Solid Copy de KC7Z
PO BOX 2268
-- Silverdale, WA 98383-2268
|
July, 2001 |
President's Message
Thanks to Bob, N7KTP, we
had a successful Field Day again this year.
As I Write this message, Bob is still tallying the score and preparing
the submission of the results to ARRL Headquarters.
During FD, Ron (N7EM)
said he would be checking in to the Northwest Boaters net on 3865 at 8:30
AM. The net control station is W7ZX,
Cape George, Port Townsend. I have tuned in several mornings and have to envy
Ralph's location and reception. He can
hear stations that my Zepp antenna cannot pull in. Ron checked in one morning,
but I could not copy him. I might add
that Bruce, N7OJ, is on the roster for roll call.
It was quite a surprise
last month when DJ2LM delivered his QSL card to my door. We had a QSO in October 2000, and he
introduced himself by showing me my card to him, which had been sent via the
bureau. He arrived about 10 minutes before
I was ready to leave for the program meeting.
Fortunately, he accepted my invitation to join us at Viking Village, and
become part of the program that evening.
The next morning we took him to the Naval Undersea Museum at Keyport,
and to Costco that afternoon.
The next day, his card arrived from the W7 QSL bureau!
Hope everyone had a
pleasant 4th of July--
73, Burt, W7IIT
==========00000===========
By-Laws Changes Approved:
The revised by-laws were
read for final review at the business meeting on June 28th..The
members present voted to accept the revisions as read. Thanks to the by-laws
committee of Burt Boyd, Malcolm Mannon and Susan Johnson. The committee worked
hard to reduce redundancy, simplify language and keep a clear focus on the
club's current and future needs as they relate to the by-laws.
The approved document is
posted to the NKARC website at:
http//www.silverlink.net/nkarc
along with the current
by-laws. Anyone who does not have access to the website may call Susan Johnson,
360-697-9379, to request a copy via the US mail.
==========00000===========
NKARC remailer on YAHOO
At the NKARC June 28 business
meeting we discussed the remailer and what we intend to do with it. The item that prompted this discussion was
the application of a non-club member to be a member of the remailer. At the suggestion of those present at the
meeting, I have sent a msg to the applicant asking what his intentions are.
The remailer is currently
configured, so
members can
post and receive messages and anyone can visit the web site at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NKARC
to view what we have
said. Some of the club members would like to see the remailer remain a closed
system (club members only). I also got
the feeling some folks would like to have the remailer completely closed so
that it is "Private" communication within the club. I can configure it that way if that is the
group's desire.
I welcome discussion on
the remailer so the group can let their feelings be known. If you know of any
club members who are not subscribed to the remailer but would like to be,
either have them apply at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NKARC
or send me an e-mail and
I will add them to the list.
73, Ed, N7NVP
===========00000===========
Almost immediately after
Field Day, the NKARC Hamfest comes in October.
This is the major fund-raiser for the club and has gotten the reputation
of being a well run Hamfest and Swap Meet.
The various phases that
make up the Hamfest have been defined and coordinators Susan (AB7MD) and Marcie
(KC7DAT) are keeping track of things. Flyers have been printed and are being
distributed. Notifications are being sent to the amateur radio publishers for
inclusion in their publications
Think about where you can
participate. Talk to the board members
and they will describe the mini-projects for the event. The involvement of each and every member is
required if this year’s Hamfest is going to continue its run of successes from
previous years.
Field Day (FD) 2001.
(June 23 & 24)
Field Day 2001 has come
and gone. On Saturday, June 23rd vehicles, showed up at Vinland Elementary
School to set up stations simulating emergency conditions to operate for 24
hours and exchange contacts with stations in the United States and Canada.
Gene, AB7LH, brought out his “spud” gun and prepared to shoot the potato up
over the trees in order to get the wire antennas up in the air. Other Hams positioned
himself to retrieve the airborne tuber in order to attach a line and hoist the
wire up toward the sky. Another group worked to get the Tri-Bander beam assembled
and positioned on its tower located in the corner of the operating area. In the
meantime, the batteries were connected to the transmitters; the power cables
were strung between the emergency
generator and the operating trailers; and the public visiting area was set up. Although the generator was available
for power, the rigs were operated on battery throughout the entire field
day. The batteries were charged for a
short period during the nighttime hours. By the way, the generator did provide
the power for the
all-important coffee pot.
