[GVARC] March 2003 Newsletter
Tony
[email protected]
Wed, 26 Mar 2003 19:20:39 -0800
************************* Garlic Valley ******************************
Volume 18 Mar 2003
******************* Amateur Radio Club Newsletter ********************
GVARC OFFICERS
President Frank Fahrlander, N7FF
Vice President Ed Vines, KG6WU
Secretary Mark Deger, KG6IFQ
Treasurer Tony Armendariz, AD6ID
Newsletter Editor Tony Armendariz, AD6ID
WEBster Claud Furnare, NA6W
Web Site http://www.qsl.net/gvarc
FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE:
NEXT CLUB MEETING
GVARC MEMBERSHIP
PAUL HARVEY PLUGS HAM EMERGENCY COMM
NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR RADIO HISTORY
BILL PIERPONT, N0HFF, SK
UK TO AK ON 136 kHz
CONTESTS march 2003
COMING EVENTS
***NEXT CLUB MEETING - Saturday, 29-Mar-2003
-------------------- =20
GVARC usually meets on the LAST Saturday of each month, at the
Sunrise Restaurant in Gilroy on Monterey Avenue (near the car dealers in
front of Motel 6). From the North or South, take the Monterey St. exit
from highway 101 (south end of Gilroy) and head north. We trickle in
about 8 a.m. and eat at 8:30ish. The South County ARES net is held
each Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on W6GGF/R (147.825 -.600, no PL 100Hz).
=20
***Special Guest for club meeting
---------------------------------
Bob Kelley will be joining us for the GVARC breakfast meeting Sat
29-Mar. Bob is the Emergency Manager for Morgan Hill. For several
years, Bob has also been an officer in the South County Neighborhood
Disaster Preparedness Project. Bob will talk about his role and the
Emergency Operations Center at Morgan Hill and how the city will work
with ham volunteers.
***GVARC MEMBERSHIP
-------------------
Dues for all members become payable each January. The annual cost is
only $20 per person and $10 for each family member in the same
household. Membership dues helps such things as the W6GGF/R repeater,
this newsletter, emergency readiness, etc. Membership, not required for
general use of the repeater, adds autopatch and autodial privileges.
GVARC is a non-profit organization per IRS section 501(c)(4) - we
don't make any money, do service for the community, but are not a
charity.
To join or for more information, please contact the treasurer:
Tony Armendariz, AD6ID
11950 New Avenue
Gilroy, CA 95020
408-683-2025 home
Internet: [email protected]
***PAUL HARVEY PLUGS HAM EMERGENCY COMM
---------------------------------------
Veteran ABC Radio Networks commentator Paul Harvey this week offered
some kind words for Amateur Radio. The mention was the second item on
"page four" of his March 19 Paul Harvey Noon News and Comment program.
"America's quiet warriors are the legion of ham radio operators,
700,000 of them, who are always at ready for backup duty in
emergencies--amateur, unpaid, uncelebrated, civilian radio operators,
during and after floods and fires and tornadoes," Harvey said. "After
the 9/11 attacks, hams were indispensable in reuniting friends and
families. Most recently it was they who expedited the search for debris
after the disaster to the space shuttle Columbia, and right now, at this
moment, they are involved in homeland security to a greater degree than
you would want me to make public."
The commentary's enigmatic and mysterious final sentence--typical of
Harvey's habit of leaving his listeners hanging--apparently refers to
the fact that many Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Radio
Amateur Emergency Service (RACES) teams have ramped up their alert
status as hostilities get under way in the Middle East.
The entire Wednesday noon broadcast is available on Paul Harvey's Web
site <http://www.paulharvey.com/>. Click on the Wednesday noon link
under "Listen Now."
California antenna bill hearing postponed: A legislative committee
hearing on California's latest attempt to pass an Amateur Radio antenna
bill, Assembly Bill 1228, has been postponed until April 2 while the
lawmakers turn their attention to more pressing matters. "They are going
ahead full speed on the budget now," explained ARRL Pacific Division
Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG, who had been among those scheduled to
testify on behalf of the bill. AB 1228 was introduced February 21 by
Assemblyman Bob Dutton (R-63rd) and has been referred to the Committee
on Local Government. Mike Mitchell, W6RW, who is spearheading amateur
activity in support of AB 1228 says letters to the committee in support
of the measure must be received by Friday, March 28, to be considered at
the Wednesday, April 2, hearing. Send letters to Committee Chair and
Assembly Member Simon Salinas, Assembly Local Government Committee, 1020
N Street, Room 157, Sacramento, CA 95814. In large letters on the
envelope and below the address on the letter itself write "AB 1228
(Dutton) SUPPORT." Letters will be summarized for the committee's
consideration.
***NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR RADIO HISTORY
------------------------------------
New Zealand Ham History moves on beyond the WWII blackout.=20
VHF & UHF take off.=20
1954=20
First two-way contact on 10 GHz, between Jack King ZL2AKP and Ron Morgan=
ZL2GQ.=20
First transistor articles in Break-In. French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch=
languages permitted as plain language for amateur radio.=20
Roy Pottinger ZL4GP makes first transistor transmitter contact with fellow=
Dunedin amateur, then world distance record transistor contact with a=
Christchurch amateur.
1956
First two-way RTTY contact between NZ and USA, ZL1WB and W? BP.
1958
On-air demonstration of 405-line TV on 420 MHz by ZL2APC. First Boy Scout=
JOTA.
1959
Midnight January 31, 50 to 51 MHz withdrawn for use by commercial Channel 1=
TV. First NZ-Britain RTTY contact between Alec Hyndman ZL3HJ and G3CQE.
1960
Jock White ZL2GX achieves world=92s first DXCC 300.
1961
OSCAR-1 launched December 14. Trevor Kendrick ZL2HP first NZ amateur to hear=
it, on December 17.
1962
March 10, Women Amateur Radio Operators' Club formed at Rotorua.=20
Maximum power limit raised from 100W to 150W final anode input power.=
Minimum age returned to 14.
Matamata amateurs establish first contact between a glider and a ground=
station.
1963
Doug Gorman ZL2IY awarded MBE in Birthday Honours for services to Amateur=
Radio and to Search And Rescue. Non-Morse technician licence grade=
introduced for operation above 144 MHz.=20
1964
First hand-held 2m solid-state transceiver demonstrated, by Harry Burton=
ZL2APC.
1965
First all-electronic scanning receiver demonstrated, by Harry Burton ZL2APC.
1966
Integrated circuits first mentioned in Break-In.
-- http://www.nzart.org.nz
***BILL PIERPONT, N0HFF, SK
---------------------------
William G. "Bill" Pierpont, N0HFF, of Wichita, Kansas, died February
20. He was 88. An ARRL member, Pierpont may be best known in Amateur
Radio circles for having written The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy,
now available in several languages and considered by some as the
definitive guide to radiotelegraphy. The fourth edition, published by
the FISTS CW Club <http://www.fists.org>, will be available at
Hamvention 2003 in Dayton. The third edition remains available for
download from the Web site of Mike Dinelli, N9BOR,
<http://www.qsl.net/n9bor/n0hff.htm>.
=20
Although ill with cancer, Pierpont remained active on the air until
March 2002. His brother, Ken, KF4OW, says Bill Pierpont was licensed at
age 15 as W9BLK in 1930, and he enjoyed CW for much of his on-air
activity. His first edition of The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy
came out on computer disk in 1992. Survivors include his wife, Enid, and
a daughter.
***UK TO AK ON 136 kHz
----------------------
Reaching Alaska from the United Kingdom using just 1 W ERP is quite a
feat for any band, but the Radio Society of Great Britain reports that
Laurie Mayhead, G3AQC, was heard in Alaska on 136 kHz. In the early
hours of February 15, he transmitted to Laurence Howell, GM4DMA/KL1X in
Anchorage, and just before UK dawn at 0615 his call sign was clearly
identified using software to read the signal.
G3AQC was using QRSS--very slow CW--with a 60-second-long dit. The
7278-km distance is a transmission record for 1 W ERP on 136 kHz.
Two years ago, Mayhead and Larry Kayser, VA3LK, made ham radio history
when they completed the first two-way transatlantic exchange on 136 kHz,
also using very slow speed CW. Last year G3AQC became the first person
to span the Atlantic on 73 kHz.
Howell expressed surprise that the path involved in the latest
accomplishment is "notoriously poor" between southeastern Alaska, on the
east coast of the Pacific, and Europe. "The signal would theoretically
go on a Great Circle route to nearly 80 degrees north, over the northern
Canadian Arctic, northern Greenland, east of Iceland, Glasgow, then over
the UK to the South Coast--across and through the auroral oval."
