DALTON AMATEUR RADIO CLUB NEWSLETTER
February 2012
A Monthly Publication by and for the Members of the Dalton Amateur Radio Club
IN THIS ISSUE
DATES OF INTEREST
February 25, 2012 -- DARC Hamfest
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
Page 1 -Hamfest setup
Page 2 - Setup Pictures
Page 3 ARES Corner, GA ARES monthly report
Recap of GA ARES State wide meeting
Ham humor
Page 4 - Ga QSP party, From the archives, HELP
WANTED
Page 5 - Quiz
February 18, 2012 Dalton, GA
Members of the Dalton Amateur Radio gathered together for set-up day at the N. Ga Grounds in preparation for the annual Hamfest. I
understand that they brought gloves and plenty of extra strength Bengay (right Tom?). As usual, Randy Jones fIXED his award willing Brunswick stew and BBQ for lunch. This year’s Hamfest is dedicated to the memory of DARC Member Harold Jones, N4BD who became a SK on
December 27, 2011. Below is a comment from David Stanley, WI4L taken from FB.
I can't say enough for the help from my friends on The Dalton Amateur Radio Club Hamfest set-up....Special
thanks to Hugh Lynn McArthur, Larry Lindsay, Broadrick Hayes, Bill Jourdain, James Jordan, George Pierce John
Heard, Bert Coker, Riel Rial F Sloan, Tony Smith, and Charles Goodrum I didn't take time last night to check out all that
are here on FB. Most of you don't make many post. Some have been battling health issues and went out of your way to
make our "Dalton Hamfest" ....Big time thanks to all!!!!!!!!If you are here on FB 73 de WI4L
NOTICE
In order to save printing and mailing expenses, the newsletter is published in PDF format and delivered via email to the address on record with the club secretary. The Newsletter should be
available on the club web site. The newsletter can be mailed. Contact
the editor or the publisher (Larry, K4SST) if you have special needs.
John, N4JJK
Meeting Announcements
February 25 - Hamfest
February 29 - 11:30 AM Lunch Bunch at Western Sizzlin in Dalton
March 26 - 7:00 PM DARC Club Meeting
2011 Club Officers
President.................N4OGF
Jerome Holcomb
Vice President ..........TBE
Sec/Treasurer .........W4RSJ
Randy Jones
Editorial Staff
Publisher .................K4SST
Larry Brunson (K4SSTK4SST
Editor .......................N4JJK
John Heard (N4JJK @ OPTILINK.US)
Directors
David Stanley .......................WI4L
Rial Sloan ............................AI4ZV
Tommy Mahaney.................NS4U
Club Callsign
W4DRC
Club Resources
DARC HAMFEST 2012
W4DRC................145.230- MHz
W4DRC................443.000+ MHz
PL 141.3 for both repeaters. Tone
may not be active.
W4DRC.com
W4DRC.net
DALTONHAMFEST.COM
DALTONHAMFEST.NET
David Stanley Wi4L Webmaster
NETS
145.230 Sunday 9:30 PM
147.135 Sunday 9:00 PM (ARES)
444.500 Sunday 9:00 PM
(D-STAR Weather Net)
OTHER AREA REPEATERS
HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THIS PICTURE FOR THIS YEAR’S HAMFEST
What’s the hamfest all about? Is it just about raising money? Is it just about buying and selling
radio related equipment? Is it just about setting up and taking down tables? Is it just about taking tests?
Is it just about eating Randy’s Brunswick stew and BBQ? Yes, it’s all of that and more, much more. It’s
about eyeball QSOs, It’s about creating and continuing relationships. It’s about showing others how
friendly a hamfest can be. See you there!
John, N4JJK
Page 2
N4BZJ ....147.135+ MHz*
K4SSP ... 444.850+ MHz*
N4BZJ......442.175+ MHz*
N4BZJ......224.680– MHz*
N4BZJ......224.460+ MHz*
N4BZJ......224.740– MHz*
N4BZJ......444.500+ MHz**
* PL 141.3 Tone may not be active
on all repeaters.
** D-STAR repeater—must have
D-STAR capable radio.
