[PVRCNC] NC Chapter, minutes 7 Mar (east), 4 Apr (east), 7 Apr (west), 14 Apr (RARSFest), 2002

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

Carnac in big trouble with NC chapter secretary who is chasing Carnac
around with Wouff Houngg demanding minutes and muttering things under
his breath about publishing deadlines.

Carnac has had some rough months, and just catching his wind. Hasn't
had time to worry about Middle East, root for Hurricanes, find out who
won NCAA, finish cleaning up the new-old 75A3, or chase DX on 40
(horrors).

DID show up at meetings, though. An analysis of the high number of NC
chapter meetings Mar and Apr reveals that 7 March was a regular
meeting, 4 April was a regular meeting, and 14 April was the regular
annual unregular meeting at the RARSFest at NC Fairgrounds. More on
those later.

As to 7 April...

Unbeknownst to the NC gathered crowd at Ryan's 4 Apr, KB6MTH and WS4NC
were enroute to Ryan's from Winston-Salem, and had been delayed in the
24/7 I-40 traffic snaggle between Greensboro and the I40/85 split east
of Durham. The PLAN had been to make first meeting at Ryan's, and
second meeting at RARSFest between RUFZ runs and usual exchanges of
radio junk and computer parts. Instead...

The 4 Apr meeting had already dissolved to miscellaneous BS and
scientific discussion, and after the usual 15 minute delay, had QSY'd
out to the parking lot to let the staff clean up, where the last
straggling scientists were holding forth.

Raja and Don walked past the stragglers, of course not recognizing any
of them, and the manager inside told them all the "radio club guys"
had already left (true, after a fashion). So they gave up and had
supper. After a while the straggle out in the parking lot broke up and
went home.

WW4M and K2AV found about it later that evening via a round-robin
repeater/cellphone call sequence. And were duly horrified, more so
when careful consideration of the times meant that Raja and Don had
probably walked right past them coming in. Carnac went into
convulsions mumbling something about letting 2 new member's worth of
SS scores get away. Something HAD to be done.

Since K2AV was going to have to make repeated trips to Morganton (way
past Winston-Salem to the west) the next 2 weeks (3 round-trippers) a
time was picked when a W-S group could get together concurrent with
K2AV passing through. Settled on Sunday 7 April, 10:30 am at Peters
Creek IHOP (the one with the BIG flag visible from I40...didn't want
to stress out Carnac over directions). This would be the first western
meeting of the NC chapter. To Wit:

NC Chapter, 7 April, P Creek IHOP, Winston-Salem

Attending: Guy K2AV, Henry N4VHK (member), Raja KB6MTH (1st meeting),
Don WS4NC (1st meeting), Robert KG4NEP (1st meeting), Gene WB4MSG (1st
meeting).

Carnac notes that regular PVRCNC meetings anywhere seem to fall into
five clear divisions: Unofficial BS in the parking lot; Eating inside
with mumbled food-in-mouth unofficial BS; Eating inside with official
BS; Inside with unofficial BS; Unofficial BS in the parking lot.
However, a western meeting will go about ten minutes longer due to
additional distributed BS on trucks, mobiles, and how to use an abacus
to compute shortest rover route for max counties/grids before contest
is over.

Official BS dwelled on PVRC, joining, staying current, submitting
logs, etc. This was mostly a PVRC primer session.

Carnac says this group of five is a real gung-ho starter crowd for a
group that might grow as large as the Raleigh/Durham based crowd
(given that Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem is the largest
population center in NC).

These guys already turning in scores for themselves and (if Carnac got
this right) M/S, M/M at W4WS or W4NC. Also N4VHK is new honcho for the
NC QSO party which received excellent reviews for new format and
management this year.

Also Carnac knows now where the REALLY spiffy W4 by two vanity call
signs went.

Meeting dissolved 11:30 am to allow K2AV to continue homeward. Further
meetings /west to be determined.

               ..--..


NC Chapter 7 March, Ryan's, Cary

Attending: Guy K2AV, Jeff NX9T, Bob K4HA, Bill K4CIA, Henry N4VHK (2nd
meeting), Chuck K4NYS, Bert N4CW, Wes K4WES (2nd meeting), Pete AD4L,
Will AA4NC, Andy NI4S, Tom N4TL, Jim WW4M.

First business: N4VHK and K4WES duly noted as attending second meeting
and unanimously voted into membership. Welcome Henry and Wes. Chapter
membership at 49.

(Transcriber's note: Carnac has gotten into a bad habit of writing
notes in Polish when coming to a supper meeting after skipping
lunch -- something to do with blood sugar level.)

Depending on the meaning of $TyJ&&Frtz, AA4NC either blew up a radio
in the ARRL SSB or lost his car keys somewhere in 8P9 land, or maybe
both.

K4WES all ready to get on with PVRC contesting. This fall is going to
be awesome.

N4CW noted the excellent format and activity in NC QSO party,
including a LOT of CW activity. General complements and round of warm
fuzzies from the gatheren for honcho N4VHK.

