February 1999
North Kitsap Amateur Radio Club
P. O. Box 2268, Silverdale, WA 98383-2268

In This Issue:

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From the President:

Hello. I hope that all of you are surviving our stormy winter weather and are keeping all of your antennas up in this wind. Our own DX node is experiencing some of the challenges of power outages. Bruce, N7OJ, has been busy trying to keep it on the air for us. Thanks Bruce! And thanks to anyone helping you out!

We had a very interesting speaker in January on Pigeons. It was great to see so many of you there. I hear that the speaker has agreed to come back and update us on his pigeon racing successes after a year or so. Charles has lined up speakers for the next couple of months, but if any of you have ideas for him for later in the year, please let him know.

The search is on for a trailer for the club to use at our events. It would be great to find one and have it fixed up by Field Day. If any of you know of a good deal on an appropriate trailer, please let one of the Board members know about it.

Remember that we still need your help for Field Day and Hamfest, so be thinking about how you would like to be involved. Even if you are not able to make it to the regular club meetings, you can still help out. Just call or e-mail one of the Board members and let us know what you would like to do. This is your club and we want to hear from you.

We are on our way to a great year of club activities! I'll see you on Wednesday the 10^th!

73, Marcie, KC7DAT

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CQ…CQ…Field Day

The Field Day is the one major planned event where the club members get together on the last weekend in June and participates with other clubs and Hams around the country setting up stations under simulated emergency conditions to conduct a contact marathon for 24 hours.

There are various facets for this event that need coordination. An event coordinator is needed to bring the various planning facets together. The task is made easier by assigning small projects to various individuals. All the coordinator needs to do is maintain contact with the project persons and keep track of the progress. The sooner we get the coordinator, the smoother the event runs. This is a chance to learn about one of the most interesting events in Ham Radio.

Activity is under way to obtain permission to use the same site we had last year at Vinland School here in Poulsbo.

NKARC Hamfest – October Madness

The NKARC Hamfest comes in October close on the heels of Field Day. This is the major fund-raiser for the club and has gotten the reputation of being a well run Hamfest and Swap Meet. Many of the vendors and people who rented tables indicated they will be back because the club takes extra measures to make them welcome.

The various projects that make up the Hamfest have been defined and, here too, a coordinator is needed to keep track of things and report to the board on progress and problems. Work has already been done on the long-range projects that were needed to be done.

Think about where you can participate. Talk to the board members and they will describe the mini-projects for the event. The club has a number of members who are willing workers and that is a great asset. It also need leaders besides those on the board who are willing to take care of this important project and the Field Day.

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CQ CQ CQ South Pole:

NKARC member, Les Kolb (KO3G), and his XYL, Sandy (NE7V), are working at the South Pole scientific station will be leaving there on February 12th. Les is usually sleeping until 0200Z. The earliest we can expect to hear him is 0330Z and he is free until 0800 Z. The Antarctic station ,KC4AAA, can usually be heard on 14.243. If you want to get the Antarctic QSL card, your last chance will be the weekend of 6-7 February. Listen before you leap, because there are other operators who maintain contacts with their friends here in the U.S. Les has made contact with some of the NKARC members and he is glad to make a QSO and send the card to confirm. Watch the KC7Z DX Node for the notice of when he's on the air.

By the way, I managed to make my Antarctic contact last weekend and immediately sent my QSL card to the KC4AAA QSL manager, K1IED. While going through my DX QSL cards, I found that I had a contact with an Arctic expedition in 1991. Will I be bipolar or a dipole when I get the Antarctic QSL card?—Bob, N7KTP

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Keep Kitsap Green:

Don't forget to dispose of those discharged batteries in a way that helps our environment. Bring them to the meeting. John, KB7MKG, will make sure they are transported to the disposal site in South Kitsap County. ( at least until he goes back to sea). Lead acid batteries are excluded.

