[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] ARC SHORTS DECEMBER 2015

[Rick Bunn]

ARC-SHORTS

 

DECEMBER 2015

CHRISTMAS EDITION

 

 

Club Repeaters: 147.315 (PL 107.2), 444.6 (PL107.2), 224.82 (PL107.2), 53.13
(PL107.2) 927.6 (-25Mhz, PL107.2), and 1282.600 (PL 107.2), DSTAR 145.38Mhz,
442.060, and 1284.600 ALL AR UP AND RUNNING - HAM IT UP! Get on the air!

 

NEXT CLUB MEETING

 

This is our last real meeting of the year as our December meeting is the
PARTY at FIONAs in the Kingstown shopping center.  Cost is $33.00 / person
at the door.  This keep Ted from having to launder funds.  Ian handed out
details and a menu at the last meeting.

 

NOVEMBER MEETING MINUTES.

 

ELECTIONS

The following club members were nominated and elected to serve as club
officers for 2016.

 

Erik KI4BXU - President

Monica KC2IAY - Vice President

Ted W9TCE - Treasurer

Jay KV3W - Secretary

 

Congratulation to all and thank you all for stepping up to keep the club
running.

 

 

DECEMBER CHRISTMAS PARTY

Ian, N8IK,  has again made arrangements for out Christmas meeting to be held
at FIONA'S 5810 Kingstowne Ctr, Alexandria, VA 22315.  From Alexandria, take
Van Dorn Street south past Franconia Rd and turn left after you past the
shopping center.  You can catch up with Ian at the meeting or pay at the
door.  Ian will need a count, so let him know if you plan to attend.  Bring
your family. We will introduce our new officers for next year and may have a
few end of year awards.  We will also close the message practice contest.  

 

73 Rick

N4ASX

 

Club Repeaters - 

The Alexandria Radio Club owns more repeaters than other club in the area.
We have repeaters on every ham radio band between 6 meters and 23 cm.  Here
is a great opportunity to try a new band.  With the exception of the 23 cm
repeater, all our repeaters are commercial grade equipment which should run
for many years with minimal work.  The 23 cm repeater is constructed from 2
Yaesu 23 cm mobile radios with a controller in between.  All the repeaters
provide good coverage in Alexandria and the surrounding area.

 

We also have a complete DSTAR system, with digital voice on 2 m, 70 cm and
23 cm.  We also have the data repeater on 23 cm.   Think WiFi on steroids.
The 2 meter repeater is linked with other repeaters in the capital area.
The 70 cm repeater is linked world-wide, so you never know who will be on. 

  

Ham it up and get on the air.

 

73, 

Rich, KA4GFY

 

End of Year 

 

It's been a great year for the club.  First we have had two very successful
classes bringing some great new members into the club.  We've tried to have
a variety of programs and many of them have been provided by Ian, Rich and
Don.  Ian, N8IK, has provided three of our programs this year and all were
great presentations.  Rob Anderson provided a great program on Smith Charts
that he has taken on the road!  We will try to do as well next year.

Field Day was great with a good score and a really good turnout despite the
rain.  Steve did a great job with the food again this year.  One of the
interesting points was that many of our new members came out 

 

 

Future Programs

 

DECEMBER  - Holiday party and club awards 

2016

January - Installation of NEW Officers - Post holiday social meeting

February - GW Birthday prep,  VA QSO PARTY

March - Skype J-pole antenna design brief

April - Gary Sessums - Katrina Response 

May - MESH Net update

June - D-Star Ops and programming 

July - VHF Contesting (tent.)

August - DX Contesting (tent.)

September - HF Portable Operations (tent.)

October - ARES ops and City interface

November - Club Elections

December - Club Party

 

Let me know what you want to hear about.  HELP !!!!  If you have an idea for
a program, please let Rick know and he will try to find someone to provide
the program.

 

Hamfests -

Coming in January is the Maryland Mobileers Post Holiday Hamfest on January
30.  For this year only, they are holding it at the Odenton Baptist Church.
Talk-in is on 146.805 (PL 107.2)  

 

The following weekend is the Richmond Frostfest on February 6 at the
Richmond Raceway Complex.  Many of us remember it as the VA State
Fairgrounds.  It's an easy drive down I-95 and getting to the raceway is
well marked.  Talk-in is on 146.88 (PL 74.4 Hz).  

 

For those of us who go to Frostfest, be thinking about what frequency we can
use for talk-around at the Frostfest.  There is a new System Fusion repeater
on the air in Richmond on 147.315.  So that leaves out the output frequency
of our 2 meter repeater.  So far, a couple of suggestions have been 444.600
simplex (our 70 cm repeater's output frequency) or 146.415 simplex.  

 

This may give us an opportunity to hear what System Fusion sounds like.  

   

Training - 

 

By the time this gets to you, our latest class will have ended.  I'll have
the results in next month's ARC Shorts.  

 

Our next class starts March 8 and runs until May 10, 2016. 

 

The biggest draw for new hams seems to be the public service angle, but
don't forget that is just one aspect of our great hobby.  There are plenty
of things to try.  If somebody says they are bored with ham radio, they are
not looking hard enough!

 

 

Contests -

 

December 12 and 13 - ARRL 10 meter contest.  Exchange is RST and state.  

 

Technicians can work this one with the Generals and Extras.  They have CW
and Phone privileges on 10 meters.  

 

December 20 - ARRL Rookie Roundup, CW.  Rookies are defined as licensed in
the current calendar year or previous 2 calendar years.  Exchange is name
and 2 digit year first licensed.

 

January 2 and 3 - ARRL RTTY Roundup.  Exchange is RST and state.

 

January 9 and 10 - North American QSO Party, CW.  Exchange is name and
state.

 

January 16 and 17 - North American QSO Party, SSB.  Exchange is name and
state.

Club Repeaters - 

 

The Alexandria Radio Club owns more repeaters than other club in the area.
We have repeaters on every ham radio band between 6 meters and 23 cm.  Here
is a great opportunity to try a new band.  With the exception of the 23 cm
repeater, all our analog repeaters are commercial grade equipment which
should run for many years with minimal work.  The 23 cm repeater is
constructed from 2 Yaesu 23 cm mobile radios with a controller in between.
All the repeaters provide good coverage in Alexandria and the surrounding
area.

 

We have a 1.25 meter (220 MHz) repeater with very good coverage.  It's a
converted Motorola MICOR VHF high band repeater.  The 1.25 meter band is a
ham band only in North America so the market for the equipment is somewhat
limited.  However, there are a couple of manufacturers making 1.25 meter
equipment.  Not only that, an American based company is making repeaters for
this band.

 

If you have never been on 1.25, the first thing you notice is how quiet it
is.  There is a marine band used by the Intra Coastal Waterway below it and
military aircraft above it.  We don't hear much noise from either of those
services.  It's very different from 2 meters or 70 cm with the high noise
floors on those bands.         

 

The 1.25 meter ham band is one of the best kept secrets in ham radio.  

  

Ham it up and get on the air.

 

73, 

Rich, KA4GFY

 

Social Events

 

Monday Night Half Price Burgers - There is a group that gets together at
Shooter McGee's (Duke and Paxton Streets) on Monday evenings at 6:15 PM. A
good burger and soft drink runs about $11.00.

 

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