He said there's speculation that the actual path might been around or
even under the auroral zone, since there was no auroral Doppler seen on
the received signal. Howell and Mayhead credited research and
preparation carried out by G3NYK, G3LDO, W3EEE and W4DEX, for helping to
set the new LF record.
-- RSGB
***CONTESTS APRIL 2003
-----------------------
------- (From-to) -------- -------------------------------------------
DATE WEEKDAY - TIME UTC CONTEST NAME - MODE
----- ------------------- -------------------------------------------
5- 6 Sat 0000 - Sun 2400 MARAC County Hunters Contest - SSB
5- 6 Sat 1500 - Sun 1500 SP DX Contest - CW/SSB
5- 6 Sat 1600 - Sun 1600 *?* EA WW RTTY Contest - RTTY
5- 6 Sat 1900 - Sun 1900 *?* QCWA QSO Party - CW/Phone
9-11 Wed 1400 - Fri 0200 *?* YLRL DX to NA YL Contest - CW
12-13 Sat 0700 - Sun 1300 Japan Internatinal DX Contest - CW
12 Sat 1200 - 1700 DIG QSO Party (10 - 20 m) - CW
12-13 Sat 1200 - Sun 2400 *?* QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party - CW
12 Sat 1500 - 1859 EU Sprint Spring - SSB
12-13 Sat 1800 - Sun 0359 Georgia QSO Party (1) - CW/SSB
13 Sun 0600 - 1000 *?* UBA Spring Contest - SSB
13 Sun 0700 - 0900 DIG QSO Party (80 m) - CW
13 Sun 0900 - 1100 DIG QSO Party (40 m) - CW
13 Sun 1400 - 2359 Georgia QSO Party (2) - CW/SSB
13 Sun 1400 - 1500 SSA M=E5nadstest nr 4 - SSB
13 Sun 1515 - 1615 SSA M=E5nadstest nr 4 - CW
16-18 Wed 1400 - Fri 0200 *?* YLRL DX to NA YL Contest - SSB
19 Sat 0000 - 2359 *?* Holyland DX Contest - CW/SSB
19 Sat 0000 - 2400 *?* TARA PSK31 Rumble - PSK
19 Sat 0500 - 0859 ES Open HF Championship - CW/SSB
19-20 Sat 1200 - Sun 1200 GACW CW DX Contest - CW
19-20 Sat 1200 - Sun 1200 YU DX Contest - CW/SSB
19 Sat 1500 - 1859 EU Sprint Spring - CW
19-20 Sat 1600 - Sun 0400 Michigan QSO Party - CW/SSB
19-20 Sat 1800 - Sun 1800 Ontario QSO Party - CW/Phone
21 Mon 1400 - 2000 Low Power Spring Sprint - CW
25 Fri 1100 - 1246 Harry Angel Memorial Sprint - CW/SSB
26-27 Sat 1200 - Sun 1200 SP DX RTTY Contest - RTTY
26-27 Sat 1300 - Sun 1300 Helvetia Contest - CW/SSB
26 Sat 1500 - 2400 *?* QRP to the Field - CW
26-27 Sat 1600 - Sun 0159 Florida QSO Party (1) - CW/Phone
26-27 Sat 1700 - Sun 1700 Nebraska QSO Party - CW/SSB
27 Sun 1200 - 22159 Florida QSO Party (2) - CW/Phone
-- Jan-Eric Rehn - [email protected]
http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/text/c2003apr.txt
***COMING EVENTS
----------------
- Livermore Swap Meet - 1st Sunday of each month at Las Positas
College in Livermore, 7:00 AM to noon, all year. Talk in 147.045 from
the west, 145.35 from the east. Contact Noel Anklam, KC6QZK, (510)
447-3857 eves.
- Foothill Flea Market - 2nd Saturday of each month from March to
October at Foothill College, Los Altos Hills. FARS NET on 145.23
repeater Thursday nights at 8 PM.
***GVARC EMAIL LIST SUMMARY
---------------------------
[email protected] is the official list of GVARC members with
e-mail addresses. This is a closed list; Joining GVARC gets you on the
list. Anyone on the list can send to the list; no one else can.
[email protected] is a list of those interested in gvarc.
Anyone can join (with confirmation message) and any member may
unsubscribe freely. Members of the gvarc_cc list can send to the list.
No one else can send to the list. List administrators, Tony, AD6ID,
and Frank, N7FF. The list's web site is http://www.qth.net.
______________________________________
To leave GVARC list, Contact Tony Armendariz, [email protected]. If you're
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