The club received an email this week, from a 13 year old ham, asking for info on how to become a club member. This made me think back to a time when I was about that age and was in wonderment of the exciting prospects of working dx and learning about this great hobby of ours. My early ham experiences led to a series of exciting and challenging jobs not to mention a couple of paid trips around the world.

One of the continuing threads of contact throughout these early years in ham radio was the constant presence of the ARRL, which was available to provide whatever support that might have been needed to keep our hobby from being gobbled up by those commercial interests that might have wanted to takeover our ham radio frequencies. It is probably enough that we get QST magazine as a part of our ARRL membership dues, yet look at all the ARRL is doing for us. The organization is keeping us posted on the latest in ham satellite techniques, new digital communication modes, ham contest news, as well as reporting the all important political happenings that affect our hobby.

Some of us have been critical of our national organization’s policies from time to time. This kind of concern is good. It keeps all parties on their toes. However, we need to acknowledge that without a strong presence at the national level such as we have with ARRL, there are few ways to press our concerns to the FCC or any other level of government.

This brings me to the bottom line. Much of what the ARRL does to defend our spectrum requires money above and beyond what we pay for with our annual membership dues. If you have enjoyed your radio hobby as much as I have, then please consider sending a few extra dollars to the ARRL to support the defense of our frequencies. Just note somewhere on your check "for legal defense fund" and be assured that they will put your contribution where it will do the most good.

Well, this is one of my pet ham radio concerns, and if you have had some enjoyment from the hobby, then perhaps you will follow through and act accordingly. If you do not agree with me concerning the ARRL, then at least read some consider putting some effort in to make the October hamfest a big success. (Had to sneak an HH in there.)

73, Ron, N7EM

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The sun sets earlier in the evening indicating that the end of summer is approaching. Next month (October), the NKARC Hamfest will be held at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. This is the major fund-raiser for the club and has gotten the reputation of being a well run Hamfest and Swap Meet. Many who rented tables indicated they will return because the club takes extra measures to make them welcome.

The club is enjoying many benefits from the proceeds of the previous Hamfests. The portable station, and the communications trailer are projects resulting from these funds. The recent purchase of a 5KW generator was possible because the funds were available. This adds a further capability for the NKARC trailer to become truly portable and available for emergency communications.

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.

The August presentation meeting was the annual picnic in the patio shelter at Viking Park. The URGENT message in the last newsletter must have gotten everybody’s attention. Most members were on site by 6:00 PM and ready to start in. The club provided hot dogs and coffee. Russ Swank brought a pot of delicious baked beans while others brought delicious dishes of salads, deserts and other goodies to make up an outstanding selection for a delicious meal. Plenty of drinks were available so that nobody left thirsty. The weather even cooperated by being comfortably cool and sunny – a far cry from the usual cold and rain of previous years.

Past club president John Stilwell and his XYL, Marcie, came in and let us know that they still wanted to be members of the club. A warm welcome was extended to them. Of course, there were some great stories swapped about the one that got away. (DX contact that is) and the poor propagation experienced this summer..

The QSL card is a tradition shared by nearly all Hams throughout the world. It bears significance under different circumstances. As a result, there are format requirements that need to be followed for it to be of value to the party receiving it. The presentation on September 10^th by Bob Tomas, N7KTP, will present QSL card requirements with samples of the various types usually exchanged between Ham operators to acknowledge a QSO.

If time permits, Bob will show how a word processor program can be used to generate a QSL card in less than 15 minutes.

Some quantities and sizes are still available in small, med., large, XL, and 2XL. Prices are $25.50 with name and call. ($21.00 without) (Add $3.00 for XXL)

Sept. 10th -- Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM– Viking Park Clubhouse -- QSL cards – A Ham Tradition – Bob Tomas, N7KTP

Sept. 20th -- VE testing Olympic College, Room B200 of Olympic College in Bremerton. Doors open at 9am. Picture ID, original and photocopy of current amateur radio license and pending CSCE's needed. Cost of session is $12.00. Questions please call Susan, AB7MD at 360-697-9379.

Sept. 24th – Business meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse

Oct. 8th – Presentation meeting at 7:30 PM – Viking Park Clubhouse – To be announced.

Oct 10th – Hamfest setup – Kitsap Pavilion – 1600 local

Oct 11th – Hamfest – Kitsap Pavilion – 0900 local

Oct. 18th -- VE testing Olympic College, Room B200 of Olympic College in Bremerton. Doors open at 9am. Picture ID, original and photocopy of current amateur radio license and pending CSCE's needed. Cost of session is $12.00. Questions please call Susan, AB7MD at 360-697-9379.

Oct. 25th – Business meeting at 7:30 PM - Viking Park Clubhouse

Communication is one of the main aspects of our hobby and I thought this story about husband and wife communications would cause a few chuckles:

While attending a marriage seminar on communication, Tom and his wife, Peg, listened to the instructor declare, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."

He addressed the men, "Can you describe your wife's favorite flower?"

Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently, and whispered, "Pillsbury All-purpose, isn't it?"

The rest of the story is not pleasant.

At a recent meeting, I inquired about the Museum of Radio in Bellingham, and only one of the members knew about it (our President was off power boating), and he didn't know the address, but the next day emailed me the directions. I found it to be most interesting and informative. The American Museum of Radio has a unique collection of electrical devices spanning the years from 1650 to 1950. The Museum was established in 1989 by Jonathan Winter who gave the Museum a collection of over 800 rare radios from the early 1920s. In 2001 the Museum moved into a much larger space at 1312 Bay Street. At this time, the Museum added early wireless and electrical devices from the collection of John D. Jenkins. Today the Museum has grown to include more than 1,200 items, including radios, televisions, recording devices, static electricity machinesand test equipment used at the beginning of the electrical age. Renovations are planned that will fill 23,000 square feet, a working ham radio room with lots of antique rigs and a wide assortment of transmitting tubes, a library and a reading room with 30's period furniture. All in all, it was quite an experience and well worth the trip to see things that, took me back a few years--pure enjoyment!

The museum is located at 1312 Bay Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. Tel: (360) 738-3886.

Website: http://www.AmericanRadioMuseum.org. 

Directions: Take Lakeway off Interstate 5 to W. Holly St., past State St., and Railroad Ave. Turn right on Bay

Jerry Turner, K9CCZ

Visit the NKARC Web Page at the URL

and get the latest copy of the club newsletter -- "SOLID COPY. Click on the handi-talkie graphic and get a list of links to other web pages to connect including ARRL, FCC, Packet Radio Home Page, AMSAT and many others. Have something to sell? Classifieds is a new addition to the page. The QRZ call sign look-up form is available.

Submit your comments to Page master, Jeff at

and let him know what you think. If you know of any interesting links, let him know and he will look into it.

Date: Sat. Nov. 8th,9 am - 2 pm.

Place: NW Washington Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall

Address: 1775 Front St., Lynden, WA (12 Miles North of Bellingham on Hwy 539

Free Parking, overnight SC/RV camping available

Talk-in: 146.74

Admission: $5, Tables $15

Contact Al Norton, K7IEY, 1008 Liberty St., Lynden, WA. Ph: 360-354-4622,

emailto:k7iey@netscape.nett

Web Page: http://www.qsl.net/k7skw/hamfest.hem

Do not bring lead-acid batteries to the meeting for disposal. It is your responsibility to take them to the Solid Waste Facility.

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.

It costs approximately 60 cents per copy to print a newsletter and the postage to mail it. Receiving your newsletter electronically helps keep publishing costs down allowing the funds to be used for other club projects

Need to reduce the equipment inventory in the shack? The Hamfest offers a great opportunity to present the surplus to a maximum number of customers. Remember there is no such thing as junk in a ham shack. Everything has a use to somebody. If it doesn’t work, somebody can fix it. Get together with another member and share a table rental. If you have doubts about how well a table rental works, contact Burt, W7IIT, or Bob, N7KTP, and ask them about the success of their venture at last year’s Hamfest.

The following bulletin was issued by the ARRL. It is presented here to highlight the importance of the fight against Broadband over Power Lines (BPL). This is a operating mode that can seriously affect amateur radio communications.

_____________________________________________

August 2003

Dear Amateur Radio Club Members,

As summer fades and we anticipate a return to the rigors of fall, you will be reinvigorating Amateur Radio club operations in your communities. But before you club launches its activities, I hope you can take a moment at your next meeting and consider a disturbing and critical topic - Broadband over Power Lines (BPL).

BPL is a devastating threat to the Amateur Radio spectrum - especially the HF bands. There has been a lot of publicity on this issue - articles on the ARRL website ( www.arrl.org/bpl  <http://www.arrl.org/bpl>) and other ham radio sites. Your ARRL is at the forefront of the campaign to defeat BPL and will continue to work tirelessly to protect your Amateur Radio bands. And you can help.

This summer individual hams - and clubs - have responded generously to fund ARRL's efforts to fight BPL, and have filed comments to the FCC. But we still need to raise an additional $55,000 to fund the field measurements and document filings necessary to defeat this threat. We're all in this effort together, so I hope your club will jump on the bandwagon and support the campaign financially. We've received club contributions ranging from $50 to $2000. If your organization has already made a donation, thank you.

And if your club is considering a contribution, I hope you'll do so right away. With a contribution of $100, $250, $500 or more, your club can join the roster of clubs that are joining the effort. Your commitment will make a tremendous difference. And we'll put a list of contributing clubs on the ARRL website this fall as our way of saying thank you.

If you need more information on BPL for your club, go to the ARRL website ( www.arrl.org/BPL <http://www.arrl.org/BPL>) for the full story, including copies of the two FCC filings and a video that graphically demonstrates the interference radio amateurs would experience from BPL. The video can be downloaded and played at your next club meeting, and there's a PowerPoint presentation you can use. Just follow the link above to an "Understanding the NOI" page and a resource page where you'll find the presentation.