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QST-QST-Ahoy Boaters:

Having noted that quite a few club members own boats, I am wondering if we could drum up some interest in a boating function this spring. Perhaps a day trip or an overnight rendezvous at a nearby destination when the wx warms a bit. Non boaters could come along for the ride. Pt. Ludlow comes to mind as a possible destination, what with the NW boaters' net headquartered there.

Anyone out there with some suggestions or ideas? Contact Ron Sefton, N7EM (360) 779-5418; email: nrsefton@telebyte.net

73, Ron N7EM

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QST QST New Station Available...

The newly built NKARC Portable Station has HF, VHF and UHF capability. The station features all this in two transceivers. It also includes a self contained screwdriver vertical antenna and a fan antenna that covers 10, 15, 20 and 40 meters. The HF antenna tuner can match almost any antenna and has a built in dummy load. The setup has a large deep cycle battery for portable use and a 25 amp switching power supply for fixed use. 12 volt jacks are available for powering a small lamp, or your handi-talkie, or laptop computer. The station is available for use by club members. If you are interested in using it contact the custodian Malcolm Mannan, KA6DXS, at 697-3877.

73, Malcolm

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Dues Notice...

The new year is started and it's time to think about renewing your dues for the coming year. The number in the upper right hand corner of your mailing label shows the last year for which dues have been paid. If you receive the newsletter via e-mail or the Internet, the forwarding message will indicate the last year for which dues have been paid. If you paid your 1999 dues and the year listed is wrong, notify N7KTP and corrections will be made. An application has been included as part of the newsletter. It's easy to make out the form on the back of the address page; include the form and your check in an envelope and send it to the address on the form. Better yet, bring it with you to the nex meeting.

If you are an ARRL member and pay your ARRL dues through the club, the club is allowed to retain part of the dues payment. Support the club financially by paying the ARRL dues to Susan

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The Flying Message Network -- THE JANUARY 1999 NKARC PRESENTATION MEETING

Their messages are sent over the air. From the sender to the receiver, the messages fly, without wires or human carriers. The medium is reliable, but occasionally, is subject to the vagaries of geomagnetic storms or man-made interference.

Am I referring to amateur radio?

No. Pigeon racing!

Pigeons were the topic of the January NKARC presentation when Tony Moares and Jeff Watson came to discuss their passion. Tony is an accomplished pigeon racer and breeder. Jeff, who is new to the sport, was an enthusiastic interpreter of the more technical aspects of pigeon racing. Together they made for a fascinating January presentation. NKARC would like to express our thanks to Tony and Jeff for giving of their time and talents .

Don't miss February's NKARC presentation, being hatched now!

73, Charles Scharlau

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About Handi-Hams:

Robin Parker-Resnick, KJ7BI, from Portland, OR, will speak at the Feb. 10^th presentation meeting about Handi Hams, Nationally and her involvement locally in Portland

Handi-Hams is a program designed to help handicapped operators get on the air and participate in the various modes of amateur radio. There has been some discussion about the club getting involved in the program. This is a golden opportunity to get the "scoop" on the program and what we can do to help the handicapped in our area.

She has spoken at other clubs and is also scheduled to be the speaker at SEAPAC during the YLRL Luncheon. I have been hoping that it would work out some day for her to speak at our club, and here it is!

Marcie, KB7DAT

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If Lawyers are "disbarred" and Clergymen "defrocked" doesn't it follow that:
Electricians would be "Delighted",
Musicians be "Denoted",
Cowboys be "Deranged",
Tree Surgeons be "Debarked"
and Dry Cleaners be "Depressed"?

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TALLYHO!

NKARC FOXHUNTS AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

Has Puget Sound's winter weather got you down? There's nothing like a good foxhunt to chase away the winter blues. Check the foxhunt web calendar at

http://www.sinclair.net/~cscharlau/cal1999.htm

and let me know the dates you'd like to hunt a hidden transmitter. A NKARC hunt will be scheduled whenever two or more teams choose the same date!

Please contact me if you are interested in radio direction finding, or if you know of any radio direction finding events in the Puget Sound region.

