Solid Copy de KC7Z

Newsletter of the North Kitsap Amateur Radio Club

PO BOX 2268 -- Silverdale, WA 98383-2268

Web page: http//www.silverlink.net/nkarc

May, 2001

The President's Message:

During the last weekend of April I worked a special event station commemorating submarines. W8ZHO, the Amateur Radio Council station of Muskegon, Michigan, operated from, or near, the USS Silverside (SS-236), a World War II submarine. Muskegon is about 100 airline miles northeast of Chicago on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

I wondered at the time if the sail of the USS Sturgeon (SSN-637) or the control room of the USS Greenling (SSN-614) would qualify for inclusion in the contest. Both are located at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport. I can imagine the certificate with a photo of the sail with the museum in the background with all the data and acknowledgment of contact. Imagine a beam antenna atop the sail, and the club trailer nearby. Great public exposure!

At our April business meeting the club voted to order the ARRL "Club-Library-Challenge" set of books ($170 club net) for donation to the Kitsap Regional Library, to be placed in the Poulsbo Branch Library. Ron contacted the library and found that they were enthusiastic about accepting the offer. The set was ordered on the 27th of April.

The By-Laws committee will be meeting the 1st of May to review the changes that were proposed during the April committee meeting. The changes are such that it is almost a re-write. Susan will be presenting these at the May business meeting.

TMC John Wilson invited members from the club to his retirement from the navy. It was a very impressive ceremony, in fact, the most impressive I've attended. At the reception that followed, John had all of us assemble for a group picture. Other than family, it was the only group photo that I recall. It was an honor to have been invited, and I think this feeling is shared by all of us who were there. We also were served a delicious buffet meal!

John Stilwell is heading the Viking Soccer Tournament communications support committee and can use all the help he can get. If you are available and wish to serve over the Memorial Day weekend, contact John or Marcie at 697-2797.

Hope to see you at the May program meeting. Tom Sanders, W6QJI, will be giving us some hints on the construction of wire antennas and their effectiveness.

Constitution and By-Laws Update:

The by-laws committee of Burt Boyd, Malcolm Mannan and Susan Johnson met to review the by-laws and suggested changes sent in by the membership. The committee worked 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.

A revised document has been prepared and will be posted to the NKARC website at:

along with the current by-laws for membership review. Anyone who does not have access to the website may call Susan Johnson, 360-697-9379, to request a copy via the US mail. The by-laws will be reviewed at the May business meeting and ending any further adjustments, will be voted upon at the June business meeting. Members are requested to bring changes in writing to the May business meeting or send them to one of the committee members.

Spring Cleaning in the Shack:

It’s the time when the weather warms up and thoughts of “cleaning” up the house start to surface. Hints are passed to get rid of some of the gear in the shack and/or the garage. A common rule is: “If you haven’t used it in two years, you don’t need it and it’s time to get rid of it.” Look around and see what’s “surplus”. If it’s usable, consider getting some extra cash towards that new piece of equipment you want to buy. If you don’t want to go through the selling process, consider donating it to the club for sale at the October Hamfest. Proceeds will be used to support the club activities during the year. Contact the club officers for assistance. One man’s junk is could fill another man’s needs.

Field Day…

Field Day is the major planned event for all amateur radio operators in the United States and Canada. Club members get together on the last weekend in June to set up stations under simulated emergency conditions in fields and at public locations to conduct a contact marathon for 24 hours with other clubs and Hams. The public is invited to witness the operations and consider amateur radio as an interesting and enjoyable hobby.

The 2001 ARRL Field Day scheduled for the last weekend in June, the 23rd and 24th.. Club members are planning for this event. We had a late start but we are moving for a smooth event. Effective operation requires preparation now for antenna construction, setups for operating without interference to other modes etc...

In the past the spirit has been to enjoy the event, practice operating under emergency conditions, and to further public relations. Last year, we worked for a higher score than previous year and we got it end in the upper one-third of the category entered. We should strive to do better this year and to get more experience in working as a coordinated group and to learn better communication techniques. All club members ending participate, not matter what class of license they hold. There is enough variation in tasks and operating to accommodate everybody willing to be there.

Gene, AB7LH, reserved the same site we had last year at Vinland School here in Poulsbo. The club will set up two stations – a CW and SSB – as the main operating modes and to define our classification. The classification will be 2A defined as two stations operating in the HF spectrum with less than 150 watts power output. Malcolm, NF7M, will be the site manager making sure that the stations are set up to provide maximum usability without interference. Bruce, N7OJ, has volunteered to put together a band operating plan suggesting best times to operate on the bands available to us. Susan, AB7MD, will coordinate the feeding of the hungry crew.

There are bonus points given for operating under certain prescribed conditions. Last year, the club qualified for all 1200 bonus points. We need the participation of as many members as are available to do the same this year. Ed, AK7H, is providing his generator qualifying us for the 100 bonus points awarded for using non-commercial power. Club Satellite “guru” Don, NS7Q, is planning for the contacts with the “birds”. Ed, N7NVP, will demonstrate APRS digital operating. Bob, WO7B, is not available to cook his delicious recipes for us because of a previous commitment.

