ten tec 229 antenna tuner

Michigan’s Largest and Most Active Amateur Radio Club
UTICA SHELBY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION, INC.
From the Morse Code Desk:
Monday Night Morse
Code Class Ends
Jim, W1IK,
USECA Morse Instruction
Coordinator
T
USECA Monday Night
Morse Code Class has been
in operation on the repeater
during
the
months
of
September through June since the
fall of 1996. For almost five years
now, we’ve seen a lot of hams, new
and not-so-new, members and
non-members alike, come through
the ranks of the class and
eventually upgrade their licenses.
Many of those hams credit the
class with opening the door to a
new and exciting operating mode,
as well as to expanded operating
privileges afforded only to those
showing a proficiency in Morse
code. Although we can’t (and
wouldn’t even if we could) take the
credit, those of us involved in
developing and teaching the course
over the years would like to think
that we provided some benefit to
those we aim to help to learn and
love Morse code.
In years past, we have tried to
have the course end sometime in
the month of June. For a variety of
reasons, this year we are faced
with either closing in May or
starting another course of eight
weeks, which would take us well
into July. As you are well aware,
summer is an extremely busy time
for everyone, Tom, KC8LOC and
myself included. This is one reason
why we have chosen to end early
this year. The USECA Monday Night
Morse Code Class will be ending on
the evening of May 7th.
HE
—Continued on Page 10
Now Hear This!
Volume 17, Number 5, May 2001
Experiment Proves a Success
USECA FD 2001
USECA/CAP GPS
QRP/BATTERY CLASS
(5x point/QSO multiplier)
Don, WX3M
A few changes from last year:
All stations will run exclusively
from battery power! I and the power
committee (consisting of my cousin
“Sal” and his “convincer”) will be spot
checking each and every station
throughout the contest to ensure that
the entire station is run from battery
power, and is transmitting only 5
watts. I will be carrying an RF power
meter with me and will ask each
station chair to allow me to insert my
own, calibrated RF power meter to
ensure compliance and honesty.
Furthermore, I will probably hang
around for a while to ensure that
QSO's are actually being made using
5 watts from the radio. This is all
absolutely necessary so that I can
sign-off on our collective score in
2001 and still be able to sleep at
night and face myself in the mirror in
the morning.
Many thanks to N8SA, N8MCD,
N8XO, AD8S, and those others who
helped solve the problem of the
TACOM Command Center getting
stuck in the field. It will have a new,
improved location. There will be NO
power grid in the field this year to
power station accessories (BATTERY
POWER [5x] remember?). Instead,
there will be a power distribution
from the TACOM Command Center
only along the west edge of Mr.
Voight's [N8MCD] property. This will
be able to power the creature-comfort
campers (Motor-Home Row) and
provide
several
battery-charging
stations. This will eliminate the
potential
standing-water
danger
encountered last year, and will
eliminate complications arising out
Steve, N8XO
USECA Hams and
members of the Michigan
Wing of the Civil Air Patrol
(CAP) recently teamed up to
test the utilization of GPS Tracking
Units in Aircraft used while
searching for downed aircraft or
other emergency rescue operations. Installing a GPS Tracking
Unit (officially known in USECA
circles as “The Tracker-Thingy”, or
T3) along with an SSTV transmitter
in a small aircraft and then flying
the craft around the Macomb/St.
Clair county region successfully
accomplished this experiment.
USECA members 2LT. Bill
Chesney, N8SA; John Schmitz,
NS8E; Steve Kolhoff, N8XO; and
Floyd Soo, W8RO, conducted the
experiment, along with CAP personnel, Pilot CPN. Andy Applegate,
KB8TZB; and Co-pilot CPN. Dave
Schendler. With Bill operating the
SSTV camera/transmitter from on
board the aircraft, CPNs Applegate
and Schendler piloted the aircraft.
John and Steve operated the GPS
receiving station from the Airport’s
parking lot, while Floyd operated
the SSTV reception station. Air-toground voice communications were
on the local CAP Simplex frequency.
GPS telemetry included callsign, position, heading and airspeed. Several SSTV images were
transmitted back to the receiving
station, along with requests to
identify the images sent. One image, taken from an altitude of
approx. 3000 ft., was a beautiful
shot of a Mc Donald’s Restaurant,
located in the 31 Mile Rd. and
Gratiot area.
—Continued on Page 10
—Continued on Page 11
Next Meeting — May 8
S
EVERAL
CLUB DIRECTORY
The Editor is:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Nancy Carr/KB8QMS, (810) 749-3383
Vice President
Mark Milby/W8IR, (810) 415-7104
Recording Secretary
Ann Manor/KT8F, (810) 751-3893
Treasurer
Delphine Wrona/KC8JSH, (810) 791-4669
Membership Secretary Marianne Mickle/N8TMJ, (810) 677-1667
Past President
Dennis Gaboury/W8DFG, (810) 465-7126
ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS
Dave Cunningham/KC8IAQ, (810) 791-2720
Dave Martin/W8VB, (810) 826-9783
Dave Stormer/AD8S, (810) 412-8104
COMMITTEES
ARRL Liaison
Awards Manager
Door Prizes
Editor
Field Day Chair
Health & Welfare
Historian
Mailers/Sorters
Net Manager
Photographer
Program Director
Public Relations Officer
Refreshments
Repeater Trustee
Swap & Shop
Technical Director
Technicians
Dave/W8VB
(OPEN)
Dina/N8YJI
Joe/K8OEF, (810) 781-0050
Jerry/N8KLX, (810) 731-9041
Marianne/N8TMJ, (810) 677-1667
Jerry/K8CFY
Ann/KT8F; Phil/W8IC; & Crew
Brian/KC8DIR, (810) 749-4561
Richard/K8QLM
Mark/W8IR
Ken/N8KC
Don/KC8CPT & Richard/KC8HMJ
John/K8ZEC
Dave/KC8IAQ, (810) 791-2720
John/K8ZEC, (248) 828-3742
NS8E, K8FT; AD8S, WA8GQL; KC8IAQ; N8KND;
WY8M; N8MIV; W8RO; N8SA; W8VB
CONTROL OPERATORS (*Phone Number Above)
Dennis/W8DFG*
Mark/W8IR*
Floyd/W8RO
Doug/K8DK
Joe/K8OEF*
Bill/N8SA
Dave/KC8IAQ*
Nancy/KB8QMS*
PROGRAMMERS
Scott/W8CQD
Dennis/W8DFG
Dave/KC8IAQ
Mark/W8IR
VOLUNTEER EXAMINERS
WB8B
KI8HW
WA8IZV
NS8E
KW8K
N8KC
WB8E
W1IK
WY8M
N8HTV
W8IR
WT8N
SILENT KEYS
Len Czapiewski/K8DHH
Art Sheff/WD8EGV
Joe Lucido/NU8F
Charles Smith/N8FWF
Clarence Ringo/W8HQO
Doug/N8KND
W8NG
N8OEF
N8OZ
N8SA
N8SN
WM8T
Joe Steel/KA8IZM
Rick Parady/KB8KLW
John Moore/KA8KTV
John Palmer/WD8LBH
John Pizzuti/WB8NHT
Harry Young/W8VRW
Velma Ragon/N8YVC
John Tomlins/KG8YX
f=Founder
c=Charter
h=Hon. Charter
N8AWV h
KA8BDG c
N8BK h
N8FDN c
N8FNO f c
J. Haubner c
N8HCT f c
KA8IZM f c SK
KA8KTV f c SK
G. Manquardt h
WD8MFN f c
WB8NHT f c
WB8OSF h
K8QLM f c
WB8QNI c
KA8VYV h
WA8VZZ c SK
March 2001
KB8WTH
WB8X
KW8Z
Still Going
Joe, K8OEF
Thank You! If you are reading this and received this
Express in the mail, you have renewed your
membership! Thank you.
HUGE! This Express is one of the largest in many
years—due to the roster, which consumes 4 pages.
Several people have requested to not be listed in the
roster—so, we have more members than what you
see.
In case you didn’t hear, Don, WX8M will be our
field day chairperson; and a thank you to Jerry,
N8KLX for making last year’s field day such a
success. Also, Jim, W8NG will be handling the field
day apparel (shirts, etc.). Jim is asking for input on
the design, to be voted-on at April’s meeting. If you
missed it, pre-field day will again be at Stony Creek
Park and Ann, KT8F will coordinate this event.