73, Charles Scharlau

Phone: Work: 425-771-2182 ext. 134

Home: (360) 297-3904

e-mail: cscharlau@sinclair.net

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Sad News for Wire Shoppers:

I got the following message off of my Internet e-mail from a member of the Tacoma Radio Club and thought it was worth passing on to the club members:

To all the Whiskey Groupers: I was at Boeing surplus today in Kent and discovered they are no longer selling wire. All wire now goes to a scrap dealer.

BOO. This used to be wire heaven for me. Fortunately, I now have miles of wire stashed away so I hope I have my life time supply !

73's Pat W0OPW

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VE Testing:

NKARC sponsors VE testing at Olympic College,

Room T-114, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA

on the fourth Saturday of each month at 9:30 AM.

All exams, Novice through Extra, are given.

Contact Walt, AA7TL, at 360-692-8326.

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Early newsletter delivery?

Want your newsletter as soon as it comes out of the word processor? Send your e-mail address to :

bobtomas@sprintmail.com, and it will be mailed out right after the proof reading. Be sure to tell if you are using an Internet browser or an

e-mail only account

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QST ARL ARLB002 -- K9JF appointed Northwestern Division Vice Director

James E. Fenstermaker, K9JF, of Vancouver, Washington, is the new Northwestern Division Vice Director. ARRL President Rod Stafford,W6ROD, announced the appointment January 6, following the recommendation of Northwestern Division Director Greg Milnes, W7AGQ, and certification of eligibility by the Election Committee.

Fenstermaker, 53, fills the position left vacant when Milnes, the former vice director, succeeded Mary Lou Brown, NM7N, as director. Brown died suddenly December 3. Fenstermaker's term expires January 1, 2001.

A ham since 1959, Fenstermaker was first licensed as KN9TZH. A DX enthusiast, he's also operated as DL5JF, OJ0SUF, and VP2V/K9JF. He's on the DXCC Honor Roll with 354 countries, 5BWAZ, 5BDXCC, and 160 Meter DXCC, as well as numerous contest honors. He's past president of the Clark County Amateur Radio Club and the Willamette Valley DX Club.

On the professional side, Fenstermaker is director of business services for the Parkrose School District in Portland, Oregon. He's a graduate of Anderson University and Indiana University and holds an accounting certificate from Portland State University.

Fenstermaker hopes to attend his first ARRL Board meeting in Houston, Texas, January 15-16. Members may contact him via e-mail at jfenster@pacifier.com.

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Changes?...

Change your address?............

Change your license class?..........

Change your call sign?...........

Be sure to notify the secretary, Burt -W7IIT- as soon as possible especially if you were fortunate enough to get that vanity call from the FCC.

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Just a thought:

The hottest topic in Amateur Radio circles is the FCC decision to change the license structure from six levels of licensing to three and to change the code requirement to one level of 5wpm. The ARRL countered with a proposal to have two levels of code requirements. One would be 5wpm to allow access to the HF frequencies up to what is now considered the Advanced Class and a 12wpm requirement for those frequency privileges allowed to the extra class.

Last year, Gene, AB7LH, provided Morse Code practice on 146.52 Mhz for those who were interested in upgrading and needed the practice to copy. It was a great service because nearly all Techs-owned equipment consisted of only the VHF rigs they used on 2 meters. Indications are that the FCC will act on the licensing proposal quickly opening the HF opportunities to the Technicians if they are willing to meet the 5wpm code requirement. Now is the time to start that code practice to qualify for the upgrade. There are a couple of ways to get that practice:

1. Start the code practice sessions on VHF again if we can find a volunteer to run them.

2. Schedule some code practice training sessions if there are enough people interested in sitting through them.

3. Make some computers available with code practice programs on them.

Any of the items above is viable if there is enough interest. Item 2 is the way I picked up my 5wpm code to qualify for my Technician class license in 1986. The classes were held at Bangor and the instructor was Gerry, W7TVA. The classes took 3 weeks with two sessions a week. If there is an interest, classes could be set up to get you started. There are a couple of computers available for item 3. One is out on loan now to a club member who is working toward his code qualification. If you are interested, let me know and I'll work at getting something started. Call me at 360-638-1659 or send me an e-mail at bobtomas@sprintmail.com

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Why is it that if someone tells you that there a billion stars in the Universe you will believe them, but if they tell you that a wall has wet paint you have to touch it to be sure?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It's just stale bread in the first place.