At 1800Z, the first calls
for “CQ Field Day” were answered with “KC7Z WWA 2A” and the chase for contacts
was begun. For the next 27
hours, NKARC members and guests would be tuning through the bands logging 401
contacts on SSB and CW. Three hundred
SSB contacts were made of which approximately 275 were made by Dave (N7VRZ), Ed
(AK7H), Jeff (KB9GF), and Connie (N7NVQ). The CW trailer was the temporary home
for Bruce, N7OJ, and Russ, KI7PG, who took their turns at the key. They made 99
contacts on 20 meters and with the one CW contact made on 80 meters by Burt,
W7IIT times the power multiplier of 2, the club got 400 contact points for
their efforts. This accounted for 40 percent of the contact points claimed. All
of the contacts except the satellite contact were made with the G5RV and dipole
wire antennas.
NKARC qualified for many
bonus points because of the efforts of the club members. Don, NS7Q, made the important satellite
contact on his first attempt at 1900Z. He was thankful to make it on the first
available satellite pass because the next favorable pass was at 0200 local.
Bob, WO7B, donated the use of his trailer and solar panel system to qualify for
the natural power source points. Susan, AB7MD, and Bob, N7KTP set up the public
relations area. (By the way, we must thank Susan for making sure that the
SaniKan facility was available on time.) Ed, N7NVP, displayed his APRS system
to the club members and visitors. Dick (W7SV) and Horace Horace (KB6TRG) teamed
together to transmit the 10 messages for Message Relay bonus points and the
message to the section manager.
Susan, AB7MD, and Gene,
AB7LH arrived early
in the morning with
rolls and muffins to provide nourishment to those who working during the setup.
Club chef, Bob, WO7B, could not make
the field day because of a previous commitment. However,
Lois, N7ZAD,
made sure that everybody was well fed by bringing 4 huge pizzas from the
Central Market.
Thanks to the following
for their behind the scenes work to insure that Field Day went well:
Gene, AB7LH, and Susan, AB7MD, who secured the use
of the Vinland School for the operating site.
Malcolm, NF7M, for insuring that the club trailer
and the equipment were ready for the event
and for acting as site manager throughout the activity.
Burt, W7IIT, for his photographic work which will
be included in the ARRL report.
The members and non-members who logged the contacts
during the event.
The members and non-members who assisted in the
setup and teardown and are not
mentioned in this article
Now is the time to start
planning for Field Day 2002.
==========00000===========
QSLs and DX
confirmations:
Burt, W7IIT, provided an
informative presentation on QSLing and QSL cards. He also came up with a very pleasant surprise for all those at
the meeting. He started his presentation by displaying part of his extensive
collection of QSL cards especially those form his DXCC contacts along with an
explanation of how to increase the percentage of QSL returns in an economical
manner. He explained International Reply Coupons (IRCs) and defined the “green
stamp.” He suggested that care be exercised
when trying to get a direct QSL card mailed from a sensitive political or
economic area. Take care to secure the content of the envelope and omit any
reference to amateur radio on the envelope. The most informative comment during
his presentation is that the ARRL will not accept QSL cards made with laser or
inkjet printers for consideration in awards for certificates. This was because
of the ease with which they can be counterfeited.
Burt’s surprise was the
introduction of Rolf, DJ2LM, who lives in Kiel, Germany. Rolf described his
station in Kiel and his pleasure with the amateur radio hobby. He is a retired
engineer who specialized in the design and installation of large printing press
equipment. He used his engineering experience to design and build a unique
tower system for his antennas and to design build his power amplifier. Rolf
admits to something all engineers learn early in their careers – the final
outcome does not always perform according to expectations and requires
hardnosed troubleshooting to finally get to where we want the equipment to
perform. He answered many questions from the floor and did quite well in an
impromptu presentation. When asked about the ham radio population of Kiel, he
replied that there were approximately 400 Hams in the area but only a handful
participated in “serious” HF operations. Most were interested in the crosstown
chatter available on UHF and VHF which did not interest him.