ARES CORNER
Rial Sloan AI4ZV
Emergency Coordinator
Whitfield/Murray County
JOIN US
―The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) consists of
licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service
when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is
eligible for membership in the ARES. The only qualification, other
than possession of an Amateur Radio license, is a sincere desire
to serve. Because ARES is an amateur service, only amateurs are
eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered
equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership.‖
— ARRL
There are no dues or membership fees associated with being
part of ARES. To join ARES, please fill out an ARES membership
form located here and contact Rial Sloan, AI4ZV to register your
membership on the Georgia ARES database.
Nets:
A section-wide net is held every Sunday afternoon at 6:00
pm during Eastern Daylight Time and 5:00pm during Eastern Standard Time on 3.975 MHz LSB. This is a directed net. Please follow the instructions of the Net Control Station.
Meetings
Georgia ARES has a Section-wide meeting annually, usually
in January. Notice of the meeting will be placed on this website
and announcements made via the Georgia ARES reflector and
Section-wide nets.
Georgia ARES monthly report for January, 2012
Nick Brown, GEMA Statewide Interoperable Communications Coordinator spoke on the importance of interoperability and about the NIFOG
guide. Here is a copy of his presentation on Interoperability Communications.
During the lunchtime break there were many displays on topics such
as:
NWS: Moderator KN4YZ, Lynn Bianco, ASEC
PUBLIC HEALTH: Moderator W4TGA, Barry Kanne, ASEC
DIGITAL: Moderator KG4VUB, Tom Olley, ASEC
NETS & TRAFFIC: Moderator K4GK, Charles Pennington, DEC
D-STAR: Moderator WB4QDX, John Davis
ARRL: Moderator W4AYK, Gene Clark, SM
KD5EJN, Lans Rothfusz, chief meteorologist of the National Weather
Service at Peachtree City, GA spoke on the latest in severe weather
forecasting.
AG4ZR, David Benost, GA ARES ASEC, spoke on the GA ARES
badges.
Plans for the GA ARES 2012 Annual SET were announced.
The GA ARES Ham of the Year, K4SJR, Frank Dean was presented
an award.
W4AYK, Dr. Gene Clark, GA ARRL SM spoke on what is the EC
(Emergency Coordinator)?
KG4IUM, Andrea Hartlage, GA ARRL SE Division Vice Director gave
an update on activities in the SE Division of the ARRL.
KE4FGF, Mike Brown, GA ARES SEC, spoke on the results of the GA
ARES 2010 SET, KF4VBR, Robert Tyler is retiring as the maintainer of
the GA ARES website and the website duties will be transferred to
KN4DS, Dave Stewart, and the GA ARRL has a Facebook Page.
The meeting adjourned around 4:00pm
Reported by: Whitfield County EC, Rial Sloan, AI4ZV
Total number of ARES members in your group is: 9
Change since last month: 0
Name of your Local ARES Net: Murray / Whitfield County Ares
Net Frequency: 147.135 +
Day of the week: Sunday
Time of the Net: 2100 local
Total of Nets this month: 5
NTS Liaison:
Drills, Tests and Training sessions: 5
Drills, Tests and Training Man Hours: 24
Public Service Events: 0
Public Service Man Hours: 0
Emergency Operations: 0
Emergency Operations Man Hours: 0
Misc Activities: 0
Misc man hours: 0
TOTAL ARES OPERATIONS: 5
TOTAL ARES MAN HOURS: 24
Comments: This is a combined report for Whitfield and Murray
Counties.
Recap of GA ARES Statewide Annual
Meeting-Sat 1/21/12
Here is a brief recap of the annual statewide GA ARES
Meeting that was held on Sat. 1/21/12 at the Georgia Public
Safety Training Center in Forsyth, GA (more updates coming soon…) The meeting started around 9:30am with many
in attendance.
WB4NWS, Jim Millsap, DEC of Metro Atlanta spoke.
Submitted by KE4QCM, Tom Fuller, ASEC Reporting-GA ARES, GA
ARES Assistant Webmaster.
A ham operator is operating Field Day alone at a deserted beach.
He is taking a little break from the action, walking around on the beach and
notices an antique brass bottle mostly buried in the sand. He digs it out and
discovers it's a genie bottle! He manages to get it open and a genie appears. "Thank you for freeing me, O Master!" said the grateful genie. "I will
grant you any one wish you want." The ham thinks about it and says, "OK, I
got it. I live right now in a restrictive neighborhood. I would like to have a
500 foot tower with all sorts of antennas, despite the homeowners association." The genie looks worried. "O Master! That's a big order. The power of
these HOAs and their CC&Rs is most powerful! In fact, they are more powerful than even I, O Master! I would beg you to please choose something
else for your wish." The ham says, "OK, let's do this." He goes over to his
ham station and pulls out his log books. "See this entry? This is a contact I
once made with AC6V. I would sure like to get his QSL card after all this
time." The genie looks at the logbook. Then he says, "Now regarding that
500 foot antenna tower, do you want it galvanized or stainless steel?"