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KC7Z Packet Notes:

Last month W7JP used the TALK mode to have a keyboard-to-keyboard chat with N7KTP. In that case both stations were connected to a node in the cluster. But how would W7JP get a message to N7KTP if N7KTP were not connected?

In this case DX Packet provides a mailbox similar to other Packet programs. To use this method W7JP types s KC7Z <enter> and waits for a response from the node. The response will ask for a subject - limited to 29 characters. W7JP types a subject followed by <enter>. After a couple of seconds the node comes back with the following instructions: Enter text. Finish with ctrl/Z or /Exit or cancel with ctrl/Y. W7JP then types his message and ends with ctrl/Z. The node acknowledges that the message has been stored for N7KTP by placing W7JP de KC7Z on W7JP's screen. The next time N7KTP connects to ANY Node a message will appear stating you have new mail from W7JP.If N7KTP wishes to read his mail now, he types r <enter>. A few seconds later the message will appear on screen. If N7KTP does not wish to read his mail now, he can read it later by using the same procedure. It is good practice to write down the number attached to the message if you choose to wait so that you can identify the specific message you would like to read.

See your NKARC DXPacket protocol sheets for more information on how to refine your mailbox or keyboard command needs.

In this and in previous articles in SOLID COPY we have probably covered enough examples of DX Packet command protocol to get you into trying others on your own. So let's address another subject.

Improving Connection Reliability: On 25 January 1999 we changed the transmit frequency from 145.73 MHz (which we shared with W7PKT, Kent, WA) to 145.77 MHz (recently vacated by N7FSW, Seattle). We have had no reports of degraded performance from close-in users but users in Jefferson County and on the East side of Puget Sound report weaker or no signal. On January 27 at 1638 Pacific, KC7Z was knocked off the air by a 30-second power interruption. As a part of the restore operation procedure the RF power was increased to 25 watts (instead of the 2 watts used previously on 145.73 MHz). Please report on any differences you notice (good or bad) at your QTH in your ability to connect and/or to stay connected.

Sometimes connection reliability can be improved by adjusting default values of some of the TNC parameters. Two of these are RETRY and TXDELAY.

RETRY: The number of times your system will attempt to connect before timing out. Usually the default value is 10 (times). But if your retry counter always counts more than 5 retries before a connection is successful, or you also observe that you are disconnected when node traffic becomes heavy (because many users or many DX spots being announced), perhaps increasing the RETRY default number to 15 will improve the reliability for you by letting your system "hang in there" while the busy traffic clears. If RETRY = 15 does not fix it for you, other means are required.

TXDELAY: This tells your TNC how long to wait before sending a packet frame after keying the PTT line. All transceivers need some time to switch from receive to transmit. Not all transceivers have the same delay time. Newer transceivers generally switch faster (less delay) than do the older ones.A good start point for experimenal TXDELAY is 30 (ie 300msec). Set the default value high and work downwards until you find the lowest value that produces reliable results. For 1985-1995 vintage radios the final setting will probably be in the 30 ballpark. Some older equipment may require 50 (500msec) or higher. Some packet software programs provide as much as 120 (1200 msec) to accommodate the range of potential needs.

Antenna Location/Orientation: One KC7Z user in Jefferson County has reported that he moved his 2 Meter vertical antenna around in the back yard until he found the best location and then set a brick to hold it in place. It worked for him. Perhaps it will for you. (Remember how we used to move the TV rabbit ears when we changed channels? Same reason).