73 for now.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The Amateur Radio Community
Ice Station USECA
Still Going
Join The ARRL
Payin’ It Forward
Public Service Update
USECA VE Testing
Code Rage
A Trick From Oz
2001 Hamvention
2001 Thunderfest
Looking Back
USECA’s Ice Cubes
Skywarn Training
Blunoz
Meeting Minutes
Net Points
2001 USECA Roster
Yahoo India’s News
Net Point System
Members E-Mail Directory
USECA Cork Board
USECA Membership Application
Local Area Nets
Net Ops Schedules
Club Activities (Cover)
Swaps
(Cover)
6-Meter Nets (Cover)
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
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Page 2
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
Marconi, The Father
of Radio?
What Language
Can I Use?
John, NS8E
100 years ago something changed. It took
awhile for that change to
encompass the world, but it
eventually did. The change was not
important for most people of the
time, and most of the planet’s
population didn’t even know about
it. It did, however, change the way
information was sent from place to
place and even how business was
conducted. The wireless revolution
had begun.
Guglielmo Marconi was a man
driven with a desire to learn and to
create. His interest in electricity
and “making sparks” lead him to
read as much as was available in
his time about the fundamental
properties of electricity and more
specifically electro-magnetic waves.
His studies included the works of
Hertz and Tesla, the scientists
whose work is the foundation of
every electrical text and class.
Guglielmo was able to re-create
the experiments of those before him
and produce “Hertzian waves.”
These invisible waves were able to
cross the room and produce sparks,
and later sounds. This miracle of
physics had at least one apparent
use, wireless communication. It
became Marconi’s driving force in
life to bring it to the world.
But, was Marconi the first and
does he deserve the title “Father of
Radio”? Works of many inventors
preceded Marconi, and one was
successful in sending “wireless”
messages before Marconi was even
born. In Virginia in 1866, a dentist
from New York named Mahlon
Loomis was able to send radio
waves between two mountaintops
that were fourteen miles apart. This
amazing feat was accomplished
with two kites supporting the
antenna
wires.
Loomis
also
transmitted wireless signals between U.S. Navy ships four years
before Marconi was born.
Manny, WG8M
came
about
ARTICLE
because
yesterday
while
using my 2-meter privilege
(FM), someone wants me off
the frequency just because I was
using
a
foreign
language.
Additionally, another reason for
this article is to inform and
hopefully educate.
I have been a ham for over 7
years now. Every time I use my
native
language
on
the
air
especially on 2 meters and
occasionally on 10, I get this
intentional interference to get me
off the frequency. Some hams are
kind enough to question whether I
am in violation of the FCC rules.
Well my normal response is that I
am not and suggest to the
questioning party to revisit the FCC
rules part 97, of course in a nice
way.
One time, I was told by an uninformed ham that when using the
2
meter
frequency(ies),
the
language to be used should only be
English since we are in the US. I
questioned back, how about DX
contacts originating from the US?
He replied that, that situation is
different since you are talking to
another station outside of the US.
The first statement of using “the
English language since we are in
the US” is discriminatory at best.
The FCC can not force anyone to
use the English language as the
medium for all QSO’s. In the
Detroit area most repeater systems
are English speaking. Try going to
New Jersey, New York, and
especially California, these cities do
have
multi-language
repeater
systems.
I believe that those hams who
question the usage of another
language other than English,
especially on 2 meters, should
revisit part 97 of the FCC rules and
regulations. I have not found the
section in the FCC rules and
regulations that requires US hams
O
VER
—Continued on Page 11
T
HIS
ICE Bandpass Filters
Don, WX3M
Industrial Communication
Engineers, Ltd.
http://www.inducomm.net/pieces/
fitersrf.html#2
As quoted from their page:
Gain peak receiving and transmitting performance from modern
transceivers and stop out-of-band
energy from nearby transmitters
with I.C.E.’s full line of single band
filter units.
Practically
an
international
standard among the top competition stations, government agencies,
and disaster relief organizations,
bandpass filters are used widely to
pass only the listed frequency segments for which they are tuned
blocking all frequencies above and
below the passband.
Use bandpass filters anywhere
that critical single band performance is required, or where nearby
transmitting stations cause interference to needed communications.
Excellent for multiple-operator
stations, portable or field use, indoor or outdoor service, non-polarized.
I am not affiliated with this enterprise in any way, whatsoever.
Think Field Day.
73.
A Word To The
Membership
Delphine, KC8JSH/Treasurer
For those who are not familiar
with the club’s financial policies,
please be advised:
There cannot be any expenditures (spending) of club’s funds
without board approval. Under
$100.00 can be approved by the
President (Nancy, KB8QMS) or
Treasurer (Delphine, KC8JSH).
Any item over $100.00 requires
board approval.
Any receipts received without
approval, WILL BE DENIED!
Thank You.
—Continued on Page 7
May 2001
Page 3
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
1000 Marbles
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22
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17
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23
24
26
8
11
12
21
7
25
27
29
28
30
Across:
1 A knob label commonly found on older receivers used for
SSB & CW reception
4 State in '7-land'
9 One leg on an NPN transistor
11 Ham Mecca St.
12 A common type of full-wave antenna
14 Ham meeting necessity
15 'on the final __ ' (as in a journey)
18 Better receivers have more than one
19 One side of a battery or diode
21 Major river in 'SU-land'
23 Before uniform
24 German prefix
25 Certain brand of amp
26 By the pint in G & EI-land
28 Fish eggs
29 What K8OEF does for USECA
30 Sault __ Marie
Down:
1 Station type used for propagation study
2 Most used mode on VHF/UHF
3 Like some dummy loads and transformers (2wds)
4 OK Indian tribe
5 They're designed to extend the range of HT's and mobiles
6 Place for critical care
7 FCC Aux.
8 '1-land' St.
10 Confection from 'G-land'
13 '___' have more fun!
16 Knife- ___ propogation
17 K8GEO's name
20 ___ -joule (.000000001 joule)
22 Unemployed
27 Yes in EA-land
[Thanks to Ken, N8KC]
Answers on Page 13
May 2001
The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings.
Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being
the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not
having to be at work.
Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning
are most enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the
basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one
hand and the morning paper in the other. What began
as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those
lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.
Let me tell you about it.
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the
band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday
morning swap net.
Along the way, I came across an older sounding
chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You
know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the
broadcasting business.
He was telling whomever he was talking with
something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued
and stopped to listen to what he had to say.
“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your
job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have
to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to
believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or
seventy hours a week to make ends meet.
Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital.
He continued, “Let me tell you something Tom,
something that has helped me keep a good perspective
on my own priorities.”
And that's when he began to explain his theory of a
“thousand marbles.” “You see, I sat down one day and
did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about
seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live
less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.
Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up
with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the
average person has in their entire lifetime.
“No, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important
art.” “It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think
about all this in any detail”; he went on, “and by that
time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred
Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventyfive, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.
“So I went to a toy store and bought every single
marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy
stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and
put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right
here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since
then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away.”
“I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focus
more on the really important things in life.
—Continued on Page 14
Page 4
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
New Life For Your Old Magazines
A
Ken, N8KC
NSWER THE following questions as honestly as you
can: Is there a stack of ‘treasured’ old Ham
magazines in your shack? (I’ll bet there is.) If so,
when was the last time you picked up and
actually re-read an issue over 2months old? (I’ll bet it’s
been a long time—longer than you’d care to admit.) Has
more than a little dust collected on your ‘treasured’
stack? (be honest!) Last question—Why are you saving
them?
Hams have always been noted for being ‘collectors’
(in most circles that’s just a nice word for ‘pack-rat’).
Many of us have all sorts of stuff stacked away in the
dark recesses of our ‘shacks’ for use ‘someday’. While
many of those squirreled away items may indeed be of
later use to your station or other radio endeavors, the
information contained in your old magazines is far more
likely to be ‘time-sensitive’ and decrease greatly in worth
as the material ages. Sure—if you save them long
enough, they might actually bring more than you paid
for them—if you live that long. (And if you don’t, your
widow will toss them in the trash along with all those
‘National Geographics’ you’ve boxed up, all the while
wondering why all those old magazines meant so much
to you.)
