[NCARC] Fw: ARRL Rocky Mountain Division update -- April 2009
chris at yipyap.com
chris at yipyap.com
Tue Apr 7 15:57:03 EDT 2009
> ==================================================
> ARRL Rocky Mountain Division update -- April 2009
> Division website: www.RockyMountainDivision.org
> ==================================================
>
> ===== Field Day: Map your site for other Hams and Visitors =====
>
> Whether it's to be enjoyed with a bunch of friends, a local club, or an
> ARES group, in the mountains or in the city, Field Day is only two
> months away! We hope you and your club are gearing up to be a part of
> the fun.
>
> ARRL once again offers a useful feature on its website: A tool that
> displays Field Day sites and information across the United States and
> Canada, thanks to Google Maps. While you or your club members may
> know where your particular Field Day site will be located, the real
> beauty of this feature is that it informs other Hams, prospective Hams,
> or visitors where Field Day efforts will take place in their areas. Is
> your site shown on the map?
>
> Head over to http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php
> to see what Field Day sites are nearby, or to add yours. This tool is
> only as good as the number of people who make use of it, so please post
> your site and spread the word to all the Hams you know, especially
> those new to the hobby.
>
> Information packets and rules for the 2009 event are available for
> download at http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd See you on
> the bands this June 27-28!
>
>
> ===== 2009 Rocky Mountain Division Convention =====
>
> About ONE month remains til the 2009 Rocky Mountain Division Convention
> (May 29-31). Have you made plans to join close to 250 hams (and
> growing) in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado...gateway to Rocky Mountain
> National Park? Registration online and by mail is happening right now,
> and special hotel rates have been negotiated for convention attendees.
>
> Among the guest speakers: Harold Kraemer WJ1B (ARRL Chief Operating
> Officer), Gordon Hardman W0RUN (2009 Desecheo Island DXpedition
> participant and chief engineer of Alpha Radio Products), Mike Gruber
> W1MG (ARRL EMC Engineer and contributor to "The Doctor Is IN" QST
> column), Cheryl Muhr, N0WBV, YL columnist for WorldRadio Online
> (formerly WorldRadio Magazine), Editor for YL-Harmonics the Young
> Ladies' Radio League's (YLRL) Bi-monthly magazine, and Brian Mileshosky
> N5ZGT (Director, ARRL Rocky Mountain Division).
>
> Nearly 30 technical and non-technical forums, great meals, transmitter
> hunts, special event station W1AW/0, and much more await you. Not to
> mention one heck of a time meeting and greeting hams from all over the
> Division and country. It'll be a great event with a very fitting
> theme: "Amateur Radio: Resilient, Relevant, Ready"
>
> The hotel, where the Convention is being held, is almost at
> full-capacity, so reserve your room soon!
>
> Please mark your calendars and visit the Division convention's website
> at http://www.hamconcolorado.org for more details, including
> registration information. Join us for a great time at an awesome
> venue!
>
>
> ===== Rocky Mountain Division HF Net =====
>
> Our next monthly Rocky Mountain Division HF net will occur next week to
> disseminate information and give us a chance to meet you and your ideas
> in QSO. Here are the details:
>
> DATE: Wednesday, April 8
> TIME: 7:30 PM MDT (see note below)
> FREQ: 3939 kHz +/-
>
> (Note on time: The New Mexico Roadrunner net occurs on this frequency
> and is usually finished by 7:30pm MDT. In the event that it's still in
> progress at that time, we'll begin the Division net immediately
> afterwards.)
>
> Propagation has been mediocre the last few nets, but we'll press on
> regardless!
>
>
> ===== Tech Tip of the Month: Bargain items from the swap tables =====
>
> Starting this month we will provide a Tech tip that might be useful to
> our members, particularly new Hams. If you have a concise tech tip
> you'd like to offer for a future Division-wide email, please send an
> email to Vice-Director Dwayne Allen WY7FD (wy7fd at arrl.org).
