Short Circuits P.O. Box 73 Titusville, FL 32781

TARC Newsletter February, 2006 Club Station Call K4KSC

Club Officers

President Bud Hughes, K4CWG 269-2796 k4cwgbud@cfl.rr.com	Vice President Ozzie Osband, N4SCY 321-Liftoff (+1 321-543-8633) n4scy@amsat. org	Treasurer Becky Lee, KF4HTB 267-9375 beverly@peoplepc.com	Secretary Cathy Johnson KI4GMF 268-2107 pshj@frontiernet.net
Board Member Pike Abell, W4EPU 269-4208 pikeatal@digital.net	Board Member Jose` Ramos, KC4VIO 267-5892 kc4vio@yahoo.com	Board Member Gary Johnson W4RBI 271-4500 GaryJay990@aol.com	Board Member Bob Farrington, W4YBI 633-5664 bobandlinda3@juno.com
146.91 Repeater Trustee Mic Woltman, KI4CFA 632-4601	146.97 Repeater Trustee Warren Murray, W4CEL pager - 638-5476	444.15 Repeater Trustee Mike Hensley, W4LOV 639-1553	147.775 Repeater Trustee Ken Denman, KD4HNW 269-5711

Meetings: 4th Tuesday of each month at 7 PM "Eating Meeting" Every Thursday 5:30 to

at the Titusville Public Library 2121 S. Hopkins 6:30PM at a local restaurant. Talk-in 146.91

Ave. Next: February 28th or call Sherry KU4ZO at 279-2796.

The President's Corner By Bud Hughes K4CWG

The Orlando Hamfest is now history. Thanks to Bob, Linda, Jose, Jan, Sherry, Pike, Clara and others for the many hours of labor donated to the cause. The gang enjoyed the event but I bet we will all enjoy just sitting back for a day or so and cooling our heels. A special thanks to Bob and Linda for all their time and effort in the many details of collecting, sorting, pricing, storing, transporting and selling of the ham equipment owned by our dear friend Bill Eppley W2SDB. At the Orlando Hamfest club table those in attendance enjoyed the ringside seats from which full advantage was taken to chat with old friends and yes to add new friends to our treasures.

Wintertime is surely upon us. It is this time of year that our club is again blessed with so many of our friends that are now with us and will remain until springtime. We look forward to our club meetings and other club functions where we can visit and enjoy the fellowship with one another.

The President's Corner, Con't

Thanks to those who supported and to those who attended "the chili cook-off" in down town Titusville February 4th. By a majority of votes our club's chili was proclaimed the winner of the chili contest. We credit our Chef Lyle KI4MYT for his recipe and expertise in the preparation of the best tasting chili in the contest. Thanks Lyle.

Our next club meeting is the 28^th of February. How often or rather when has our club met on the very last day of the month? Hope to see you at the next meeting, bring a friend.

Best wishes Bud K4CWG

The Vice Squad By Ozzie Osband N4SCY

Last month, Roy Hill W6QCM gave a great talk on the ARRL National Traffic System, and how to send NTS traffic. Below are a couple of web addresses for those who want further information (the links will be clickable in the newsletter on the club website).

The February meeting will have a talk by Mike Crane, Vice President of Programming for the public broadcasting stations of WMFE, who will talk about Digital Broadcasting on Channel 24. The talk will be interesting, but shouldn't get TOO technical. Mike is on the programming side of the house, after all. Hope to see you at the meeting.

73's Ozzie

TARC Wins Chili Cookoff!

Our participation in the Rotary Clubs' 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off at the Downtown Titusville Street Party was a huge success. Lyle's chili recipe took First Place! He did all the cooking, and brought electric pots and generator, and his lovely wife, Dolores, helped him serve it up in style. Lyle, KI4MYT, also brought shredded cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, and warm, freshly baked, cornbread mini-muffins to serve with his slightly spicy but not tongue burning chili. All I had to do was help get some of the supplies and decorate the tables with American Flag and Chili Pepper party lights, and write, "TARC - Radio Active!" on all the cups. David, AI4FY, and his lovely wife, Diane, were on hand an hour before the contest to help us get all set up. Sherry, KU4ZO, made brochures to hand out, and she performed a last minute miracle and mended our Club Banner Bob, K4WSJ, kept busy in his truck, on the 146.91, talking people in, and lots of TARC folks (about 20 or so) responded by lining up and tasting and chatting and most importantly, VOTING!!!! Ozzie, N4SCY; Al, KI4GOB; and Cathy, KI4GMF; showed up early and mingled in the crowd talking it up, but once folks got a taste of Lyle's chili, it spoke for itself and many came back for a second serving, and one gal even asked for a third serving. I jokingly responded, "Not until you vote for it!" and she did, all 10 votes! Many tasters gave us all their votes. It was that good! Of the 16 or 20 contestants (one team had 3 entries), I think we were the only ones with a continuous crowd in front of our table. It was really good chili! And it was a lot of fun and now a few more folks in town know who we are. Lyle's chili recipe and cooking talents, coupled with TARC's Teamwork, have put us on the Chili Cook-Off Champion's List! Steff K4MVO
Abell's Anecdotes By Pike Abell W4EPU

Yet another animal story. What happened to the birds?