Those magazines you hoard are like the loaf of bread
you bring home from the store. The information inside
the cover will get stale and moldy with age if not
consumed within a short time. Although some of the
information contained within is indeed timeless, a
majority of the contents of any periodical unfortunately
is not. Once you’ve read the magazine and absorbed it’s
contents, is there a further use for the magazine or a
reason to add it to your ‘collection’? Is there a good
reason not to photocopy the page or so of articles you
find pertinent and instead hold onto a 95-page magazine? Would not your magazine serve our hobby better if
it’s contents found it’s way into a few more hands and
minds rather than sitting in a dark corner of your
shack?
Well, here’s a novel idea—why not give your
magazines away in a way that furthers our hobby and
helps our club? I haven’t fulfilled my role as a Volunteer
Examiner very often lately, but I found that a VE session
was one of the best places to give away my QST, World
Radio, USECA Express, Monitoring Times and other
radio magazines. Prospective hams, new hams, and upgrading hams all seemed to really appreciate the ‘freebie’
magazines. It’s a bit like rewarding them for their effort
and I’m sure, for several, it was their 1st look at a
magazine, catalogue, or newsletter dedicated entirely to
Amateur Radio. I’ve used the same routine at swap—put
a stack of magazines on your table (with USECA
applications inside), label them ‘FREE, one (or two) to a
customer’ and watch your table’s business intensify.
(Heck! it might even cause several of those customers to
remember USECA’s swap as one where they got a few
freebies and return!). Got a neighbor or a kid down the
street who’s curious about radio? Use your old
magazines as a recruitment tool and give him/her a few
to pique their interest in Amateur Radio and suddenly,
you’re becoming an ‘Elmer’! (again, don’t forget the
USECA application!) How ‘bout taking those old
magazines to a club meeting and offering ‘first dibs’ to a
newly signed up members? Get inventive!
I think you’ve got the idea now—the only way to
really get your moneys worth out of your old magazines
is to ensure that they’re read and re-read until they fall
apart. Sure—save the important ‘keepsake’ issues, but
photocopy the articles important to you instead of
saving whole magazines and pass along the wisdom
contained within. Just like that loaf of bread, fresh from
the bakery, if the information in your magazines is not
consumed, it’ll turn stale and moldy and be of little use
to anyone. Spread ’em around!
Listening to Ya!
Jim, K8FT
help matter any with the political situation being what it
in Taichung, Taiwan (the central part
is right now. 5 hours and a request to call the US
of the island) listening to Tom, W8NSF talking
consulate later I was released (with my VX-5). Don't
about the weather going through Missouri. It's
think I'll try that again.
just shy of midnight, Tuesday, 10-Apr. And Arp,
Guess I better sign and get some work done. Thanks
WY8M jumping in there too. Sounds good to hear
once again for the touch of home. Hope to talk to some
English as a first language for a change. It's very noisy
of you soon.
in this particular equipment office so it's very difficult to
73.
hear who else is in there. Kinda like QRM, huh?
Well, I had my first fishhead last night at dinner and
I gotta tell you it's NOT something I enjoyed. However, I
[Jim listens to USECA as he travels around the world
did try it. Don't think I'll ever forget the experience of
using his PC and USECA’s streaming audio; check out the
picking those eyeballs out of there. And since the host's
web site and listen-in when you’re traveling.—Ed.]
wife had prepared them especially for my visit it made it
difficult to refuse. But I DID pass on seconds.
On Saturday, 7-Apr I went into mainland China to
Shenzhen. Boy did they freak out over my VX-5! Doesn't
S
ITTING HERE
May 2001
Page 5
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
The 3rd in a series of articles covering over 70 years of Ham Radio
Looking Back — 1953
Ken, N8KC
A snapshot . . .
Our last 2 trips into the past
have taken us back to years coinciding with the end of each decade.
‘Why 1953?’ you ask. Perhaps it's for
purely selfish reasons (I was born
that year), but I chose 1953 mostly
because of how much Ham radio
changed in the prior few years. Our
last visit to the past saw the rest of
the world at war—America was only
months from joining WW2 with the
bombing of Pearl Harbor. ‘Swing’
was still King on AM radio. Join me
as we once again set the dial for
another time…
We step from our time machine
in 1953—the last 13 years have not
been uneventful for the world or
Amateur Radio. WW2's shadow fell
over almost the entire planet for
more than half the previous decade,
requiring 2 atomic bombs to finally
end it, the recent ‘Police Action’ in
Korea is heading to what seems a
conclusion and the ‘Cold War’ is just
coming into full bloom. The jet,
rocket, and atomic ages are upon
us, seemingly all at once—a volatile
mix in a world with little trust for
‘the other side’. The Nuclear Arms
Race is on in earnest now… In the
1st major test of the newly developed Hydrogen Bomb (the 'Mike'
test), the US vaporizes an entire
island near Bikini Atoll. Eisenhower,
Allied Supreme Commander in
Europe through much of WW2, has
just been inaugurated as our 34th
President after Harry Truman refuses to run for a second term. ‘How
much is that Doggy in the window?’
by Patti Page and ‘No other Love’ by
Perry Como are at the top of the
music charts, ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘The
Robe’ are the latest Hollywood box
office hits.
The world of electronics is
changing quickly too. The transistor’s only been around for a few
years (invented here in 1947) but
huge strides in ‘solid state’ advances
the technology quickly and the 1st
transistor radio is now being massmarketed by Sony (US companies
were slow to invest in the new technology, Japan was not, to our lasting
dismay). Television goes COLOR,
sales explode (1.5 million sets naMay 2001
tionwide!), and the film industry
debuts 3-D, and ‘wide screen’ pictures to compete. The very first
commercially available computers
are sold—they're very expensive and
bulky. (UNIVAC, a building-size
computer, predicts the outcome of
the Stevenson/Eisenhower presidential race on CBS).
WW2’s shadow had also fallen
heavily on Amateur Radio, with the
FCC prohibiting all operation for the
duration (except the War Emergency
Radio Service on 2-1/2 meters) and
the loss of many thousands of Hams
as they joined the war effort. It’s end
though, was a bonanza. In the years
immediately following the war, the
government sold tons of war materiel for pennies on the dollar, much
of it new or hardly used—a lot of it,
radio equipment. Hams, always
hunting for bargains, filled their
shacks with the likes of Hallicrafters, Hammarlund, Heathkit,
National, Collins, Harvey Wells, etc.,
etc. Transceivers were still fairly rare
and most Ham stations used
separate receivers and transmitters.
Most on-air operation in 1953 was
either CW or AM, RTTY was becoming more popular with hams due to
availability of surplus Radioteletype
gear, and SSB, after a recent series
of articles in the ARRL's QST extolling it's virtues, was growing in
popularity. By 1950, Hams number
about 90,000 and are becoming a
market force in electronics.
The end of war in 1945 also
saw the start of a major fight over
the ham bands… 160m had become
the home of the Navy's LORAN system and most of the other bands
were in use by the military. Immediately following VJ day, Amateurs
were allowed use of 10 meters (2829.7 MHz), five meters (56-60 MHz),
and the newly rearranged two meter
band at 144-148 MHz. The government was quick to recognize Amateur Radio's contribution to the war
effort (a vast supply of trained operators) and, over the next few years
would slowly hand back the Ham
bands, with some minor changes.
(The 160m band was an exception
and took numerous years—in rec-
ompense for the temporary loss of
160m, Hams were temporarily
granted use of 11 meters.) In 1951,
the FCC began yet another major
overhaul of Amateur licensing, instituting 6 classes of license, replacing the existing three. The Class
A, B, and C Licenses are replaced by
the
Advanced,
General,
and
Conditional Class respectively. Three
new licenses were created at that
time, the Extra, Technician and
Novice. The Extra (actually “Amateur
Extra”) had a 20wpm code requirement (in place of what had
been 13) and a written exam more
difficult than the old Class A. In order to qualify for the Extra, one
needed to be licensed as a Class B
or General for at least two years, in
addition to passing the Extra exam.
However, if you held a Class B, or
General license (or higher), and you
were licensed prior to April, 1917,
you could claim an Extra ticket with
no additional exam required.