This is a chance to learn more about one of the most interesting events in Ham Radio and to sharpen up your operating skills. Participate in some way in this event.

QST QST Viking Cup Tournament:

The Viking Cup Soccer Tournament on Memorial Day weekend hosts soccer teams from the western United States and Canada. Approximately 3000 visitors come into Kitsap County to participate to participate in the games played on 3 different locations starting on Saturday, May 26^th continuing to Monday May 28^th. The North Kitsap Amateur Radio Club provides the communications between the sites. The stations are manned 12 hours/day Saturday and Sunday, and 8 hours Monday. Station locations will require innovative approaches to maintaining reliable communications. Maximum participation is required because of the length of the event. John Stilwell is coordinating the club’s participation and is asking interested members to contact him at 360-697-2797.

2001 Trident Triple Bicycle Tour

This is to announce the 2001 Trident Triple Bicycle Tour to be held on Saturday, June 23rd. As in previous years, this all-day event will start and finish at the Silverdale Mall and will include four routes, all including a loop through the upper portion of Subase Bangor. We need approximately 12-15 radio operators to man the start/finish line, four rest stops, four sag vehicles, a mechanic's vehicle, a strategic intersection, and a relay in Mason County. Most of you have participated in previous years and we're counting on your experience again this year. Please let me know as soon as possible if you can assist this year. Please excuse me if you have already volunteered. Details will be available within the next few weeks.

Antenna Economics Presentation:

Browse through the various amateur radio periodicals and note the number of advertisements for antennas. It could be frustrating when you look at the price and begin to think that amateur radio is designed to slim down the wallet or the bank account. Have faith and come to the May presentation meeting on May 9^th to learn how to overcome the blitz on your financial resources.

There is a way to have an efficient antenna system at minimal cost and Tom Sanders, W6QJI, is the one who can tell us how to do it. Tom has developed wire antenna designs for a number of years and has built many of them to verify that they indeed do work. He has worked under the space constraints of living in a limited lot size and/or in apartments. Word has been received that he has presented his talk to other amateur radio clubs in the area and it was well received. If you have a question or problem with an antenna, Tom is the person who can give you an answer you will understand. Some people insist antenna design is a black magic art but Tom makes it interesting and understandable. Y’all come.

Keep Kitsap Green:

Don’t forget to dispose of those discharged household batteries in a way that helps our environment. This includes alkaline, ni-cad, and regular zinc carbide batteries. Bring them to the meeting., and provisions will be made to transport them to the proper disposal site in Kitsap County.

Lead acid batteries are excluded from this collection. The disposal site on Hansville Road and the Poulsbo Recycle Center, on Viking Way just North of SR 305,will accept lead acid batteries without a charge as well as household batteries for recycle.

NKARC Web Page..

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 or the web page link and let him know what you think. If you know of any interesting links, let him know and he will look into them.

Calendar of Events

May 9th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – Tom Sanders, W6QJI, will address the construction of antennas

Mar. 19th – 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.

June 13th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – President Burt Boyd will discuss QSL cards and procedures for sending and receiving them.

June 23rd -- VE testing – Olympic College, Room T-114, Lincoln Avenue, Bremerton, WA at 9:30 AM. All exams, Technician through Extra, are given. Contact Sue,AB7MD, at 360-697-9379

July 11th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse – Sheriff Steve Boyer will discuss Sheriff’s Police functions in Kitsap County.

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.

Atmospherics on the Web

RF spectra (from a few hundred Hertz to 10 kHz) and sounds of atmospherics (mostly generated by lightning) can be accessed on the web at:

Both real time (best near dawn or dusk) and archived exemplars can be selected, and heard using a variety of sound formats. In case the main web page is busy, a mirror site is available as an alternate. The data are provided by the National Space Science Technology Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and the Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments (INSPIRE).

Amateur Radio licensees in Alaska may now obtain free call sign license plates, regardless of their license class. In addition, the free plates will become available to those having only VHF or UHF transceivers installed in their vehicles. Free plates previously were limited to General or higher class licensees who had HF gear. Jim Wiley, KL7CC, working in cooperation with Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles Deputy Director Chuck Hosack (once a ham himself), was able to reach agreement with the State of Alaska DMV to update the Amateur Radio license plate regulations and procedures to reflect last year's Amateur Radio license restructuring. A law was enacted following the disastrous 1964 Good Friday earthquake that devastated South-Central Alaska to make call sign plates available free to any ham who installed and maintained an HF rig in a vehicle. To qualify under the new rules, hams still must have a permanently mounted antenna and power wiring in their vehicle.

Alaska amateurs should be able to apply for plates under the new rules on or after May 1, 2001

The Wayback Machine – Part 20

In our last installment, we reviewed the events that took place between 1951 and 1953. In that two year period, the Class A, B, and C licenses had been renamed the Advanced, General and Conditional class respectively. Three new licenses had been created--the Extra, Technician and Novice class. Also during that period, 40 meters was finally opened to phone operation, after being a CW only band for years, we lost the top 50 Kc of 20 meters, but gained our new 15 meter band, the Advanced class was closed to new applicants (although those holding this license could still renew), and, in a surprising decision, the FCC opened all phone bands to the General and Conditional class operators. Previously, holders of Class B and C licenses could only operate HF phone on 10 meters. Now all amateurs, Conditional to Extra class, had the same on-the-air operating privileges.