Page 3
GEORGIA QSP PARTY
This year (2012) marks the 51st (nearly) consecutive
year that the Georgia QSO Party (GSP) has been challenging
amateurs all over the world with the best award/plaque program in the US. In 2011, 461 amateurs submitted logs vying
for the nearly FORTY award plaques that were earned.
The GQP is held in a pair of ten-hour sessions on
the second full weekend in April; this year that's April 14-15,
2012. As in 2011, we expect all 159 Georgia counties to be
on the air.
We would appreciate inclusion in your club newsletter. If you need additional information, please let us know.
For more information, please contact the Georgia QSO Party
Coordinator for 2012:
Norm Schklar, WA4ZXV
[email protected]
FROM THE ARCHIVES
As written by Harold Jones N4BD,SK
HAM HAPPENINGS FEB. 1989 HAS THE WINTER WEATHER GOT YOU FEELING LOW?
DO YOU HAVE FEARS THAT TERMINAL TECH, GENUINE GENERAL OR ADVANCE LEAVE YOU FEELING BLUE? IS YOUR JUNK BOX SO LOW THAT THE BOTTOM IS SHOWING? ARE YOURANTENNAS
DANGLING IN THE TREE FROM WINTER WEAR AND TEAR? THE DALTON HAMFEST MAY BE JUST
WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED. COME OWN OUT AND GET YOUR SPIRITS UP LIFTED, YOUR JUNK
BOX REFILLED, AND RANK UPGRADED. DO YOUR PART HELP MAKE THIS THE GREATEST HAMFEST IN GEORGIA. EVERONE I HAVE TALKED TO SAID LAST YEAR WAS GREAT. THIS YEAR IS
LOOKING EVEN BETTER. PLEASE GREET OUR
GUESTS WITH A SMILE AND A FRIENDLY HANDSHAKE MAKE THEM FEEL AT HOME.
WE STILL HAVE TICKETS. PLEASE CALL TO GET YOUR SHARE. CALL HEBO OR RICHARD. DON'T
YALL FERGIT TO COME ON OUT TO THE TABLE PARTY FRIDAY NITE 5:30 PM 2-24-89.
A FULL HOUSE OF MEMBERS ATTENDED THE JANUARY MEETING
AND HAD A SUPER GOOD TIME. KM4DQ WAS GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR WHILE MOST EVERYONE PAYED THEIR DUES. BOBBY CAN STAND TO DO MORE GRINNING, IF YOU HAVEN'T PAYED
PLEASE DO SO. THANKS IN ADVANCE. IT SURE IS GOOD TO HERE HEBO BACK ON THE AIR AFTER
CONTINUING EDUCATION
HIS FLING WITH THE FLU. I HOPE EVERONE TAKES PERCAUTIONS THIS FLU SEASON. DO THE
BEST YOU CAN!
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor to QST
This week, Surfin’ goes back to electronics school, but it’s free
and online this time.
This came from Bob Perlman, KG6AF, the other day:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) -- which has had
an open courseware initiative for several years -- is now taking
the next step and making courses available online. Called MITx,
this initial effort should be of interest to a lot of hams: An online
course in introductory circuits and electronics that’s free to anyone who is interested. And best of, it’s free!
Circuits and Electronics (Course 6.002x) is the course
title; it is adapted from Course 6.002, which serves as a first
course in an undergraduate electrical engineering (EE) and electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) curriculum (or to
you Beavers out there, Course 6.1 and 6.3, respectively).
The course covers topics such as ―resistive elements
and networks; independent and dependent sources; switches and
MOS transistors; digital abstraction; amplifiers; energy storage
elements; dynamics of first- and second-order networks; design in
the time and frequency domains, and analog and digital circuits
and applications. Design and lab exercises are also significant
components of the course.‖
Circuits and Electronics begins on March 6 and runs
through June 8. To access the course, registered students will log
in at mitx.mit.edu, where they will find a course schedule, an etextbook for the course and a discussion board. Each week, students will watch video lectures and demonstrations, work with
practice exercises, complete homework assignments, and participate in an online interactive lab specifically designed to replicate
its real-world counterpart. Students will also take exams and be
able to check their grades as they progress in the course. Overall,
students can expect to spend approximately 10 hours each week
on the course.
