Fremont Peak Contesting Adventure, October 4-5
\nIs THIS 1982 again?
\nPREZ SEZ
\nARES Windjammers Wrap-Up
\nSimulated Emergency Test
\nCHATTER
\nRECYCLE your equipment
\nWill TCP\/IP Save Packet Radio?
\nARRL studies new eavesdropping bill
\n
\nFremont Peak Contesting
\nAdventure, October 4-5
\nBy Tom Ginsburg, K6TG
\nIf Field Day wasn’t enough to satisfy your need to be outdoors, do some
\noperating and camping too, then come on up to Fremont Peak on October 4th
\nand 5th. We plan on operating during the California QSO Party, as we try
\nto work as many stations as possible in the US and Canada. We will be in
\nSan Benito County, which will be sought after by those in other states,
\nso the contacts should be plenty.
\nNot only will this be a great opportunity to hone contest operating skills
\n(we could use them next Field Day!), but we also plan on taking a break
\non Saturday night to check out the Fremont Peak Observatory. If the weather
\nis clear, we will get a chance to check out the stars with their impressive
\ntelescope. It should be a lot of fun.
\nFor more information, please contact me at 479-1471 or on the repeaters.<\/p>\n
The jury is still out as to whether this winter will be wet like 1982
\nbut ARES is planning for the worst case as is our served agencies i.e. Red
\nCross and city and county EOC [emergency operation centers].
\nOur number one priority should be making sure everything on the home
\nfront is OK. Plans should be developed with your family for an evacuation
\nand rendezvous point, supplies stores i.e. food water, flashlights, radios
\nand lots of batteries. Make sure that your property has good drainage and
\ntake steps to minimize erosion.
\nBe prepared for ARES activation:
\nReview the personal checklist on page 24 on the ARES Handbook [bluebook].
\nA copy is available on the KI6EH Packet BBS under WL. Check your battery
\nsupplies and charging capability. When the heavy rains start listen to your
\nlocal 2-meter repeater when at all possible.
\nS E T November 8 from 09:00 to 16:00.
\nMark you calendar for Sat Nov 8. A county wide Simulated Emergency Test
\nwith a served agency will be held on that day. We will be using both voice
\nand packet. The best way to be ready is to practice. This is the biggest
\ndrill of the year. Be there!
\n– Bruce, W6FKD<\/p>\n
PREZ SEZ<\/strong> The 56th running (sailing) of the Windjammers Race was a huge success! The Red Cross will have a disaster response exercise on Saturday, November ICOM IC- 28H 144mhz Moble Radio, Kantronics KPC-3 Packet Radio, Ringo Installing a through-the-glass antenna? In Sacramento, I did, and made I guess by now everyone has seen the September 1997 Short Skip SEPTEMBER 1997 Fremont Peak Contesting Adventure, October 4-5 Is THIS 1982 again? PREZ SEZ ARES Windjammers Wrap-Up Simulated Emergency Test CHATTER RECYCLE your equipment Will TCP\/IP Save Packet Radio? ARRL studies new eavesdropping bill Fremont …<\/p>\n
\nSeptember is time for most of us to think about having to go back to
\nschool and work. Summer vacations are over. The tourists have been heading
\nhome. Labor Day has passed. Fall is upon us. Time to prepare for the shorter
\ndays and lower temperatures ahead. Time to get on the radio. There are some
\nforecasts calling for a wet, stormy winter season ahead due to ENSO (El
\nNino\/Southern Oscillation). Are our radio stations ready for this? Are we?
\nAre our homes and families secure? Will the roof leak? We need to take care
\nof our own security before we can help others. This doesn’t have to be a
\nbig deal sometimes. Just warming up the radio from time to time will keep
\nit comfortable. Transmit and receive. How’s the battery supply? Got extra
\nfood and water? You know the drill. Hopefully, we will think of our communities
\nwith the satisfaction of knowing that we are well taken care of; that we
\ncan help each other. Know who to call for assistance? Know how to do it?
\n(Do you remember how to dial 911 on the club repeaters? Remember how to
\nhang up the phone?) Of course you do, you’re a communicator; an amateur
\nradio operator! That’s a major purpose of our weekly HF, VHF and UHF club
\nnets. Communication practice. Transmit and receive. Practice, practice,
\npractice. HF propagation is getting better as Solar Cycle 23 finally starts
\nits rise. Are we ready? Checked the grounding system recently? Feedlines
\ngonna stay dry on the inside? I know your license is good at least through
\nthe end of this year (the club checked)!. Are you going to get some good
\nuse from it? Are we? We can talk about ENSO at the next monthly club breakfast.