Many amateurs resented the fact that the Advanced and Extra class operators had no exclusive frequencies and that there was no incentive for a General or Conditional class licensee to upgrade. Some of these complaints filtered their way to the ARRL. And so, in the February 1963 issue of "QST," an editorial appeared in which the ARRL ex-pressed regret over the abandonment of the incentive license structure, called the 1952 decision a step backward, and proposed a new incentive licensing system be implemented.

The idea of exclusive frequencies for Advanced and Extra class hams--at the expense of the Generals and Conditionals--drew volumes of mail in response. Some of the comments printed in "QST" included: "...absolutely outrageous...", "...ridiculous...", "Your editorial hits the nail on the head", "...thought provoking...", "Congratulations to the

ARRL" and "To Hell with the ARRL." The responses in "QST" were about evenly split for and against. There were a few letters from Generals and Conditionals who supported the idea of incentive licensing, even though they would clearly lose under the proposal.

On May 3, 1963, the ARRL Board of Directors adopted their official position on incentive licensing. Their proposal would completely take away all General and Conditional class phone privileges on 75, 40, 20, and 15 meters in a two-year phase-in period. In other words, the ARRL's incentive licensing would only allow HF phone operation for

Generals and Conditionals on 10 meters and on the small sliver of 160 meters that was available in the days of LORAN

Radionavigation. The ARRL also suggested reopening the Advanced class license again to those who held a General or Conditional license for one year. Strangely, the ARRL did not suggest that Extras be given exclusive frequencies, nor did they propose exclusive CW frequencies. Rather, they just wanted exclusive access to the 75 through 15-meter phone segments for the Advanced and Extra class licenses.

Again, the mail poured in, pro and con. Many hams felt betrayed for, at this time, the ARRL was running a building fund drive to raise $250,000 to construct the headquarters that now stands at 225 Main Street in Newington, Connecticut. In effect, they believed that the ARRL was saying "Thanks for your donation, now say goodbye to your HF phone privileges." They were not happy.

On April 1, 1965, the FCC, in response to the ARRL proposal and proposals submitted by others, released their own version of incentive licensing. For Generals and Conditionals, the FCC proposal was not as bad as the

League's--the FCC would take away about 50% of their phone frequencies on 75-15 meters, but they would still have access to half of each phone band. For the Advanced Class licensees (formerly Class A), it was a disaster. The FCC, instead of reopening the Advanced class, proposed creating a new "Amateur First Class License." This license would have a code speed of 16 WPM. Worse, the FCC would "bump" the present Advanced class operators down to General upon renewal.

Now it was the Advanced class licensees who were outraged. Prior to 1952, they had held the top license.

Now, in effect, they would be demoted two grades and lose 50% of the 75-15 meter phone bands. The FCC also pro-posed extensive 50 Kc CW sub bands for Extra class licensees on 80-15 meters, small exclusive phone segments for Extras, and incentive restrictions on six and two meters. For the next two years, 1965-1967, the battle raged on. Hundreds of proposals and counter proposals were made. The ARRL opposed any incentive sub bands on six and two, and worked to retain the Advanced class in lieu of the proposed "Amateur First Class License."

On August 24, 1967, the FCC announced its decision. There would not be a new "Amateur First Class" ticket, or a 16 WPM requirement. The Advanced class would not be demoted to General, but rather would be reopened as the intermediate step between general and Extra. In summary, the FCC rules established a three-step phase-in of incentive licensing, to begin on November 22, 1967. On that day, the Advanced class was reopened to new applicants after a 15 year freeze and Novices were given a two-year, non-renewal license, instead of the previous one-year, non-renewable term.

On November 22, 1968, Novices lost their 2-meter voice privileges. Generals, Conditionals and Technicians lost the first 100 Kc of 6 meters. The first 25 Kc of the 80-15 meter CW bands became Extra only and Generals and

Conditionals lost about 25% of the 75-15 meter phone bands, which were given to the Advanced and Extra class hams. Comments and opinions still poured into the FCC and the ARRL, requesting anything from total abandonment of in-centive licensing to even more restrictive allocations. Most of the comments suggested that the third phase, scheduled for implementation on November 22, 1969, was too severe. Upon review, the Commission agreed in part. Thus, on September 24, 1969, the FCC scaled back the scheduled changes. As a result, Technicians, Conditionals, and Generals did not lose the 50.1 through 50.25 Mc segment of six meters (where most of the sideband activity was) and the Extra class CW sub bands were kept at 25 Kc. After November 22, 1969, Generals and Conditionals had only 50% of the 75-15 meter phone bands, Advanced about 90%, and Extra class licensees retained 100% of their previous allocations.

This article may not be reprinted without the express permission of the author -- Bill Continelli, W2XOY

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