The Technician Class was created explicitly by the FCC for experimentation, not communication.
Technicians faced the General theory exam and a 5 wpm CW test.
They earned privileges above 220
MHz only. Potential Novices faced a
basic 20 question written exam and
a 5 wpm code test, earning limited
CW privileges on 80, 11 and 2 meters (including voice privileges on
2m). The Novice was a 1-year, nonrenewable license. The Advanced
was available until December 31,
1952, for upgrades/new licenses, at
which time it was withdrawn from
availability.
—Continued on Page 7
Page 6
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
Looking Back—From Page 6
Those holding Advanced class licenses could continue to
renew, but no new licenses were issued. In 1952-53, the
FCC again made changes and dropped a few more
surprises—phone operation was allowed for the first time
on 40 meters, 15 meters was finally opened to ham use,
and the 14.35-14.4 MHz segment of 20 meters was removed
from the amateur service. The biggest surprise was that
Generals (former Class B) and Conditionals (former Class C)
were now to have access to all former exclusive Class A
phone frequencies. With this change, Conditional, General,
Advanced, and Extra Class operators all had identical on-air
privileges. (in the mid 50’s, Novices were given 40 and 15
meter CW privileges in addition to their 80 meter segment
(11 meters was later removed as a ham band assignment).
Novices are allotted limited HF CW only sub-bands, 75
watts maximum power, and crystal control only (no VFO on
transmit… it was common practice then to call CQ and
then dial frantically up & down the band with your receiver
looking for a reply). They could also use phone on 145-147
MHz. (Remember, this was still a 1-year, non-renewable
license—you upgraded or lost the license!).
Restructuring also changed call-signs slightly. In
some districts all of the available ‘W’ prefix calls had been
issued, so the FCC began using the prefix ‘K’. Novices got
special call-signs: In the continental US, Novices got callsigns like KN5LZO and WV2ABC (WN8VOT’s call is from
this era). The letter immediately preceding the numeral was
either an ‘N’ or a ‘V’, denoting a Novice license. When the
Novice upgraded, this letter was dropped and the rest of the
call remained. In U.S. possessions (Guam, Puerto Rico,
Alaska, etc), the first letter of a Novice call-sign was made a
‘W’ instead of a ‘K’, as in WL7DEF. Upon upgrading, the ‘W’
became a ‘K’.
By 1956 (and the end of this trip back in time) there
were over 140,000 US hams, and growth exceeded 10,000
per year. Hams were witnessing one of the best Solar Cycles
ever recorded. Propagation was terrific, DXing a breeze!
Following, is a chart of the Ham bands and how they looked
in ’56.
1.8-1.825 1.875-1.925 1.975-2 CW/Phone (Subject to
geographic and power limitations)
3.5-4 CW 3.8-4 Phone Novices 3.7-3.75 CW
7-7.3 CW 7.2-7.3 Phone Novices 7.15-7.2 CW
14-14.35 CW 14.2-14.3 Phone
21-21.45 CW 21.25-21.45 Phone Novices 21.1-21.25
CW
26.96-27.23 CW/Phone (reassigned to CB later)
28-29.7 CW 28.5-29.7 Phone
(Technicians had all privileges above 30 MHz except
144-148)
50-54 CW/Phone
144-148 CW/Phone Novices 145-147 CW/Phone
220-225 CW/Phone
420-450 CW/Phone (50 watt power limit)
1215-1300 CW/Phone
2300-2450 CW/Phone
3300-3500 CW/Phone
5650-5925 CW/Phone
10000-10500 CW/Phone
21000-22000 CW/Phone
All above 30000 CW/Phone
*Note: only Novice and Tech licensees had band
restrictions.
All other license classes enjoyed full use of the Ham
bands.
Well, hope you enjoyed our short visit to Ham Radio ala
1953—time to get back to the future and recharge the flux
capacitor in the Delorean.
Next month…the late 50’s and early 60’s…See you then!
What Language—From Page 3
I have included a section of FCC part 97 regarding station
identification below. The reason for this is the part in
section 97.119 (b.2) mentions the English language. This
section refers to the station identification in the English
Language. I think this is the section that confuses other
hams about the English language usage for the QSO. In
fact, this section is just for the station identification. By the
way, I do identify my station in English as prescribed in the
FCC rules and regulations.
(1) By a CW emission. When keyed by an automatic device
used only for identification, the speed must not exceed 20
words per minute;
(2) By a phone emission in the English language. Use
of a standard phonetic alphabet as an aid for correct station
identification is encouraged;
(3) By a RTTY emission using a specified digital code
when all or part of the communications are transmitted by
a RTTY or data emission;
(4) By an image emission conforming to the applicable
transmission standards, either color or monochrome, of
§73.682(a) of the FCC Rules when all or part of the
communications are transmitted in the same image
emission.
It is a big plus to know another language especially
when the right time comes. There was one opportune time
that I can recall that a Spanish speaking ham used the
USECA repeater system. Unfortunately no one was able to
do a QSO in Spanish with this fellow ham.
If you hear another language being used in any
frequency, try to join the QSO. I’d say 9 out of 10 those
hams will be glad to have you in the QSO. I’m sure at that
point that English will be used.
—Continued on Page 8
§97.119 Station identification.
(a) Each amateur station, except a space station or
telecommand station, must transmit its assigned call sign
on its transmitting channel at the end of each
communication, and at least every ten minutes during a
communication, for the purpose of clearly making the
source of the transmissions from the station known to
those receiving the transmissions. No station may transmit
unidentified communications or signals, or transmit as the
station call sign, any call sign not authorized to the station.
(b) The call sign must be transmitted with an emission
authorized for the transmitting channel in one of the
following ways:
May 2001
Page 7
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
Radio goes to war . . .
The ‘Coast Watchers’
H
OW MANY OF YOU know the
story of the ‘Coast Watchers’, heroic Radio Operators
and special agents who
during the WW2 battle for the South
Pacific, put their lives on the line to
relay critical intelligence to US,
British, and Australian forces?
Stationed on remote islands, in
many cases behind enemy lines and
alone, their mission was to keep a
constant vigil for enemy activity,
report any movements and sabotage
the enemy whenever and wherever
possible. The Allied Intelligence Bureau, under which they operated,
was a multinational espionage organization that collected intelligence
data; it was also effective in committing wholesale sabotage and creating impressive propaganda during
World War II. Under the direction of
General Mac Arthur, this agency
was headquartered in Melbourne,
Australia, and made up of five departments, including British and
Dutch espionage, sabotage, propaganda, and the Australian Coast
Watchers who operated in front of
and behind Japanese lines.
By the time war came to the
South Pacific, an excellent intradistrict communication network had
already been established on Bougainville, an island in the Solomons
chain. A daily system of radio reporting was put into effect by Lieutenant Commander Eric Feldt, who
later wrote: “Few realized that when
the first waves of United States Marines landed on the bitterly contested beaches of Guadalcanal,
coast watchers on Bougainville, New
Georgia, and other islands were
Ken, N8KC
sending warning signals of impending Japanese air raids almost
two hours before enemy aircraft
formations
appeared
over
the
island.”
Japanese shipping and aircraft
activity was closely monitored and
news of spottings was telegraphed
via radio to Guadalcanal Headquarters. Admiral Halsey credited
this intelligence on shipping as
directly responsible for the American
victory in November 1942, when 12
Japanese transports, loaded with
reinforcements, were intercepted
and destroyed. “During the early
and uncertain days of the American
struggle to wrest Guadalcanal from
the Japanese, the reports and timely
warnings from Bougainville were
directly responsible for the enemy’s
defeat.” Admiral William Halsey said,
praising the work of the coast
watchers, “Intelligence information
from
Bougainville
saved
Guadalcanal
and
taking
Guadalcanal saved the South Pacific.”
If you’ve read the story of Lt.
John F Kennedy (later, our 35th
President), and his command, PT
Boat 109, you know that his PT Boat
was wrecked after being rammed by
a Japanese Destroyer during a
night-fight. He and his crew were
rescued by ‘Coast Watchers’ who’d
seen the firefight between the
Japanese ships and the PT boat
group the night before, radioing for a
recovery team and assisting JFK’s
crew until their arrival.