Calendar of Events
July 11th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM -
Viking Park Clubhouse – Sheriff Steve Boyer will discuss Sheriff’s Police functions
in Kitsap County
July 21 st
– VE Testing --Olympic College, Room T-111, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton,
WA at 9:00 AM. All exams, Technician
through Extra, are given. Contact Sue, AB7MD, at 360-697-9379.
July 25th – Business meeting – 7:30 PM – Viking
Park Clubhouse
Aug. 8th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking
Park Clubhouse –. To be announced
Aug. 18th --
VE testing – The Heninger Room at the Central Branch of
the Kitsap REgional Library, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton, WA . Doors open
at 9:30 am.
All exams,
Technician through Extra, are given.
Contact Sue,AB7MD, at 360-697-9379
Aug. 22nd – Business meeting – 7:30 PM – Viking Park
Clubhouse
==========00000===========
Early Newsletter delivery?
Want your newsletter as
soon as it comes out of the word processor? Want to help the club keep the cost
of the bulletin at as low as we can by minimizing the costs of printing and
postage? Send your e-mail address to :
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 in order to get the right format.
Most e-mail only accounts only accept ASCII text format and we oblige
with a text only format for them.
==========00000===========
Northwest
DX Convention
Western Washington DX
Club to host Northwest DX Convention: The Western Washington DX Club will host
the Northwest DX Convention--DXing in the 21st Century!—in Seattle, Washington,
July 20-22 at the Everett Holiday Inn. Speakers include Bill Fisher, W4AN; Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA; DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L; Garry Shapiro, NI6T and NCJ
Editor Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV. DX videos will be shown hourly. Send
questions to convention@wwdxc.org or to WWDXC, PO Box 395, Mercer Island, WA
98040. For on-line registration and the up to date convention agenda, visit the
WWDXC Web site, http://www.wwdxc.org/convention
.
==========00000===========
Mark October 13th on your calendar for the
annual NKARC Hamfest at the Kitsap Pavillion.
Early Newsletter
delivery?
Want your newsletter as
soon as it comes out of the word processor? Want to help the club keep the cost
of the bulletin at as low as we can by minimizing the costs of printing and
postage? 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 in order
to get the right format. Most e-mail
only accounts only accept ASCII text format and we oblige with a text only
format for them.
==========00000===========
NKARC Web Page..
Visit the NKARC Web Page at the URL
:http//www.silverlink.net/nkarc
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 page master is
Malcolm Mannan, NF7M Submit your comments to Page master, Malcolm at
nf7m@arrl.net
and let him know what you
think. If you know of any interesting
links, let him know and he will look into them.
==========00000===========
December 7th,
2001 is the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is a
significant and historical date. NKARC will conduct a special event station
at the Naval Museum at Keyport, WA to commemorate the event. The museum is open
from 1000 to 1600 on that day and there will be a minimum of 2 stations set up
in the museum for the event. The ability to set up more stations is dependent
on the participation of the NKARC members and those in other clubs in the Puget
Sound area. The museum director, Bill Galvani, has given permission to set up
trailers with stations in the museum parking lot to conduct operations after
the museum is closed. This could become a 24 hour operation if participants and equipment is made
available.
Consider being part of
the event and notify your friends of it.
We need all the help we can get for this to be a success.
Wayback
Machine –
Part 22
In our last installment, we saw how, when
the FCC created the Technician class license back in 1951, their intention was
to give it a separate and unique purpose.
The Commission stated that the Technician class license was established
expressly for serious minded experimenters who needed spectrum space in which
to conduct their tests. It was not established
as a communicators' service and was not to be a stepping stone between the
Novice and General class licenses. The
original Technician class operator only had privileges above 220 Mc. In 1955, they were given six meters and in
1959, the 145-147 Mc. segment of two meters.
Getting additional frequencies for Technicians was difficult--the
petitions could not mention "communications" as a reason, but rather
had to show that there was a need for additional experimentation on the six and
two meter bands. Because of the "experimental" nature of the license,
Technicians were not allowed to become RACES stations. They also faced some discrimination by a few
higher class amateurs--in fact, several proposals were made to the FCC to
"punish" Technicians who used the airwaves to communicate, rather
than to experiment.
In 1962, two events occurred. First, the FCC denied petitions to give
Technicians the 29.5-29.7 Mc. segment of ten meters as well as full two meter
privileges. In rejecting these
petitions, the FCC said there was "considerable misunderstanding"
about the role of the Technician class, and restated the "experimenter"
policy they had issued in 1951.
