August 98 Short Skip
AUGUST 1998
Prez Sez
FCC Proposal: Streamline Amateur Rules
The Bumble Bee
Chatter
Board Minutes
Treasurers Report
Club Picnic
PREZ SEZ
Summer’s here and the time is right for amateur radio. Have you worked any Meteor Scatter recently? The annual Perseids meteor showers are occurring as I write this, and I’ve heard this is a good year for MS contacts. I did see one Washington state station’s callsign appear here at my two meter packet station! You never know what’s possible without trying things, that’s for sure. I hear the tropospheric ducting to Hawaii is strong this summer too. W6BYA, in Bonny Doon, worked KH6HME in Hawaii on 2 meter sideband with a power output of one watt into a three foot long piece of wire lying on Bob’s desk! Couldn’t ask for better propagation than that! How has your station been getting out
You can get out and have some excellent QSOs at our big SCCARC club picnic on Saturday August 29 , starting at about 11 AM. The picnic will be held at the George Washington Picnic area of Delaveaga Park on Branciforte Drive. This is the first time we’ve had a club-sponsored picnic in a few years, and we’re planning for a good turnout. Bring your families and friends! The club is buying and barbecuing the meat for the picnic, but additional dishes won’t be turned away. Come on by and get your share. Contact our vice president, Gene KD6DSB, if you need any more details.
The next monthly club breakfast (not paid for by the club, you buy your own at these breakfasts) will be in the Northwest part of Santa Cruz County, at the New Davenport Cash Store on Highway 1 in Davenport. See you there at 9AM on Saturday September 12 (the weekend after Labor Day weekend).
Our August club meeting will be on the third Friday of the month, August 21 at 7:30PM. Our meeting speaker will be Bruce W6FKD, who’ll tell us about DXing. Bruce recently got up a big new tower and antennas at his home QTH, and I’m sure we can find out how he likes them during the meeting. You’ll have to show up to find out what else Bruce will teach us about DX. See you there!
We’re trying a new board meeting schedule for the first time this month too. The board meeting will be held earlier on the same night as the regular club meeting, August 21 at 6PM. Talk-in will be on the K6BJ repeater. Hope to see all interested parties there as well.
Check out the ARRL and the FCC proposals for licensing changes. Which one do you like better? The ARRL came out with theirs first, in hopes of providing some input to the FCC before the FCC came out with their own proposal, which they have now done. The FCC’s proposal is different, and some of the details are still not set in concrete. The FCC would like to hear what you think before they finalize things, and has allowed an extra long comment period to make sure they hear from you in time. Please send them your comments! They can’t do very well unless they know what you think. There are a lot of new Commissioners this year, and not many of them know enough about amateur radio. Here’s a chance to teach them a bit of what they need to know in order to do a good job for the Amateur Radio Service.
The times, they are a’changin’! Propagation (among other things) keeps getting better and better these days!
CHATTER
These Times Are A Changing. While watching our daughter’s team play softball one hot day at Delaveaga Park, one of the players ran to second base and tripped as he tried to slide to the bag. To everyone’s horror, there was a sickening loud “snap” as his ankle broke. The sweaty runner collapsed on the infield dirt and lay there in acute pain. Team members gathered around their fallen mate and shaded his face from the sun. Others packed his ankle in ice while still others fanned his body with hats and newspapers. The team captain ran to the pay phone to dial 911 for an ambulance. Did you know that you can dial 911 without a coin? (I didn’t!) As luck would have it, the telephone was out of order (vandals at work?). Thinking that I should run to my car for my 2 meter rig, I was preempted when a half dozen people broke out their cellphones. Happily, within 25 minutes, the ambulance arrived. About 15 years ago, I wrote a short piece for QST Magazine, describing how Allen Fugelseth, WB6RWU, saved a life by calling for an ambulance on his 2 meter rig. A ball player collapsed from a heart attack. Allen had run to the telephone and found it, inaccessible, in a locked building.
Who said Morse code is dead? Although commercial and military use of CW has been phased out, several months back I couldn’t find a clear frequency anywhere in the CW portion of the 40 meter band. Actually, two events were taking place: 1) the bands are opening up, and 2), there was a CW contest going on. I tried to find a clear spot to “squeeze in” to no avail. The entire band was clobbered with a cacophony of dits and dahs. Reluctantly, after a 20 minute try to meet my schedule, I went QRT. But I was happy that so many operators were still around to enjoy that part of the ham radio hobby which, although an anachronism in today’s world, is still fun.