The South Pacific is not the only
location where ‘Coast Watcher’ radio
ops were deployed with great success—it
was
Norwegian
Coast
What Language—From Page 7
In closing, communication is an element in ham
radio. Communication does not necessarily mean phone
only, CW only or English only. The language used is
immaterial as long as you can communicate. Note too
that CW maybe another language since it has it’s own
May 2001
Watchers who were first responsible
for spotting and reporting the German Battlecruiser Bismark as it
attempted to slip to sea undetected
to elude the vengeance of the British
Navy (eager to avenge the sinking of
the HMS Hood with all hands). Unable to outrun radio, the Bismark’s
days were numbered. It was only a
matter of hours before she was
sighted again, crippled by aircraft,
and days later, finally sunk by the
British Navy.
‘Coast Watchers’ and their radio
gear was a vital tool in the battle for
the Pacific. In fact, in many cases
during WW2 it was the ‘radio art’, in
the form of communications, radio
direction finding, radar development, and radio-related technological breakthroughs that turned the
tide of war. In Europe, it was Allied
ability to radio-locate German Uboats (and the later development of
ASDIC—later known as SONAR) that
destroyed Hitler’s greatest Naval
threat.
Early RADAR, a cooperative
effort of both the US and England,
gave Allied fighters the upper hand,
allowing them to decimate German
bombers headed for English and
Allied targets.
The radios used by the Coast
Watchers in the pacific varied, but
several of the more common were
the AWA Teleradio 3BZ transmitter
and receiver (Australian), and the
AWA C-6940 receiver.
set of structure, shortcuts, etc. aside from being sent
with dits and dahs.
Thank you all and 73.
Page 8
USECA EXPRESS
Monday’s Morse Code—from Page 1
Timing, however, is only one reason that we are
closing the class down early. Since this class was
instituted back in 1996, I have been actively trying to
recruit additional instructors to share in the workload of
presenting the class each week. Over the past five years,
no amount of pleading or threatening with the club
membership has produced the desired result:
A pool of at least four regular instructors, as well as at
least two alternates, that could be scheduled for monthly
rotation.
At one point, briefly, we were getting close—I had
myself, Val, N8OEF and Bill, WT8N in a three-week
rotation. This was as good as it ever got, but Bill was
only with us for a couple of courses before ill health
forced him to resign. Now that I no longer have Val, it’s
down to just Tom and I. Of course, I am eternally
grateful that Tom has volunteered to become my new
“right arm” in this lonely endeavor. Without his stepping
up and filling Val’s position, the class would have fallen
flat a long time ago. On several occasions Dave, KC8IAQ
came to the rescue as a stand-in when no other
instructor was available. This allowed us to maintain
our record of never having a class not take place when
there had been one scheduled (a record that still
stands—so far), but more importantly, kept the students
who were counting on us from missing out on the
service we were providing.
It is because of the apparent lack of interest in
helping new hams on the part of the USECA club membership that I am, with great sorrow, forced to terminate
the USECA Morse Code Class. It would be presumptuous
to expect Tom (or I, for that matter) to give up every
Monday evening for the class as we enter this very busy
season. Both of us have work and family obligations that
have been long-suffering that we might endeavor to
assist others in our hobby.
As for now, I have no plans for restarting the class in
the fall. That is contingent upon adequate participation
from USECA club members in the role of instructors. I will,
however keep the option open for consideration. Should
there, in the future, be enough interest teaching Morse
Code on the repeater, it is conceivable that the class
might start again.
It has been my privilege to serve the local amateur
community in this capacity, and I thank the USECA
organization for their official sponsorship of the Morse
Code Class on the repeater.
[Jim, the entire editorial staff would like to thank you for
your untiring TNT (time and talent) to help USECA, its
members and all the participants in your nets.—Ed.]
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
USECA FD 2001—from Page 1
of an elevated-power distribution running all over the middle of the field. N8SA and crew have generously agreed to
take care of logistic/safety issues concerning the implementation of such a power system.
It is required that all stations:
Have battery source supplying 100% of station power
needs (for full 24 hours).
Have bandpass filter installed on antenna feed to
transceiver.
Have excellent RF ground.
DO NOT EVEN THINK OF SETTING UP ONE MINUTE
BEFORE 2:00PM FRIDAY (“Sal” and I will be on the prowl
Friday, also).
It is further “recommended” that each station have:
Adequate bad-weather preparation, consider: hot,
sunny day; cold, damp night; wind, rain, major thunderstorm!
Multiple back-up batteries, to ensure that the station
will remain on the air (accumulating points) when main
batteries are charging.
Laptop computer (or other lower power consumption
alternative) for speedy, accurate QSO logging.
A few discussion issues:
The “loophole” in the FD rules, allowing batteries to be
charged while in use, is exactly that—a “loophole.” It was
originally intended to allow “solar powered stations” a
realistic means to power their rigs. With our generous
power system last year, we really took advantage of this
rule, and I think we (myself included) went too far. Many
stations were really not running on batteries, but instead
just had a battery in-line between their 12v regulated power
supply and radio, sort of as a capacitor. This is not in the
spirit of QRP effort, and really we cannot justify claiming a
5x score boost if we are “cheating.”
With the nasty weather encountered last year, many
stations were severely impacted—tents flooded, tents collapsed, equipment was in danger, personal safety was in
danger, stations were “OFF THE AIR.” Please consider this,
and plan ahead. Overkill is best, especially when planning
for the worst. Forget that old, leaky, leaning tent that your
Great-Great-Uncle Ulysses
slept in at Gettysburg. Instead, borrow a small camper, rent
a small U-Haul, etc. However, there are different complications arising from these avenues, so solve them, too.
Because of a new and (philosophically) improved power
system, our station layout and antenna layouts will very
likely change. Please be open to moving your station to a
new location from last year, to ensure there is ample room
for all. Also, N8RHV has brought up how “station pairing”
can really improve efficiency and pool resources. Consider
two station chairs who decide to locate their stations next
to each other. Each is bringing an antenna support, so both
can use both supports to give them more antenna-hanging
flexibility. Three stations (40 SSB, 40 DIGI, 20 DIGI) are
already using this setup and I really think we should learn
from their example.
This is . . . The USECA Repeater System!
It is NOT a machine!
May 2001
Page 10
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
USECA/CAP GPS—From Page 1
Voice communication was lost at approximately 25
Miles, about half way to Port Huron, with GPS telemetry
disappearing soon thereafter. Because both transmitter
antennae had to be mounted inside the aircraft, the
their range was limited as it was to just 25-30 miles,
even at 3000 ft.
Telemetry from ’2021 resumed about 30 minutes
later as the aircraft was tracked, orbiting the 30-Mile
Rd. and M-53 area near Jim N8MCD’s farm; site of
USECA’s Field Day for the past several years. Several
minutes later, voice communication was re-established,
Marconi—From Page 3
Marconi’s accomplishments should
still not be discounted, however, as
he was able to do one thing. He
brought this technology to the people. The devotion to his work drove
him to overcome the powerful telegraph monopoly. The telegraph industry had one of the most important resources on the planet, information. This stranglehold on the
world made them the most influential businesses around at the time.
It was because of Marconi that they
would not keep their hold forever.
Marconi’s devotion brought the
world a way to reduce the hold of
the telegraph monopoly, but it also
cost him much of his life. As can be
expected, his time in the lab left
little time for anything else, including his fiancée and later, his wife.
His hard work involved many hours
of experiments and travel. Marconi
also had to make many trips to
conduct his experiments and to
promote his “wireless telegraph”.
The promotional part of his floundering business was very important
because he was inventing things
that did not exist at the time. Coils,
with ‘2021 reporting in over downtown Romeo. The aircraft arrived back at Berz-Macomb Airport around
5:15pm. Later, we were happy to see that several other
receiving stations heard the GPS tracking data and that
a complete track was recorded on the Internet.
APRS tracking data is available on the Internet at the
following website: www.map.aprs.net
Special Thanks go to 2LT Bill Chesney, N8SA; John
Schmitz, P.E., NS8E; and Capt. Andy Applegate,
KB8TZB; for their input and assistance in putting this
article together.
capacitors, high voltage wire and
antennas were unknown in this day
and age and therefore they had to be
created. Of course these parts and
the workers working for the Wireless
Telegraph Company cost tens of
thousands of dollars.