ARRL President Jim Haynie calls BPL the biggest threat to Amateur Radio in decades - and hams have lent their voices to the cause. If BPL becomes a reality, many Amateur Radio activities, like Field Day, will be meaningless. Your club's support with a generous financial contribution now will help fund this effort.

Thank you for considering this request. Contributions can be made on-line at www.arrl.org  <http://www.arrl.org>, or by mail to BPL Special Spectrum Defense Campaign, ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111.

73,

Mary M. Hobart, K1MMH
Chief Development Officer

Hi- I don't know about the rest of you, but I am getting tired of seeing more or less the same old stuff in the Prez Sez columns. After 21 in a row, it is hard to keep new ideas coming. How about a guest editorial from one of the members? First one recvd goes onto the front page of the October issue. If more come in we can put them in successive issues.

73, Ron, N7EM

How many NKARC members remember the grand special event run in early September 1995 to commemorate the signing of the surrender documents on the "Mighty Mo"? That was the largest event ever undertaken by the club involving Ham operators from throughout the Puget Sound area. If you’re wondering what is happening aboard the great ship now, the following article was taken from the ARRL Web Page. Although the radio room on the ship is now the operating area for amateur radio transmissions, it was much more fun to operate from the decks in the open air. If you visit Hawaii and have the chance to visit the Mo, drop in and let them know that NKARC was the first to operate from her.

_____________________________________________

In addition to regular operation a few days a week, the Battleship Missouri Amateur Radio Club makes a special effort to put KH6BB on the air during Museum Ships Weekend (the third weekend in July), the September 2 commemoration of the surrender, and the December 7 Pearl Harbor memorial ceremonies. Transmissions are mostly single sideband phone, aspiring to give more hams an opportunity to work the monument; however, during the 2002 ceremonies, the club operated some CW. Presently, club member Dick Strimel, NH7RS, is pressing some donated PakRatt terminal node controllers into service and soon there will be RTTY operation from the Missouri. Guest operators are now able to use the facilities at Radio Central. All licensed hams interested in operating the station are urged to contact, via e-mail, operations@kh6bb.org. The club would like to document experiences of anyone involved with radio operations as a crewmember on the battleship Missouri. Contact crewmember@kh6bb.org. For upcoming events and operation times, contact BMARC at www.kh6bb.org. Also at the Web site, it is possible to download photos of the ship and station, and, if planning a trip to the islands, set up appointments to operate the station. So tune to frequencies 14.263, 21.363, 28.363 and 28.463 MHz--especially September 2--and listen up: "CQ CQ CQ from KH6BB, the battleship Missouri, Pearl Harbor, calling CQ and standing by."--Art, K7GV

ARLP035 Propagation de K7RA

Sunspot counts were up this week, but so were geomagnetic indices. Average daily sunspot numbers rose 33% over last week and the average daily planetary A index was up 18%. Solar flux remained about the same. This week didn't have an extremely stormy day, such as August 18 last week, but the higher A indices were sustained through the week. Active geomagnetic conditions declined through the week, with the most active days August 21-23 (our reporting week runs Thursday through Wednesday). The active days started August 21 because that is when the earth entered a high-speed solar wind, which continued over the next few days.

The moderate conditions should continue through this weekend. The latest reading predicts a planetary A index of 12 for August 29-31, Friday through Sunday. Monday has a predicted planetary A index of 10, but Tuesday, September 2 may become active again, based upon recurring conditions from the previous rotation of the sun. Solar flux is expected to remain around 125 through September 1, and then rise gradually to around 135 for September 3-4.

The days are getting shorter, and soon it will be the fall DX season, bringing better conditions. The higher frequencies should be opening during the day and 80 and 40 meters will open earlier and more reliably after dark. As an example, over the path from California to Japan, a month ago 10 meters offered no reliable communication. Currently 10 meters may have an opening on some days from around 2100-0430z. But around the equinox, the same California to Japan path on 10 meters looks quite good, with much stronger signals and reliable openings from 2130 to 0130z.

On the new 60 meter band from California to Georgia, a month ago signals were very strong from sundown on the west coast until sunrise at the east end. Strongest signals would be from 0400-1030z, with reasonable openings as early as 0130 and as late as 1230z. Currently the strongest signals should run from around 0330-1100z, with possible openings from 0030-1300z. Around the third week in September, strongest results should be from 0300-1100z, with openings generally good from 0000-1330z. September will also have much lower atmospheric noise on the lower frequencies.

One caveat about the equinox. During this phase of the solar cycle, although HF propagation should be better, there is also a greater chance of severe geomagnetic storms and aurora. This is because around late September the interplanetary magnetic field near earth tips far to the south. This makes the earth vulnerable to solar wind. For more on the interplanetary magnetic field and how it affects geomagnetic conditions, see

http://spaceweather.com/glossary/imf.htm .

For more information on propagation and an explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin see the Propagation page on the ARRL Web site at

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html .