>
> This month's Tech Tip is offered by Vice-Director Dwayne Allen WY7FD:
>
> The Hamfest season for 2009 is ramping up. Hams are dusting off old
> treasures and getting them ready to find new shacks in which to reside.
> Most Hams will at some time or another will purchase an item at a
> bargain from a swap table. For the most part these items will work as
> presented. Years ago, I bought a power supply from a table one of the
> many hamfests I have attended through the years.
>
> This power supply worked flawlessly for about 15 years. A few weeks
> ago, the current output fell to about half if what I needed. 15 years,
> I did get my money's worth. Being the penny pinching Ham I have become
> of late, I started repairs on the power supply.
>
> First I unplugged it from the 120 VAC outlet. Then I removed the cover
> and saw that it had a substantial filter capacitor. I thought I should
> discharge the capacitor. I wanted to remove the AC supply fuse before
> doing this. I don't know why, I just did.
>
> This is the point where I got an earth-shattering eye-opener. The fuse
> that had been working so well for the last 15 plus years was a piece of
> number 6 gauge copper wire. That's right; there was no protection for
> the primary side of the power supply at all.
>
> I think that a bargain is a great way to stock your shack. But, this
> one could have cost a whole bunch more. Failure to buy an item that
> only cost 59 cents brand new could have caused major damage to my home
> and cost many times more than what I saved.
>
> So, when we purchase these great deals we should check out the simple
> things first. Checking to make sure the fuses are the proper ones is
> far too simple. To procrastinate here could be disastrous. If you are
> selling an item, make sure you aren't passing along a fire trap. Fuses
> are not too expensive.
>
> Have fun with your hobby and be safe!
>
>
> ===== Upcoming hamfests, tailgates & conventions =====
>
> April 25 Utah ARRL State Convention (South Ogden, UT)
> April 25 Central New Mexico Spring Tailgate (Albuquerque, NM)
> April 26 Mesilla Valley ARC Beanfeed (Las Cruces, NM)
> May 22-24 Wyoming ARRL State Convention (Casper, WY)
> May 29-31 2009 Rocky Mountain Division Convention (Estes Park, CO)
> July 18 Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association Megafest (Monument, CO)
> August 14-15 Duke City Hamfest (Albuquerque, NM)
> August 16 Denver Radio Club Hamfest (Golden, CO)
> September 25 Alamogordo Hamfest (Alamogordo, NM)
>
> Links to websites belonging to the above events are found on the Rocky
> Mountain Division site: www.RockyMountainDivision.org
>
> If you're organizing a Hamfest, convention or tailgate, please consider
> having your event ARRL-sanctioned. Sanctioning details can be found at
> http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/hamfests/
>
>
> ===== Upcoming on-air activities =====
>
> In addition to chewing the rag with fellow hams, here are some
> additional on-air activities which await you on the airwaves.
>
> Upcoming special event stations:
> http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html
> Upcoming contests: http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html
> Operating awards: http://www.arrl.org/awards/
>
>
> ===== Final note... =====
>
> Please touch base with your Section Manager if he can be of assistance
> to you:
>
> Jeff Ryan K0RM (Colorado): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=CO
> Don Wood W5FHA (New Mexico): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=NM
> Mel Parkes NM7P (Utah): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=UT
> Garth Crowe N7XKT (Wyoming): http://www.arrl.org/sections/?sect=WY
>
> Vice Director Dwayne Allen and I continue to welcome your concerns,
> questions or ideas regarding ARRL policies. See you on the airwaves!
>
>
> 73,
> Brian Mileshosky N5ZGT, Rocky Mountain Division Director
> Dwayne Allen WY7FD, Rocky Mountain Division Vice-Director
> Division website: www.RockyMountainDivision.org
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ARRL Rocky Mountain Division
> Director: Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT
> n5zgt at arrl.org
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
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