With the backing of his investors,
Marconi was able to move on to
more important tasks, such as
making a wireless signal cross the
Atlantic Ocean. Of course this feat
was eventually accomplished after
many years of trying, and after many
skeptics said that it could not be
done. The afternoon of December 6,
1901 brought Marconi what he was
so desperately searching for, faint
signals from across the ocean.
Marconi heard the “dit-dit-dit,”
Morse code for the letter ‘s’, twice.
Some
have
questioned
this
achievement, but not too many can
question Marconi’s accomplishment,
the sparks that could be heard
around the world.
This miraculous feat changed the
world forever. It didn’t happen right
away, but in 1912 the world heard of
the Titanic tragedy and the life
saving distress calls handled by the
dutiful “Marconi Men.” Dozens of
years later the powers of the electromagnetic waves were used for good
and evil in what became known as
WWII. Marconi never knew that his
invention helped us land men on the
moon, and brought back our Apollo
13 crew safely. Every day, people’s
lives are touched by radio and
countless people are here today
because of the valiant efforts of our
ambulance and emergency crews
dispatched
by
wireless.
Our
“Amateur” radio operators, while
enjoying the ability of talking to
foreign lands, have also saved many
lives while listening to the sounds
Marconi helped get through the air.
So, the question is does Marconi
deserve the title of “Father of Radio”? He didn’t invent it. He didn’t
even create the electro-magnetic
waves. Physics did that. He simply
followed in the footsteps of others
and when the path stopped, he
forged ahead. Is Marconi the father
of radio? I think everyone needs to
decide that for themselves, but if
you ask me, “dah-dit-dah-dah dit
dit-dah-dah-dit.”
Amateurs Needed to Support MS-150 Bike Tour
The 2001 MS-150 bicycle tour is July 14-15, 2001.
Amateur Radio has provided excellent services
through the years of this event. We ask again that each
amateur who can spare the time, consider joining our
team.
The MS-150 is an exciting 2-day 150-200 mile
fund-raising bike tour from Oakland County to East
Lansing and back. The MS Society depends entirely on
Amateur volunteers for communications on the whole
tour.
To learn more about amateur radio’s plans and
their contributions to this event, please visit:
http://www.qsl.net/wa2wim/ms150/ms150pg1.htm
May 2001
For more information, contact George, K8GEO,
(248) 651-8615.
Page 11
USECA EXPRESS
USECA Board Meeting Minutes—April 3, 2001
In attendance:
KB8QMS, Nancy President
W8IR, Mark
Vice-President
KT8F, Ann
Recording Sec.
N8TMJ, Marianne Membership Sec.
KC8JSH, Delphine Treasurer
KC8IAQ, Dave
Board Member
AD8S, Dave
Board Member
W8VB, Dave
Board Member
W8DFG, Dennis
Past President
*Absent
Meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM.
Minutes: Correction - the March 2001 general meeting was opened
by the Vice-President, Mark, W8IR. Minutes approved.
Treasurer's report given by Delphine, KC8JSH and approved.
Membership: Marianne, N8TMJ: 221 member, 121 ARRL. Also gave
H&W report.
Technical committee report: John, K8ZEC. Repeater is stable.
Change at Romeo site - move equipment to a bigger box already in
place at the site. Backup repeater is back in service as of today.
Different set-up, new crystals. More stable equipment. Sounds
good. Range to be determined. Will run the backup repeater once a
week as a trial. Backup repeater has no DVR.
Dave, KC8IAQ: Web page - did some updating on the SETI page.
Express: Joe, K8OEF - sent in copies of the Express to the ARNS
contest.
ARRL: Dave, W8VB - 2000 FD rules given to WX3M. PSK31 does
count for WAS award - in a general endorsement category. All
bands, all modes. Bylaws discussed.
Old/New Business
Pre-FD - Ann, KT8F - reported on the organization of the picnic to be
held May 12 at Stony Creek Metro Park, Winter Cove picnic area.
WalkAmerica - Dennis, W8DFG -5 stations for special event. 2, 10,
15, 20, 40. Volunteers should arrive at 7 AM at Metro Beach, April
29.
Summer picnic: Brian, KC8DIR reported the date will be Saturday,
September 8, same place, New Baltimore Picnic Area. Planning on
doing a fox hunt.
FD:- Dennis, W8DFG provided a proposed budget for FD. Mark,
W8IR made a motion to approve the FD budget, Nancy, KB8QMS
2nd. The budget will be presented to the general meeting for a vote.
April Meeting (4/10/01) will be at the Lorenz Room at the Edison
Macomb Center, across from St. Joseph West Hospital on 19 mile in
Sterling Hgts. Program - electrical interference.
Mark, W8IR announced that Jim, W1IK will be ending the Monday
CW practice net at the end of this cycle.
John, K8ZEC - will not keep regularly scheduled meetings. Will call
them on a as-needed basis.
Dave, KC8DIR - made a motion to donate $50.00 to the QSL net
which is hosting our web site. Motion carried.
Marianne, N8TMJ - made a motion to donate a check for $50.00 to
Bemis Jr. High for one of their projects - science club, etc. 2nd by
Dave, KC8DIR. Motion carried.
Delphine discussed the club jackets - sales are low.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Manor, KT8F, Recording Secretary
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
USECA General Meeting Minutes—April 10, 2001
In attendance:
KB8QMS, Nancy
President
W8IR, Mark
Vice-President
KT8F, Ann
Recording Secretary
N8TMJ, Marianne Membership Secretary
KC8JSH, Delphine Treasurer
*KC8IAQ, Dave
Board Member
AD8S, Dave
Board Member
W8VB, Dave
Board Member
W8DFG, Dennis
Past President
*Absent
The meeting was called to order by the president at 7:30 PM. Meeting
held at the Edison Macomb Center.
The minutes were accepted as printed in the Express.
The treasurer's report was presented by Delphine, KC8JSH and
accepted.
Membership: Marianne, N8TMJ reported: 221 paid, 121 ARRL. Also gave
H&W report.
Repeater: John, K8ZEC - the backup repeater will be operated
periodically. DVR is now working.
ARRL: Dave, W8VB - requested the membership review the bylaws
(posted on web page) and make notes/suggestions, forward to him.
Old/New Business
Net Awards- Bill, N8NMX: plaques were awarded to K8QLM, Richard;
WY8M, Arpad; KC8HMG, Janice and KC8LOC, Tom for top standings in
the 2000 nets. Certificates were also handed out.
Testing: Bill N8SA - meetings to be held the 1st Saturday of the month at
the SA Corp. Satern and EDS meetings will be held the 2nd Saturday of
the month at the Corp. Contact Bill or Mark, W8IR if interested.
W8VB, Dave announced that PSK counts for WAS awards.
W8WTH, Richard is taking orders for jackets, etc. Tonight is the last night
to place an order for arrival by FD.
Laura Klovski - taking orders for badges - $4.00.
K8GEO, George - looking to create a pool of volunteers to participate in
reporting on siren testing in Eastern Oakland County, 1st Sat. of the
month, 1 PM. Also looking for volunteers to provide communications for
the MS 150 bike-a-thon July 14-15.
Walk-America: Dennis, W8DFG - Metro Beach Park - April 29. Arrive by
7:00 AM or after 9:30. Needs volunteers to provide communications
along the route of the walkers; will have a BBQ in the afternoon, bring a
pass -a-dish. Last year's passes are still good to get in to the park.
Special event station - W8A - will have 2, 10, 15, 20 and 40 meter
stations. Will be held at the Group Rental Activity Center.
Pre-field day: Ann, KT8F. Saturday, May 12 at Stony Creek Metro Park,
Winter Cove area. We will have the pavilion as usual. BBQ's will be fired
up at noon. The club will provide hamburgers, turkey burgers, hot dogs
and the fixings as well as picnic supplies. Please bring a pass-a-dish,
your own beverages and lawn chairs. The picnic is open to friends and
family. You are encouraged to set up a radio station and practice for the
main event, FIELD DAY. Fox hunting and a mobile shoot-out are planned
for more afternoon fun.
Summer Picnic: Saturday, September 8, (same place), New Baltimore
Picnic Area.
Field Day: Dennis, W8DFG presented the budget. Made a motion to the
membership to approve $2490.00 for FD expenses. Bill, N8SA 2nd.