\nThese breakfasts are a different kind of eyeball session than the club meetings.
\nThere’s more time to talk! More ham spouses have been coming along for fun
\n(a meal is more fun than a "meeting"). The most recent breakfast
\nat Jeffery’s Restaurant was very friendly and the food was good. I hope
\nto see you for breakfast at Baker’s Square Restaurant on Ocean Street in
\nSanta Cruz on Saturday, October 4 at 9AM. I hope to see you before then
\ntoo. Our regular club meeting is the third Friday of every month. Our club’s
\nboard meeting is the Thursday after each regular club meeting. Both are
\nat 7:30PM. What do you say?
\n– Cap, KE6AFE<\/p>\nARES Windjammers Wrap-Up<\/h4>\n
\nAll the boats that started in San Francisco finished in Santa Cruz, and
\nthe last boat made it in before daybreak on Saturday, both of which are
\nfirsts as long as I have been involved with this race! I want to extend
\na special thanks to all the ARES volunteers who made the forwarding of finish
\ndata work (not always smoothly, but we worked it out). Those who helped
\nout were Rich Hanset, KI6EH; Ralph Evans, W6ENE; Myra May, KD6ZCJ; Frank
\nCarroll, K6BDK; Popi Lesti, KE6RNJ; and taking the graveyard shift was Bruce
\nWade, W6FKD.
\nThanks again, and ask them how much fun they had, Iím sure there
\nwill be room for a few more volunteers next year!
\n– 73, Steve Smardan, N6TGM<\/p>\nSimulated Emergency Test<\/h4>\n
\n8th from 9AM to 4PM. The scenario will have Red Cross Personnel set up fou
\nshelters: Felton, Capitola and two in Watsonville. The Santa Cruz County
\nARES groups will be participating in this exercise. Operations will include
\nthe EOC station, the Santa Cruz Red Cross office and the Watsonville Red
\nCross office. Multiple persons will be assigned to each location. This exercise
\nwill serve as the 1997 ARES Simulated Emergency Test (SET).
\nFor more information about the Santa Cruz ARES or how you can become
\nan ARES member, contact your local Emergency Coordinator (EC) or Rich Hanset,
\nDEC, KI6EH at 438-0615 or RHanset@NovaControls.com.<\/p>\nRECYCLE your equipment<\/h4>\n
\nRanger II Antenna, 12 vdc power supply all in good working order. $300 or
\nBO
\nAlinco EDC-34 Rapid Battery Charger Charges battery with a few hours.
\nused only 4 times $50
\nCall Andrew drew_lgca@pipeline.com
\nAmateur radio repairs. Dave Rowley, N6RZ. is a highly skilled technician
\nand guarantees his work. Rates are very reasonable.
\nHe has the following items for sale:
\n1 Kenwood TS50, 100 watt HF transceiver. Good for Maritime Mobile. 160-10
\nmeters, $625.
\n1 Swan 350A transceiver. 80-10 meters. Tube type, needs tubes but works
\nOK. 50 watts out on 10 meters. $75
\nConverted CB set for 10 meters. SSB and AM 6 watts out. Sears brand,
\nRoad Talker. Call him at 426-6691.<\/p>\nCHATTER
\nBy Art Lee WF6P<\/h4>\n
\na serious mistake. I followed the instructions meticulously and still fouled
\nup! (It can happen!) The antenna manufacturer did a fine job of explaining
\nthe step-by-step directions for the hook up. The coax was top quality. I
\nfound a routing for it (not an easy task!) through the overhead liner trim.
\nStu Keller, K9WNU, and I carefully glued the antenna couplers -inside
\nand out – observing the stringent precautions concerning the avoidance of
\nin-glass heater elements and metallic sun screening of the rear window.
\nIt was tough but we sandwiched it between these boundaries – it just fit
\nwith about a 1\/16th of an inch margin. I hid the coax across the top of
\nthe rear window. It was a beautiful job. Absolutely beautiful. Nobody could
\nhave improved upon it. We lined up the arrow markers precisely, matching
\nthe outer element with the glued-on inner. The glass was prepared properly
\nwith the glues provided. Nothing would pry it loose. When we checked the
\nSWR with Stu’s SWR analyzer, it was a straight 1:1 on K6BJ! Nice, nice,
\nnice. (Did I say, "perfect," yet?). The half-wave antenna put
\nout a fine signal, hitting repeaters all over the earth.