At the end of the course, students who demonstrate
their mastery will be able to receive a certificate of completion for
free. In future MITx courses, students who complete the mastery
requirement on MITx will be able to receive the credential for a
modest fee. Further courses are expected to become available
beginning in the fall.
More information is available at the MIT Online Learning
Initiative website. There are prerequisites, but this sounds like a
great deal to me!
Until next time, keep on surfin’!
Editor’s note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, seeks the unusual in radio. To contact Stan, send e-mail or add comments to the
WA1LOU blog.
THE VE TEST STARTS PROMPLY AT 9 AM. NO WALKINS PEASE. PREREGISTER BY
FEB. 20 89. YOU WILL NEED A COMPLETED FORM 610 YOUR ORIGNAL LICENSE A COPY OF SAME,
AND A CHECK FOR $4.75 MADE TO W.C.A.R.S. ALSO ANY C.S.C.E. YOU MAY HAVE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY YA DUN GUD TO ALL THE OPERATORS THAT UPGRADED
LATELY. WHY DON'T YOU JOIN THEM AND JOIN IN THE FUN?
THE OLD TRASH CAN REALLY OUT DID IT SELF THIS MONTH. A TRIPLE HEADER FROM
1985. SUPRISE HI HI!!!! HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE .FEBUARY MEETING 2-27-89 / 7:30 PM SEE YOU
TBIEIR. 73'S N40TC
HELP WANTED
Sounds From Space website looking for additional sounds. Matthias, DD1US, would like to draw your
attention to a collection of audio recordings, the 'Sounds
From Space' collection on his website at http://
www.dd1us.de. This features a collection which has also
a section dedicated to recordings of amateur radio satellite signals.
Please have a look at it. The idea is to give older radio amateurs the
chance, to listen to signals of satellites which are already gone and the might
have worked in the past, and to younger people interested in ham radio, to get
them more excited in satellite communication.
In spite of the fact that the collection now has close to 1000 recordings he is still missing recordings from some amateur radio satellites. If
anyone of you would be willing to contribute recordings to these satellite he
would highly appreciate it. He has and always will give full credit to the source
Page 4
QUIZ
By H. Ward Silver. N0AX
[email protected]
Amateur Radio deals with everything -- from the very, very small to the very, very large -- so it’s particularly important that we know
how to work with units of measurement. One of the easiest checks on a calculation is whether the units ―work out‖ they way you expect. To do
that requires a certain facility with units, constants and conversion factors -- and no calculator can help you with that! Here’s an opportunity to
poke around in your unitary toolbox and see if you recognize some of the pieces there.
1) How big is an Angstrom?
a. 0.1 nanometer
b. 10 nanometers
c. 1 micro-inch
d. 1 milli-millimeter
2) How big is a micron?
a. 1 millionth of a centimeter
b. 1 millionth of a meter
c. 10 angstroms
d. 100 angstroms
3) Which metric prefix represents the largest value?
a. tera
b. exa
c. femto
d. peta
4) Which metric prefix represents the smallest value?
a. atto
b. nano
c. zetta
d. deka
5) Which two of the following are used to calculate the impedance of free space to electromagnetic waves?
a. permeability
b. permittivity
c. porosity
d. permeance
6) A ―googol‖ refers to ten raised to what power?
a. 99
b. 100
c. 101
d. 1000
7) In the equation for thermal noise -- kTB -- what does ―k‖ represent?
a. Constant of Integration
b. Degrees Kelvin
c. Boltzmann’s Constant
d. Planck Length
8) Which of the following is used for power measurements?
a. dBd
b. dBi
c. dBm
d. dBV
9) Rank these units of energy from the smallest to the largest.
a. kW-hr
b. erg
c. BTU
d. Joule
10) What is the unit for transmitted symbols or transitions per second?
a. bits
b. baud
c. bel
d. ber
Assume that the wire in your computer isa perfect (no resistance) conductor of current.
How many inches would the current travel in 1 nanosecond?
Page 5
DALTON AMATEUR RADIO CLUB,
INC
P.O. Box 211
Dalton, GA 30722-0211
TO: