April 2001 President's Message Now that spring is here, it is time for WARC to get into high gear. We have numerous upcoming events, but first and foremost is the WARC Hamfest 2001. The hamfest is scheduled for Sunday, May 6th. This is the club's big annual event in which we encourage all members to participate in some fashion. Our hamfest co-chairs, Tony Simek (N3YNH), and, Roy Conners (K3TEN), have been working very hard on the preparations with the help of Vahan Shahinian (KB3DHU) and other club members. Many hands will be needed Sunday as well as Saturday for setup. If you have not already, please sign up at the next meeting or contact the chairpersons to help make this event a success. Along the same line, The WARC hamfest has long standing tradition of passing out buttons with an amateur radio related slogan. The slogan contest is now open to all active club members. Selection of the slogan will be by popular vote at the next (April 5th) general meeting. You may e-mail entries to the club k3dn@k3dn.org or directly to me n3fkr@arrl.net or bring entries in writing to the next meeting. We have a nice prize planned for the winner. The March of Dimes walks are our next planned public service events. Multiple walks are planned this year all on Sunday April 29th. Since they are on the same day, this will really tax our volunteer efforts. We will need everyone who is available to join in and help out with this worthy cause. This is a low stress, enjoyable morning out. Please contact Doc Whitticar (W3GAD) to sign up for one of the walks. WARC officer elections will be coming up at the June general meeting. If you are interested in serving the club in this capacity, please contact Mike Patton (W3MJP) of the nominating committee to let him know you are interested. In case you have not made it out to a meeting lately, you may not know that, thanks to Burt Ludin (N3YVH), the club has APC uninterruptible power supplies available at a very attractive price. The units are used but in very good condition and can be used for radio equipment as well as computer equipment. Proceeds go to the club, so get them while they last. See you at the next meeting, Rocky, N3FKR April's meeting presentation: DX'ing for the Everyday Ham First off, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rick K3TL from HRO for stopping by our March meeting with some of the latest goodies from Kenwood and ICOM. His insight into and candor of the amateur radio retail business gives us all a chance to see what goes on behind the counter. Irwin Darack KD3TB will be our guest speaker at the April meeting on the subject of DX'ing for the everyday ham. Irwin's station does not fall into the big-gun category. Therefore, he has had to learn how to maximize his efforts so he can break the pile-ups. He will be sharing with us some of these tips and tricks he has learned over the years to successfully chase DX and get those QSL cards. Speaking from experience, you do not always need a kilowatt and a beam to work the rare ones. Operating skill and persistence will get you quite far. In May, Fred Rice WA3KIO will show us the different digital modes you can now do with your computer and its sound card. The number of new digital modes as well as existing ones that you can do with free software and the computer you probably already have in the shack grows every year. This will be your chance to see how its done and learn how to properly set-up your computer for these exciting new modes. On a closing note, through the efforts of Burt Ludin N3YVH the club has had the opportunity to sell to its members uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) at excellent prices. As I write this article, the power in the house has blinked off twice for a second. The UPS has kept the computer humming along and I have not had to rewrite this. If your wondering whether one of the UPSs is worth it, let me answer that question. IT SURE IS! I hope to see you at both of these meetings. 73, Mark Kempisty N3GNW Vice President Meeting called to order at 7:40pm by Rocky N3FKR Guests: Kb3cpq John Keel Amanda with Frank Rick from HRO VE sessions: 2 General Advancements KA3RAU-Doc and I didn't get the other one. Minutes were accepted as printed in March's Feedback Thanks from Rocky for Feedback and Hamfest flyer assistance on Saturday Normal Feedback preparation along with the board meeting was canceled because of snow. Public Service events: Rocky asked that all members do at least 2 events this year. April 29 March of Dimes Request by Rocky for Hamfest assistance June officer elections. WA3MJP nominating chairman. Mark N3GNW: Irwin will present DXing next month. May Presentation WA3KIO PSk31. Solicited suggestions for meeting topics. Treasurer: Not present Membership: Current Membership: W3ALR new alumni member 143 Active 62 Inactive General Classes: New classes March 12, Monday for no code tech. Repeater: No report, Brian is working on 440 machine this weekend. Hamfest: Mailing to vendor went out this week, general mailing in a few weeks. Assignment sheet was passed around for work detail signup. Need people to take over hamfest next year. Need another pair of hands to help with this year's hamfest as part of the training for next year's hamfest. Buttons slogans were solicited for this year's hamfest. Prizes will be awarded. Public Service: Stu March of Dimes 3 sessions Quakertown, Peace Valley, and Southern Bucks. April 29. Doc Whitaker is contact for sign up Field Day June 22-24 field day. Construction at Shrine may cause an obstacle for field day. Calls will be made to Shrine to see if field will be clear by June. Band captains are needed for field day. Air show: Is in September this year. WW3Y is heading up the Air show this year. Old Business: Board is working to find someone to print QSL's New Business: Elaine: Happy Birthday to George. A cake with George's picture is here for snack time. George "claims" to be 32 again this year. George was serenaded by a barbershop quartet The Gentlemen of Harmony. Let me call you sweetheart, Heart of my Heart and of course Happy Birthday. Health and Welfare: N3EFN Had bypass surgery, club sent a get-well card. Motion to adjourn......8:05pm Submitted N0ACO Public service! Memorial Day parade on Monday May 28 in Warminster. Times 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. 12 operators needed to act as watchers at intersections. Food and drink will be available after the parade. To sign up contact George Brechmann N3HBT at (215)-443-5656 or n3hbt@juno.com Hole-in-one golf outing Location the 5 ponds golf course on Street road in Warminster. Time and date is from 8:00 am until 1:00pm on Thursday June 7. 10 hams are needed to watch for hole-in-one opportunities on several holes. hot food and cold drinks will be served after the event. To sign up contact George Brechmann at (215)-443-5656 or n3hbt@juno.com ARRL Bulletin 9 ARLB009 From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT March 14, 2001 To all radio amateurs ARLB009 ARRL 160-Meter Band Plan Committee seeks input ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, has selected five amateurs to serve on the ad hoc 160-Meter Band Plan Committee. The panel is open for input from the amateur community regarding the current 160-meter band plan and recommendations for changes. The ARRL Board of Directors approved formation of the committee at its annual meeting in January. ''With the ever-increasing activity on 160, it is time to revisit the band plan,'' said ARRL Delta Division Director Rick Roderick, K5UR, who was named to chair the committee. Also asked to serve on the panel were ARRL New England Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI; ARRL Dakota Division Director Emeritus Tod Olson, K0TO; Jeff Briggs, K1ZM, and Bill Tippett, W4ZV. All of the appointees are veteran amateurs and familiar with 160 meters and the issues facing the band. Briggs, a perennial Top Band contester and DXer, literally wrote the book on 160 meters, DXing on the Edge--the Thrill of 160 Meters. Tippett has more than 300 DXCC entities to his credit on 160. ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, will serve as Headquarters staff liaison with the committee. Roderick says the band plan committee is open for comments ''from all parties--the digital folks, DXers, ragchewers, anyone.'' The e-mail address for comments is 160-BANDPLAN@arrl.org. To be accepted, all submitted comments must include a subject line. The committee plans to report back to the ARRL Board of Directors in July. All ARRL band plans are on the ARRL Web site, http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bandplan.html. CONTACT: David Herbert Hatch - N9ZRT The Live-Wire Group oslc@netnet.net http://www.wireservices.com/livewire.html First QSO Between Two "Ionic Fluid Antennas" [Liquid Antennas] GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - March 17, 2001. The Live-Wire Group, an Amateur Radio organization in the USA, recorded the first "Liquid Antenna" to "Liquid Antenna" QSO today. Liquid antennas are a new concept developed on The Live-Wire Group and are currently being experimented with by the group's members. The QSO took place on St. Patrick's Day, Saturday - March 17, 2001, 1719 Zulu on SSB at 18.157.50 MHz. The participating stations were WH2AAT in Orange Park, Florida and N9ZRT in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Both stations were operating on 10 foot tall x 2 inch wide "columns of ionic fluid" [In this case, concentrated saltwater]. Also participating in the QSO was W8ZU in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania who was using a conventional antenna. Two Live-Wire Group members, N7PPF and KJ6AP, witnessed the QSO from their stations in Riverside, California and Vancouver, Washington, respectively. Members of the Live-Wire Group have been experimenting with the Ionic Fluid Antennas [IFAs] for over six months and they have been receiving excellent reports on the antenna's performance. In most cases the liquid antennas are operated in the vertical position. The RF is fed into the base of the antenna through several three-inch long copper probes that are exposed to the conductive liquid. Live-Wire members continue to experiment with this new antenna concept in various forms including liquid dipoles and "pump-able to resonant length" verticals. The Live-Wire Group exists those Amateur Radio operators who enjoy experimenting with creative and simple antennas using "Yankee Ingenuity" often in portable-outdoor settings. There is no membership fee. The Live-Wire Group can be accessed via the Internet at http://www.wireservices.com/livewire.html. BACK