While paging through some of my old radio log notes I found these: In October 1997, I responded to a CQ on 80 meters voice. Kevin, KC6VLF, wanted someone to talk to his aspiring ham radio operator, Jeff. “Sure,” I said, “put him on.” I then carried on a QSO with the youngest pre-ham I have ever talked to. Jeff attends Trinity Lutheran Pre-school in Fairfield, CA., and is four years old. He knows his ABCs, is learning about 12 volt batteries and 110 VAC. Jeff’s dad repaired fire apparatus for Mare Island Naval shipyard before it closed. When not instructing Jeff in the hobby of ham radio, he is now the head repair technician for fire trucks for the city of Fairfield. When we finished, Kevin thanked me for the QSO saying “It’s hard to find guys who will talk all day about nothing!”
I received a phone call the other night from Geoffrey Ellis, KD6MFM, our newly-elected ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Manager. “Did I still want to be a Section Public Information Officer?” I hadn’t been doing much in the way of press releases over the years but used to be listed in the Pacific Division of QST in that role. I agreed to remain on in that capacity but need news items to report on! So, if you have anything newsworthy, please pass it along to me at 426-5279.
Signs of The Times. Leon Fletcher, AA6ZG, used to call me on the land line to alert me to a hot DX station to work. “There’s no pile-up on 20 meters and he’s begging for contacts!” Now, he sends me an Instant Mail (IM) on AOL to let me know which chat room to visit. “Art, get on the Writer’s Cafe, there are two famous writers on there now!” One night, it was Tom Clancy. I checked into the chat room just as Tom was was signing off. I wonder if I made contact if he would send me an IM QSL card?
MINUTES
Minutes of the Board Meeting, June 25, 1998
The meeting was called to order at 7:10 P.M. by the president, Cap KE6AFE.
Attending were secretary Doris Piper KF6IOW, Treasurer Frank Carroll K6BDK, board members: Bruce Hawkins AC6DN, Jeff Clark KF6BKG, Allen Fugelseth WB6RWU, Ralph Evans W6ENE, and Dave Rank KO6RS.
Dave motioned to pass the April minutes and Allen seconded the motion. It was passed unanimously.
? Committee Report
Jeff requested $200.00 to use for BBQ on Field Day. Dave motioned and seconded by Doris for the Field Day Committee to spend up to $250.00 for food. It was passed unanimously.
??Old Business
In Gene?s absence, Ralph reported that the August picnic will be held at George Washington Park. Through Ralph, Gene also requested the $200.00 deposit for Christmas brunch. Doris motioned to place the $200.00 deposit in place so long the $100.00 room fee is waived. Bruce seconded the motioned and it was passed unanimously.
? New Business
It was brought to the Board attention that Dave Taylor K6GHA lost his name badge when his house was burned last year. Bruce motioned and seconded by Ralph to buy him a name badge. It was passed unanimously.
Through Ralph, Gene proposed that all guest speakers to receive an appreciation award from the Club. No motioned was filed; however, the consensus was a thank you letter to the speaker is sufficient.
Though no motion was filed, it?s the consensus of the Board that Dan Anderson can decide on the setup and the layout of the October auction.
There were some interests of changing the board meeting to four times per year. Doris will check the verbiage in the By-laws and this issue is tabled until next meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 P.M.
TREASURERS PEPORT
July 1998 SCCARC financial report is as follows:
Previous Balance:
Checking : $1,209.73
Savings: $3,620.10
July Income: $0.00
July expenses: – $ 339.98
End of month Balances:
Checking: $869.75
Savings: $3,620.10
– Frank Carroll K6BDK, Treasurer
CLUB PICNIC
Saturday August 29,1998
11:00-2:00pm
George Washington Park [ just past De Laveaga Pk. entrance]
The club will provide Bar-B-Q meat, soft drinks,utensils etc. Games for all ages will be provided. This is a good opportunity to bring a perspective member.
When you R.S.V.P.,please let me know if you are bringing beans,potato salad,fresh veggies or a dessert.
R.S.V.P. GENE BOKEMEIER 688-6703 ?KD6DSB
8/16/98