Art's, presentation during our last meeting. Are you now ready for more words of wisdom? What happens when you push the mike key on your 2 meter rig? You are correct; the
repeater is now ready for your transmission. And then what? What is the magic that gets your message out to the intended party?
You will find out at our next meeting March 22, 2005. Brace yourself for another outstanding mystery guest speaker and his
presentation "The nuts and bolts of a repeater". Do not miss this one, you will be pleased. KC4VIO, José Abell's Anecdotes By Pike Abell W4EPU THEN AND NOW: It was in the late 20s and 30's. We lived on a farm in Arkansas five miles from town. We had no
electricity, running water, or any of those personal convenient things we now take so for granted. One thing we did have though, was a telephone. The line connecting to it was a single #12 wire strung all the way from
town. The return path was earth ground. In order for the phone to work, there had to be a good ground connection. For
that we used a solid 8 ft. copper rod. Better yet, a connection to a deep well pump pipe. In very dry weather it was often necessary to pour a bucket of water around the
ground rod to make a good connection. All of the above is not to mention that it was a party line. Between our house and town there were five or six other
parties connected to the same line. Each party was identified by a different ring sequence. Ours was two long and one
short ring. Being a party line as it was, not unlike our two meter repeaters, anyone could listen to any other private conversation. In
general, just about everyone on the party line respected the privacy of other parties. Of course, there was Mrs.
Simmons. After the Wednesday night prayer meetings, she often spread the word about information she could have only
obtained from listening to the party line. Knowing that, my mother would sometimes close her phone conversation with, "
Mrs. Simmons, you can hang up now, we are finished.". The brief comparison above, of the antiquated telephone party line system to our modern day two meter repeater
communication system, reminds us that some things never change that much. Sometimes the privacy problem now is
even more so. On the telephone party line only the few parties connected to the line could hear others talk. On the
repeaters, everyone within radio range can listen if he or she so desires. Sometimes it is very difficult to resist the
temptation to jump in and join an interesting ongoing chat. However, unless it is an emergency, or other compelling Abells' Anecdotes Con't reasons, it is best to wait until both parties signoff and clear, then call. On the other hand, if someone is engaged in a long, drawn out and seeming endless discussion on the repeater, it is a
good idea to occasionally break, identify, and determine if anyone has a compelling need to use the frequency. It is best that I stop now as this is beginning to seem like a lesson in protocol. Nonetheless, I will keep reminding myself
to go do the right thing. 73es88 Pike Minutes of the February Meeting The Titusville Amateur Radio Club held its regular meeting at the North Brevard Public Library on February 26th. President Bud
Hughes opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence for all Silent Keys. 44 attendees were
recognized including five visiting hams. Vice President Jose Ramos introduced the very interesting program "One Watt Contacts" by Art Wood W2GIT. Jose also
announced that he is meeting with the Titusville Police Department to implement a program to involve amateurs in police activities
such as Amber Alerts. He handed out information sheets concerning 911 calls made through the repeater autopatch. Following a delicious break at the buffet table, the formal club meeting was called to order. President Bud announced that in addition
to the "Return to Flight Rally" at KARS Park on Merritt Island on Saturday April 9th, the club has been asked by the Titusville Kiwanis
to participate in a special event they are planning at Fox Lake on the same date. Stephanie Phillips K4MVO volunteered to head up
the Fox Lake event saying the Kiwanis were strong supporters of amateur radio. President Bud also reminded the members the Field Day is coming on the last weekend in June and that he has asked the city to
allow the use of the well field off Barna. Bud said, however, that the clubs participation would be cancelled if not enough volunteers
come forward to pledge to help set up and tear down the Field Day site. Pike Abell W4EPU announced that silent key widow Joan Hoag KC4SYD had donated $50.00 to the club in appreciation for the sale
of her husband's equipment. Joe Meyers K4GPF won the 50/50 drawing. Two other club members won a SWR meter and a DX book donated by W2GIT. The
meeting adjournes at 8:35 PM. For Becky Lee KF4HTB, Club Secretary TREASURERS REPORT Beginning balance 1/1/05 $2894.35 Deposits in 2005 435.30 Total Income $4329.65 YTD Expenditures 699.55 Balance as at 3/7/05 $3630.10 It's not Just Two Meters When You Need Help Back in the 60's Becky and I lived in upper South Carolina. We decided to take a vacation down south. At
that time, single sideband was just beginning to surface. I had an Elmac AM rig in the car and as we motored
down I did some hamming. We got down to Floridaland and since we were landlocked in upper South Carolina, I decided to take A1A all
the way down. Things went OK for many miles. I enjoyed the ocean view and such. At New Smyrna Beach I took a side road and got stuck in the sand. Not accustomed to driving in sand, I
made matters worse by trying to get out. What to do? No houses around that I could see - no people.
Mosquitos galore. Back in the car. Try the radio - call, "CQ Mayday!" Suddenly an answer. A local ham who took my info and
called a tow truck. The tow driver got me out and on firm ground. I don't remember the ham's name, but I
won't forget the feeling when ham radio rescued us. K4EOS Clyde Titusville Amateur Radio Club P. O. Box 73 FIRST CLASS MAIL Titusville, FL 32781-0073 RENEWALS KC2ENO ART SMITH N2JY JUDY SMITH W4ITA BILL GIBBONS N9TN BILL BORGSTON KC9CTH KIM FLAGSTAD KF4AOW W. S. DAMPIER KE4WJV TERRY DAMPIER KF4UN DAVID POST KG4RFT BUD DAILY K4RVR MIKE STALLINGS KG4YFP KIM LUCKS KG4KVO ED WIRTH KC4TE GENE MANN NEW MEMBERS AF3LD GARY COMER KD4JAU MICKEY RAMOS N3OZZ JAMES HARDING WB3JBK JOHN PORTER KA3AAG PAT PORTER KI4IUK JIM RENFRO Secret Message to Mosquito Net Members! Mosquito Net Anniversary Party Would you believe that the Mosquito Net is turning 14 years old? As the
saying goes "Time flies when you are on the air". Stephanie, K4MVO, is the
current net control. To celebrate the occasion, she is inviting those net
members that have checked-in with her during one of the net sessions to a
"Pot Luck Dinner" at her home at 1:00 p.m., Saturday March 26, 2005.
Bring your favorite dish so that we can all share in this special event.
Stephanie is supplying tea, coffee, soft drinks and utensils; the rest is up to
you. This promises to be a humdinger of a party since her birthday also
happens to fall on the same week. The address is on the club roster or call
146.91 for talk in instructions. Please RSVP at 264-2492 or 267-5892.
President
Vice President
Secretary-Treasurer
PO Box 73
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
146.91 Repeater Trustee
146.97 Repeater Trustee
444.15 Repeater Trustee
147.775 Repeater Trustee
José, KC4VIO, Stinger #2