Also that year, a new amateur publication
hit the market-"VHF Horizons."
Concentrating on six meters and above, this magazine was full of
technical articles, construction projects, contest information, and VHF news. But it was the editorial content of
"VHF Horizons" that broke new ground. For the first time, an amateur magazine called for a rewrite of
FCC policy. They wanted Technicians to be considered full-fledged amateurs and
not just experimenters. Naturally, this
caused controversy in the amateur community.
Technicians who considered themselves communicators flocked to this new
publication, while some higher class amateurs condemned it and restated their
position that communicating" Technicians were violating FCC policy.
Unfortunately, "VHF Horizons" was not able to turn a profit, and
expired after only two years.
In 1967, the FCC instituted
"incentive licensing". While
the actual frequency loss by Technicians was minimal--just the first 100 kc. CW
segment of six meters--the FCC still struck a blow to those wishing to remove
the "experimenter" status from this license. The FCC once again turned aside requests to
expand Technician privileges to the full two meter band. In addition, the FCC also removed two meter
voice privileges for Novices and took away the right for an amateur to
simultaneously hold a Novice and Technician license. According to the Commission, too many Novices were operating two
meter voice, were not increasing their code speed, and were upgrading only to
Technician instead of General when their Novice license expired. Once again, the 1951 policy was restated.
However, despite the FCC's position,
thousands of Technicians were on the VHF bands as communicators. With the rise of two meter FM, new
Technicians were taking to the airwaves every day, mostly with surplus
wide-band commercial equipment. Recognizing that the role of this class of
license had evolved, the ARRL Board of Directors met on November 1, 1969 and
came to a decision. In an editorial in
the December 1969 issue of "QST" entitled "Technicians as
Communicators", the ARRL's new position was stated--Technicians were no
longer just experimenters, but rather full fledged communicators. The ARRL proposed that they be given the
full two meter band, the 29.5 to 29.7 Mc. segment of ten meters, and the
ability to once again hold a Novice license simultaneously. The ARRL put these proposals before the FCC
in a petition.
The FCC did not immediately respond to
this petition, but rather, in 1971 issued an odd ruling in which they stated
that a Technician class amateur could not use a repeater in which the input was
in the Technician subband of 145-147 MHz, but the output was above 147. Nevertheless, since the repeater subband in
the early 70's was 146-148 MHz and the Technician was not allowed above 147,
the FCC was under pressure. On October
17, 1972, Technicians were given the 147-148 MHz segment of two meters. The FCC denied Technicians ten meters, Novices
privileges, and the 144-145 MHz portion of two meters, but the door was opened.
With thousands of Technicians on two
meter FM, the FCC then moved slowly towards full VHF privileges for them, realizing
that the "experimenter" designation was obsolete. In 1975, Technicians were given Novice frequency
privileges. When the new repeater
subband was opened at 144.5-145.5 MHz, Technician privileges were expanded to
144.5-148. The FCC also realized that
Technicians could no longer be excluded from RACES operation. In 1976, the FCC eliminated the "mail
order" status of the Technician exam and required applicants to show up at
an FCC examination point.
Finally, in 1978, Technicians received
full two meter privileges. In the eyes
of the FCC, they were full-fledged amateurs.
In 1987, the exam was made easier by splitting element 3--the General
written exam--into 3A for Technician and 3B for General. This is why those Technicians licensed
before March 1987 only have to take the 13 WPM code test to upgrade to General. Also in 1987, Technicians received sideband
privileges in the 28.3 to 28.5 MHz segment of ten meters. And, in a final act of "Technician
Liberation" in 1991, 40 years after the license was established, the
code-free Technician was created. So, if you meet a Technician who has been
licensed since the 60's, treat him or her with dignity and respect, for they
have suffered and endured years of being ostracized so that today's Technicians
can enjoy full VHF/UHF privileges.
*************************************************
This article may not be reprinted without the express permission of the
author -- Bill Continelli, W2XOY
*************************************************
Don’t forget the ARES/RACES check ins on Sunday
night
all times local:
HF
check in is at 1900 on 28.330 MHz
Packet check in at 1900
on the SEA
node at 145.01
VHF check in at 1900 on
the 145.43 MHz
*************************************************