Motion carried. Non-participants in FD will be asked to pay a nominal fee
for meals. Pop and water will be for sale at $.50/can.
Don, WX3M promoted the Michigan QSO contest - 4/21/01. Then gave
an update to the members on the FD planning.
Tonight's program was presented by Dan Manger and Gary Kedrick on
radio and television interference.
Meeting adjourned at 9:45 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Manor, KT8F, Recording Secretary
May 2001
Page 12
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
USECA VE Testing
Testing will be FIRST Saturday EVERY month of the year.
Bill, N8SA; Don, WA8IZV; and Mark, W8IR will share the
CVE duties. No pre-registration is needed or wanted. Test
Fee is $10.00. Applicants need copies and originals of
CSCE's and/or license. There is no copy machine at Corps.
(there are none close by). Starting time is 7:15 p.m. —
B
E
A
C
O
N
A
F
M
O
I
D
L
E
O
I
L
F
I
L
L
E
D
T
O
F
F
E
O
T
O
E
F
S
I
T
R
E
P
E
A
T
E
R
S
E
R
N
A
N
O
G
B
L
O
N
D
E
S
O
O
N
H
E
D
G
E
G
E
O
R
G
E
T
please do not arrive earlier. Walk-ins are welcomed. Test
site is at the Salvation Army, 55 Church, Mt. Clemens. If
testing, you must have the following: picture ID (or birth
certificate); and a copy of your current license or completion certificates, if any.
USECA
Apparel
Jackets–$45.00 y Sweatshirts–$25.00
Polo Shirts–$22.00 y Caps–$6.00
(2X & 3X–Additional Charge)
Contact: Richard, W8WTH
At Meetings or Phone (810) 791-4669
Puzzle Answers—From Page 4
Net Point System
91) HF CW NCO = 4 points, HF SSB/VHF NCO = 3 points, HF CW/SSB check-in = 2 points, VHF check-in = 1 point.
HF < 30 MHz, VHF > 30 MHz. (NOTE: Check-ins should do so personally, proxy check-ins are legitimate only for
members on club business. "In & Out" check-ins, though allowed, are discouraged.)
92) Awards are earned for 50 points and multiples thereof; plaques for the highest annual HF and VHF scores. Awards
are meant to encourage participation and can be earned by any licensed amateur.
93) Net logs must be readable and include the CALLS and NAMES of check-ins, as well as NCO, DATE, and MODE.
94) NCO's: Forward net logs to the Awards Manager within 30 days; logs received later will not earn the bonus points
normally awarded a NCO. Mail your logs to: Bill, N8NMX, 2464 Emerson Circle, Shelby Twp., MI 48317; E-Mail:
bstran@yahoo.com.
95) If you notice any errors in the database, wrong or changed call signs, misspelled names, etc., let Bill know ASAP.
The USECA EXPRESS is published monthly (except July and August), by the UTICA SHELBY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION,
INC., of Macomb County, Michigan. Club meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month (except July and August), 7:30
p.m., local time, at the Donald Bemis Junior High School, 12500 Nineteen Mile Road (between Schoenherr and Clinton River Road),
Sterling Heights, Michigan Visitors are always welcome. Articles for the EXPRESS should be submitted to the editor no later than the
night of the club meeting for publication in the following month’s edition. The articles within are those of the author and not
necessarily endorsed by USECA. Material contained in the EXPRESS may be reprinted provided credit is given to the USECA EXPRESS
and the author, except material published by permission of a copyright holder. To get a message to the Board or the Membership
Secretary, please call our answering machine at: (810) 268-6730. The awards for “Excellent” (1994) and four times “Superior” (1995,
1996, 1997 and 1998) were received from ARNS (Amateur Radio News Service).
May 2001
Page 13
USECA EXPRESS
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
USECA Cork Board
X Radio "Stuff" W
X Miscellaneous Items W
ALINCO DJ-C4T UHF H.T. with manual and
battery charger. Mint condition. $50.00.
Richard, K8QLM, (810) 731-4475.
ÌFor Sale: 1999 4WD 4-door Blazer. White
with charcoal interior, .22K miles, excellent
condx. AC, CD, heated leather seats, trailer
towing pkg, power seats-mirrors-windowsdoor locks-steering, new battery. $21K obo.
Call Floyd, W8RO (248) 391-6660 or e-mail:
floyd@hi-rescom.com
BEAM, 15M 3 ele., used for FD twice,
otherwise stored inside, w/balun and
manual, $150. WY8M 810-751-3804 or
wy8m@home.com.
DRAKE TR7 w/Kenwood desk mic and tech
manuals and test boards; Drake PS7; Drake
MS7; Drake SP75; Drake RV7; Diawa
meter; Ameritron AL-80 Amp with spare 3500; MFJ 1500 watt antenna tuner; Tri Ex
LM 3, 54’ steel tower w/rotator; HyGain
TH5 MK 2 tri-band beam. Asking $1500 for
all. Call Tom, KD8AO (810) 293-5812.
MFJ-713, 2 meter HT intermod filter. Like to
run your HT mobile but can’t stand the
intermod? This thing really works. $40.
KC8LOC, Tom, home: (248) 542-3340;
work:
(810)
576-3314
or
kc8loc@yahoo.com.
SALE. 2-Meter Stick antenna w/approx. 12'
co-ax. $20. (810)-786-5442 KC8BIU, Ted.
TEN-TEC; complete station. Omni-C transceiver; model 255 power supply/speaker;
model 229 antenna tuner (re-strung by T.T.
Spring '99); model 243 remove VFO; model
444 linear amplifier. All units are mint
condition, with manuals. Package deal only.
$1,400. OBO. Richard, K8QLM, (810) 7314475.
TEN-TEC antenna tuner model 238 for sale,
asking $400.00.&nbsp; Cost over $475.00
ship. Never been on the air. Call Ron K8RFP
at home anytime: (313) 331-1985 or e-mail:
rfp@tir.com.
TEN-TEC Jupiter model 538 all the latest
firmware updates, remote tuning knob,
model 75 microphone, LDG AT-11MP
autotuner. All equipment is in new factory
condition. Will not break up station. If
purchased separately, retail for $1,566
asking: $1,400. Contact Fred, N8DV at (810)
268-9184 or n8dv@arrl.net.
VIBROKEYER Standard, new condition paid
$139 asking $125 or best offer. Fred,
n8dv@arrl.net.
WANTED: Alinco 2 meter credit card HT for
high altitude balloon project; Contact Phil
W8IC at (810) 751-3893, or w8ic@arrl.net.
ÌNew or changed this month.
Notify the editor to have items added
and/or removed.
The Cork Board is for club members
only and it’s free!
1000 Marbles was received by email;
reprinted as received; and there is no
such callsign as K9NZQ—Ed.
May 2001
SNAP-ON KR1100 upper tool chest, very
large (l-53”, w-22”, h-18”, fits KRL1000 roll
cabinet, 9 roller bearing drawers, would
make nice bench top box $1000. KC8LOC,
Tom, home: (248) 542-3340; work: (810)
576-3314 or kc8loc@yahoo.com.
ÌTRAYNOR Guitar Amplifier YSR-1 custom
reverb 2 input jacks with separate controls ,
bass, mid, and treble. Reverb depth control
with foot switch control. Tremolo speed
and depth contols w/foot switch. 2 6CL6
tubes in the final producing 50 watt RMS
and 100 watts clean peak. Equipped with
oversized Hammond power & audio output
transformers. Speaker YT-15 Speaker
enclosure
Marsland
15”
speakers.
enclosure approx 4’ x 2’ x 2’ Microphones:
Turner Balladier 766 mic with 4’ rigid floor
stand with 2’ goose neck and holder;
Turner 566 with same stand and gooseneck
as above. Electrovoice 664 no stand. Amp.
is currently going for $200 the speaker
approx. $150. Mics are negotiable. Contact
Dave (810) 826-9783 or W8VB@aol.com
1000 Marbles—From Page 4
There is nothing like watching your time
here on this earth run out to help get
your priorities straight. Now let me tell
you one last thing before I sign-off with
you and take my lovely wife out for
breakfast. This morning, I took the very
last marble out of the container. I figure
that if I make it until next Saturday then
I have been given a little extra time. And
the one thing we can all use is a little
more time.”