Feedback: I need some feedback from those who read this column. Having had none, I have to assume that you are not finding anything you do not know already; or that you are not reading it; or that nobody is interested. Better let me know because this column takes up space that could, perhaps, be used for better purpose. Good Connections de N7OJ.

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HACK ATTACK

A 19-year-old Danish hacker successfully gained electronic entry into a randomly picked home computer recently. Unfortunately, for the hacker, the PC belongs to the head of the Copenhagen police special computer crime unit. The hacker was arrested yesterday.

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NKARC Web Page...

Visit the NKARC Web Page at the URL http//www.silverlink.net/nkarc. There is a wealth of information and capabilities to anybody that checks in. After you get connected, you can get the latest copy of the club newsletter -- "SOLID COPY"..

Click on the handi-talkie graphic and you’ll get a list of links to other web pages giving you an opportunity to connect to the ARRL, FCC, Packet Radio Home Page, AMSAT and many others. Need the QTH of the station you just had a contact with? The QRZ call sign look-up form is available. The links also give the link to the information on the Evergreen Intertie.

John has added a whole new section on Fox hunting edited and managed by Charles Scharlau, NZ0I.

Submit your comments to Page master, John at stilwell@web-o.net and let him know what you think. If you know of any interesting links, let him know and he’ll look into them. Give it a try. We are now available world wide.

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Mike and Key Club Swap Meet

The Mike & Key Amateur Radio Club announces the 18^th annual Electronics Show and Fleamarket to be held on March 13, 1999 at 9:00 AM in the Pavilion Exhibition Hall on the Western Washington Fairgrounds, Puyallup, WA. Admission is $6 (Under 16, Free when accompanied by an adult). There will be two floors of space with 44,000 square feet of exhibition area.

Talk-in frequency: 146.82/22 (PL 103.5)

146.58 Simplex.

Items available: Radio Gear; Computers; Club Info; and Parts.

Facilities available: Snack Bar

Free Parking

Consignment Area

Overnight SC/RV’s OK

License Exams

Table Reservation Information:

(253) 631-3756, 6PM-9PM

mwdink@eskimo.com

VE Exam Information:

(253) 549-4062

K7nd@worldnet.att.net

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CLUB TRAILER PROJECT:

In November, the NKARC club members initiated discussions of a project to outfit a travel trailer as a mobile facility for use at field day and public service events.

At the January Board and Business meetings, Gene Johnson volunteered to see what was available in the 13 to 16 foot range. John Stilwell reported that ARRL insurance for it would be $1.50 per $100 of value. He later moved that the club authorize up to $700 dollars for such a unit. The motion was seconded and passed. Liability coverage was also discussed.

If anybody is aware of an available trailer that meets the requirements described above, let Gene know so that he can inspect it and determine if the club would like to acquire it. The trailer does not have to be top grade, but it should not require a major rebuild to make it usable.

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Wanted: A History Buff:

The club is looking for a historian to catalog the large collection of photographs and other accumulated material depicting club activities. This would be a great project for somebody who is also interested in the history of the local area. If interested, let Susan, AB7MD, and she’ll help you get started.

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Antarctic Travel Notes:

Interested in taking a trip to the South Pole? Want a preview of what you can expect if you go down there?

Sandy Kolb, NE7V, has sent us a series of e-mail descriptions of life as it is at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Sandy is very descriptive writer and paints a very vivid word picture of life way down under. The club has been very fortunate to have somebody like her down there to pass the word back to us.

If you answered yes to the opening questions or, if you’re just interested, log onto the NKARC web page (or view Sandy's Web Page at: http://tea.rice.edu/tea_kolbfrontpage.html ) and read Sandy’s enjoyable comments. It’s a trip worth while taking.

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If you have not noticed, this month’s issue of SOLID COPY contains two more pages than previous issues. These pages are available because club members have submitted articles and information for publication. If you have something to say, get it to me and I’ll put it in. The only caveats are that nobody is attacked, and the information is true and factual.

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