We have two bird feeders in our back yard. One we stock with smaller seeds for sparrows and other small birds. The other we supply with larger bird feed, such as sunflower seed or corn.

Normally there are numerous birds feeding at both stations. Mockingbirds, blue jays, doves, brown thrushes, blackbirds, sparrows and various other unidentified birds are all feeding and fighting in some form of pecking order. There was even a resident hawk, which prey on the other birds.

(We have actually witnessed a beautiful ring-neck turtledove, sitting atop the bird feeder, explode into a cloud of feathers when struck by the predator hawk. It is indeed a sad sight to behold. We are not proud of our hawk. However, we reluctantly accept the fact that the hawk is simply an active link in the natural food chain.)

At least three days before Hurricane Wilma swept across South Central Florida, all of the birds mysteriously vanished. It can only be assumed that they fled to safer areas because of Wilma approaching. If so, the birds apparently knew something was in the wind (no pun intended) which could put them in grave danger.

As this is being written, several months after Wilma is long gone, the birds are just now slowly appearing on the scene. In the meantime, the feeders have been emptied, cleaned and refilled with fresh seeds several times but with no takers. Just in the last few days we are again seeing birds one or two at a time. So far, we only have a pair of cardinals, one blue jay and two or three doves. Oh yes, the hawk is back...

In closing, the following questions come to mind: How did the birds know to flee at that time? Where did they go? Are these returning birds the same ones that left in advance of Wilma? Or are they different birds all together? 73s es 88s Pike.

VIP Net Control Found!

Many thanks to Gary W4RBI for stepping forward and taking Net Control of the VIP Net on the 146.91 repeater Thursday mornings at 10 AM. Gary is doing a great job. His special brand of good humor makes the net a most entertaining event.

January Meeting Minutes By Cathy Johnson KI4GMF

The monthly meeting of TARC was held on Jan.24. It was decided to take part in the Smilin Jack Fly-in on Feb.4 in the morning. and the chili cook-off in connection with Titus nights in the evening. of Feb.4. (Ed. Note: The fly-in was cancelled because of the weather.) An informative program was given by Roy W6QCM on message passing and the National Traffic System. The four parts of a good message are : preamble, address, text, and signature. Roy cautioned the members that it is more important to get the message right than it is to get it quick.

Club Shirts Are In!

We have received a new order of club shirts and like every thing else the prices have gone up.The new prices are $14.00 for sizes small,medium,large and extra large , $16.00 for xxlarge and $17.00 for xxxlarge. Get your's by calling Sherry KU4ZO at 269-2796 or catch her at the eating meeting. You'll look great in a new TARC club shirt!

TITUSVILLE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

PO Box 73

Titusville, FL 32781-0073

FIRST CLASS MAIL

TREASURERS REPORT

Beginning balance 1/1/06 $4173.31

Deposits in 2006 565.00

Total Income $4738.31

YTD Expenditures - 1030.82

Balance as at 12/31/05 $3707.49

Space Shuttle Special Event

April 9th through the 15th a special event station will be operating at Kennedy Space Center to commemorate the 25th Silver anniversary of America's first Space Shuttle launch. If you would like to be one of the volunteer operators, contact Jose` KC4VIO at 267-5892.

It's a BOY! Ray W4TOO and Nancy Hinkle are the proud parents of an 8 pound plus boy. His name is Jake and he gets his appetite from dad - hungry every two hours. Congratulations!

Items for Sale:

Kenwood TS-480HX 200watt 6m-160m $925.00.

HI-Q mobile antenna 6m-160m with Ameritron SDC-100 screwdriver counter/controller $650.00

includes mount for pickup,coax,control cable,grounds etc..

SGC MAC-200 antenna/tuner-coupler $210.00

MFJ-269 antenna analizer(NEW in Box) covers 1.5m-200m $285.00.

MFJ-1700B antenna/radio switch with manual. $25.00.

2 Kenwood KES-5 commercial grade 4X4 Speakers $25.00each

20m Hamstick w/bracket and 239 connector new in bx. $20.00

Diawa CN 801 SWR/PEP(true pep)1.8-200mhz,1-2000watts new in box $135.00

VT-27 2m-440m Ventenna antenna daul band.new 10ft coax and 239 male connector $69.95

Set of Radio Shack wireless 900mhz stereo headsets $50.00.

Bendix Hi-flex RG-8 under ground installible coax 9313F-7 new coil 150ft 79cents a foot

Wilson 1000 base load mag.mount antenna never cut will cover 6m-15m $45.00

President Grant HR 2510 Radio w/box manuals etc..covers 24mhz-29.999mhz $175.00

10m-11m rig ever made 25watt-50watt output for the law breaking CB.er USB/LSB/FM/CW/AM bands.

Kenwood low band pass filter new in box $45.00.

. Thanks Ray W4TOO call 446-2595 or E-mail Ray at wtoo@cfl.rr.com.