“It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope
you spend more time with your family,
and I hope to meet you again here on
the band. 75 year Old Man, this is
K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good
morning!”
You could have heard a pin drop on
the band when this fellow signed off. I
guess he gave us all a lot to think about.
I had planned to work on the antenna
that morning, and then I was going to
meet up with a few hams to work on the
next club newsletter.
Instead, I went upstairs and woke
my wife up with a kiss. “C’mon honey,
I’m taking you and the kids to
breakfast.” “What brought this on?” she
asked with a smile.
ÌFOR SALE
KENWOOD TS-570D–2 months old, with mic,
power cord, manual, original box, fresh from
ComDac all works great, very clean 9.9 of 10, nonsmoker, email me for more info; $900.
CUSHCRAFT R5–10-12-15-17-20M base vertical
antenna, manual; $170.
TELEX-hygain 15M BEAM, model 153BA-S, 3element, like new, used once for FD, garage
stored, with new Radio works balun, manual;
$145.
SONY D-33–portable CD player, PS, RCA jack
cable adaptor, headphones; $30.
6M J-POLE–homebrew, 1” copper tube, finishing
touches needed; $10.
LARSEN MNO-50–6M mobile antenna, w/ Larsen
NMO-MM magnet mount; $30.
NMO magnet mount w/coax; $15.
CB 4’ ANT–fiberglass, 3/8-24 mount, white, new in
blister pack; $7.
FRANCIS CB WHIP–8’ fiberglass whip, light
blue/gray, 3/8-24 mount; $10.
K-40 WHIP–4’ fiberglass, tunable, substitute for
thin stainless steel whip & base load; $5.
REEL to REEL TAPES–7” pans, some new, some
used once, higher quality; $5/each.
4 ga WIRE–high strand count, 50’, high temp
insulation; $20.
ASSORTED COAX and WIRE–600’ of 14 ga, 118’
RG-8X, 56’ of ladder line, more, contact me with
“needs” list, I might have it.
BATTERY ISOLATOR–size unknown, no manual,
new in box; $20.
SONY CDP591–home CD player; $25.
REVERE Movie Projector–8mm, clean, works
(actually tried it once!), assorted old Italian home
movies; $???
ARGUS 300–slide projector, assorted old Italian
home slides; $???
Contact Arpad WY8M;
(810 ) 751-3804 or wy8m@home.com
Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long
time since we spent a Saturday together
with the kids.
Hey, can we stop at a toy store while
we’re out? I need to buy some marbles...
A friend sent this to me, so I to you, my
friend. “If you live to be a hundred, I want to
live to be a hundred minus one day, so I
never have to live without you.” -Winnie the
Pooh.
Pass this on to all of your FRIENDS,
even if it means sending it to the person
that sent it to you. And if you receive this email many times from many different
people, it only means that you have many
FRIENDS. And if you get it but once, do not
be discouraged for you will know that you
have AT LEAST ONE GOOD FRIEND—
and that’s ME!
Page 14
USECA A PPLICATION
DATE_____________________________ T NEW
CALL_______________
T RENEWAL
CLASS_______________
AUTO-PATCH_____________
NAME_____________________________________________________________________________
STREET ADDRESS_________________________________________________________________
CITY___________________________________________ STATE____________ZIP______________
TELEPHONE #__________________________________PRINT IN ROSTER
T YES
T NO
BIRTHDATE___________________ EMAIL ADDRESS_____________________________________
MEMBER: ARRL T YES
Rev. 4/01
T NO
RACES T YES
T NO
FOR FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS ONLY:
CALL_________________
CLASS_____________
CALL_________________
CLASS______________
NAME_______________________________________
NAME_________________________________________
BIRTHDATE__________________________________
BIRTHDATE____________________________________
MEMBER: ARRL T YES T NO
RACES T YES T NO
MEMBER: ARRL T YES T NO
RACES T YES T NO
Annual Membership Dues Regular: $20 — Family: $30 — Auto-Patch: $35 (One Time Fee) + Annual Dues
Applications can be given to the Membership Secretary at monthly meeting or mailed.
Please make check payable to: USECA — Address: P.O. Box 1222, Sterling Heights, MI 48311-1222
(Allow 4-6 weeks for processing.)
USECA reserves the right to accept or reject New or Renewal Memberships.
2-Meter LANs
Net Ops Schedules
Local Area Nets
DAY
SUN
SUN
SUN
SUN
SUN
SUN-SAT
SUN-SAT
MON
MON
MON
TUE
TUE
WED
WED
WED
WED
THU
THU
THU
FRI
TIME
1:00 pm
8:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
9:00 pm
10:15 pm
7:30 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
8:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
9:00 pm
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
Midnite
CLUB
USECA/Information
USECA/Traders/Helpers
SPIRIT of ’76
HPARC/DART
Garden City ARC
S. E. Michigan Traffic Net
MACEOC (Packet)
SATERN
MECA
USECA/Slow Code
USECA/Information
Motor City Radio Club
GMARC
SPIRIT of ’76/Info./Traders
ARPSC
MICHIGAN QRP
HPARC/Kids
RACES/ARES
ECHO
USECA/Hoot Owl
On The World Wide Web
FREQ.
147.180
147.180
146.760
146.640
146.860
145.330
145.030
147.180
147.200
147.180
147.180
147.240
146.700
146.760
145.490
145.170
146.640
147.200
147.080
147.180
2-METER NETS
WEEK
SUN. 1 PM
147.180 MHz
SUN. 8 PM**
147.180 MHz
TUES. 8 PM
147.180 MHz
FRI. MIDNIGHT
147.180 MHz
1
2
3
4
5*
–OPEN–
KT8F
K8QLM
W8IR
WB8E
W1IK
KC8DBG
N8HM
KW8K
–ALT–
K8QLM
–Meeting–
–OPEN–
W8DFG
–OPEN–
KC8PNL
–OPEN–
KC8DIR
–OPEN–
–OPEN–
Monday’s 9 PM, Slow Code All “OPEN”. (**Traders/Helper Net)
HF NETS
WEEK
THURS. 9 PM
21.140 MHz/CW
FRI. 10 PM
21.140 MHz/CW
FRI. 11 PM
28.425 MHz/USB
1
2
3
4
5*
K8QLM
N8MOJ
W8RO
AA8DD
–OPEN–
–OPEN–
W8RO
W8IC
WB8E
–OPEN–
KC8LOC
KA2IBE
K8QLM
–OPEN–
–OPEN–
*If applicable
NCO’s—If you're unable to take your net please get a replacement
or contact Brian, KC8DIR (810) 749-4561—Don't wait!
USECA Home Page
WWW.USECA.ORG
May 2001
USECA Hot Line: (810) 268-6730
Awarded as “EXCELLENT” and “SUPERIOR4”
Page 15
USECA
PRESRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
WARREN, MI
PERMIT NO. 289
UTICA SHELBY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. Box 1222 • Sterling Heights, MI 48311-1222
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL
USECA . . . Your Final Answer!
MAY 2001
Swaps
“The Happenin’ Club”
Club Activities
MONTH
DATE
TIME
MAY
MAY
MAY
JUN
JUN
SEP
SEP
8
12
18-20
12
23-24
3
8
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
EVENT
General Meeting
Pre-Field Day
Dayton Hamvention
General Meeting—Fox Hunt
Field Day
Michigan Peach Festival Parade
Annual Club Picnic
For all camping functions, see April’s Express.
Name Badges
WITH THE OFFICIAL USECA LOGO
CONTACT LAURA — (810) 749-4561
Day
Month
F,S,S
SUN
SUN
MAY
JUN
OCT
Date
Where
18-20 Dayton
17
Monroe
21
USECA
Source: N8ARO
6-METER NETS
WEEK
1
2
3
4
5*
WED 7 PM
50.150 MHz/USB
–OPEN–
WED 8 PM
51.740 MHz/FM
–OPEN–
KC8IAQ
N8YBY
W8VB
K8QLM
KC8HYU
W8VB
–OPEN–
–OPEN–
*If applicable
NCO’s—If you're unable to take your net please get a replacement
or contact Brian, KC8DIR (810) 749-4561—Don't wait!