\nA few days later, I drove to the main library downtown, underground parking.
\nClunk, clunk, clunk, went the vertical, striking every concrete beam at
\nless than walking speed.. It was flexible so should stay on. Right?
\nWrong! A day later, while driving down Hwy 17, off it came. Gone – poof.
\nThe antenna manufacturer sympathized with me and send me a new outside
\ncoupler and antenna, no cost. When reinstalling the new coupler I found
\nthat the arrow was suppose to point vertically, not horizontally. Why? So
\nthat the hinge portion of the antenna would break away, in other words,
\nwould fold backwards when struck. It’s back on again, correctly, but no
\nmore underground parking garages for me.
\nMy grand daughter Cheri, KE6BOP, is back in town. She transferred to
\nCabrillo College from American River College in Sacramento. When she got
\nto the summit, she gave me a call. Jim, KD6YKL, heard her calling and gave
\nme a land line. Thanks Jim. A few days later, while at her new job, she
\nchecked in on K6BJ saying, " this is KE6BOP monitoring." In the
\nspace of a few minutes, four other operators came on, all giving their call
\nsigns and saying, "monitoring." Nobody talked! She asked me why.
\nHeck, I don’t know.
\nDon Moore, (ex-WA6BJJ) put in for his old call and received it. He is
\nnow W6IBN.
\nBoy did we have fun! Was visited by my CW pal of 18 months, Marsha Messer,
\nAB7RJ, and her sister Dee. They flew down from Washington state for an "eyeball."
\nThey spent a couple of days with my family before flying up to Reno to meet
\nother hams. They enjoyed our cooler weather, the beach and boardwalk and
\na meeting with some local hams here. Marsha plays the accordion and I the
\norgan so we had a nice music session or two.
\nDreams! Boy can they be real! After watching the History Channel late
\none night about WWI submarine communications. I dreamed that I was aboard
\nsuch a vessel, operating a primitive transmitter of that era. In my dream,
\nI had wired up the transmitter, key and antenna. As a demo, I was pounding
\naway on the straight key with excellent results when I noticed its lead
\nbase
\n(there is no such thing) melting! Melting? That’s no good! What was happening?
\nPower too high? RF bouncing around and melting the lead? I remember shutting
\ndown the overheated apparatus and remarking to the observers that I would
\nhave to ask Gary Baker, N6ARV, or Al Marconette, KM6VV, about this strange
\nphenomenon. Then I woke up. Whew!<\/p>\n\nMovie Review. A Short Skip first?<\/h4>\n
\nmovie Contact. There was a nice intro scene where a YL was using the call
\nsign, W9GFO, (anyone look that up?) and sending out a string of CQs, and
\nasking, "Is there anyone out there?" She was operating a 1960s
\nCollins rig and made a DX contact from Ohio to Florida. As the story line
\nwent, she wanted to reach China, the moon, or Mars. The YL became a scientist
\nin the SETI program (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence). There were
\ngreat electronics displays when they made contact in the general direction
\nof the star Vega. Go see it if you missed it.
\nOur club gave a local Volunteer Exam on August 16th in the County Comm
\nconference room at De Laviega Park. We had five examiners and two candidates!
\nJan Wade passed her Advanced written exam and our Short Skip Editor, Ron,
\nBaldwin, KC6VJT, passed the written exam for General. The examiners were:
\nTeam leader Bruce Wade, W6FKD; Al Marconette, KM6VV; Jamie Finch, WI6F;
\nFran Adamson, KN6IV; and Art Lee, WF6P.
\nWith The Writers: Wanna know how to keep your beer cold without refrigeration
\nor to take a hot shower with cold water? See my Boatkeeper Hints in the
\nAugust issue of Motor Boating and Sailing. Navy Times published my sentimental
\narticle, "Sorting Through Pieces Of Time" in the August 25th issue.
\nA no-cost screening clinic will be held on October 25th at the Soquel
\nPajaro Masonic Lodge to identify children under 18 who can benefit from
\nthe orthopaedic and burn care provided at Shriners Hospitals. At the clinic
\nan evaluation will be made to find out if the children may be elegible for
\nfree treatment at the new Shriners Hospital in Sacramento. Shriners Hospitals
\ntreat problems such as: club foot, scoliosis, hand and back problems, bowed
\nlegs, rickets, dislocated hips and problems associated with burns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"