AD4L not immediately recognized due to protracted absence on west
coast and new hairdo. Since he knew the secret PVRC chant and
handshake, at first was surmised he was a plant from the WVA chapter
funneling information back to N4ZR. His assertion that he really was
AD4L was accepted however, when it was determined that he knew the
exact number of amps that K3KO has blown up lifetime. Welcome back
Pete. Hope you get to stay a little.

K4CIA reported Rohn 55 installation woes out at the N4AF ranch. HEAVY
stuff, near-crane-grade lifting/wrassling, without the crane. But
progress being made.

Meeting dissolved to unofficial BS and miscellaneous scientific
discussion around $$Y7wP.M. according to Polnac.

            ..--..

4 April, Ryan's, Cary

Attending: Guy K2AV, Henry K4TMC, Brian K3KO, Jim K4QPL, Bert N4CW,
Jeff NX9T, Chuck K4NYS, Bob K4HA, Bill K4CIA, Nate N4YDU, Wes K4WES,
Jay NT4D, Andy NI4S, Will WJ9B, Jim WW4M, Pete AD4L.  (Just missing
the plane, KB6MTH, WS4NC, see above.)

WJ9B had a TS950 for six years, used exclusively on CW, ran great.
Worked SSB *ONCE* in SSB test, and next time he turned it on (to run
CW), it blew up. Bad rig. Bad, bad rig. Ummph. Sold it

K4TMC has PVRC banner ready for RARSFest.

K4HA got in 49 Q's on SSB WPX before he was caught. Seems he had come
inside to get a tool for some honey-do thing going on outside. General
consensus was if that had been CW, and headphones, he wouldn't have
been caught and could have cleaned up.

NT4D reports rotor is kaput. Good to see Jay out at a meeting. Has had
hands full dealing with after-effects of a bad traffic accident in
family. All much better now, healing.

N4CW says he now has a working amp. Said it out loud, too. K3KO
blanched. Carnac passed out.

AD4L had a tiny palm-sized Sharp Zaurus computer for show and tell,
and tell and show, and show and tell (a demonstrative technique
pioneered by K4QPL). Extensive discussion centered on how to hook it
up to an FT1000MP, whether it had a DOS box that would run TRLog,
whether it could multi-task packet and RUFZ, and how long it would run
on a fully charged nickel-metal hydride D-cell.

Sadly, K2AV announced that due to sickness/death of mother-in-law and
time spent on matters disposing of estate, etc, will be unable to
organize an awards banquet for May 2002. Instead, May will be a
regular meeting first Thursday, 2 May, 6 pm at Ryan's in Cary.
Progress may allow an affair this summer some time. TBD. WILL be at
NY4A for CW WPX though, per usual.

Adjournment to miscellaneous pursuits at 7 pm, parking lot session to
7:30 pm. Raja and Don passed by parking lot straggle group inbound at
7:15 pm, outbound at 7:20 pm.

                      ..--..

14 April, RARSFest, NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh

Signed in: WW4M, K4HA, K4NYS, W3RFC, N4TL, N4CW, K4QPL, K3KO, K4TMC,
AD4L, N3NPQ, N4NFG, K4QL, N4YDU, KB6MTH (2nd meeting), WJ9B, K3VW,
NX9T, W2CS, N2YL, W4SD, WS4NC (2nd meeting), W4ZYT, N8CH, NT4D, KG4NEP
(2nd meeting), KR4LO (1st meeting), N4AF, NI4S, AA4NC, WI4T, K2AV,
W4IDX, WZ3AR, KE4EXQ (1st meeting), WB4MSG (2nd meeting), K4CIA,
N4HAF, KO7X.

Big PVRC banner donated by K4TMC was EXCELLENT. A+ rendition of the
club symbol, etc. Really set off the spot.

Thanks again to all the RUFZ mongers for setting up brain damage
central. It is so interesting to watch people drawn in like moths to
the flame.

Also taking up bux to offset Jim for tables, etc. (Let us know whether
you got enough.)

Short business meeting called to order (site wrested away from RUFZ)
at 11:02 am. Well over half of NC chapter membership in attendance.

KB6MTH, WS4NC, KG4NEP, WB4MSG all recognized as attending 2nd meeting
and unanimously voted in as members. Welcome Raja, Don, Bob & Gene.
All from Winston-Salem area and the 7 April IHOP meeting. Chapter
membership now at 53.

KR4LO and KE4EXQ recognized as intentionally attending their first
meeting. Welcome William and Victor. Looking to see you at a set down
and getting to know you.

Control of the platform returned to RUFZ at 11:12 am.

AD4L will report the RUFZ scores and standings just as soon as all the
aliases are figured out. We do know that WA2PJL was W2CS' call from a
long time ago in a prior century. Don't bother to ask what old f--t
knew THAT little secret. KA1LOE is N4CW's pretty half, who wasn't
there. The "KING" is either K3KO, or Elvis was in the building and can
he ever copy code. Some call signs must be walk-by's who didn't
understand the damage they were doing to their brain cells.

73, y'all

Guy K2AV.