January 2000   I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season as we roll over into the year 2000. I won't call it the new millennium because it was pointed out to me (thanks Bill K3ZMA) that the new millennium does not start until 2001! Just in case we do have problems with Y2K, several of our club members have been stationed at local area hospitals as a backup for communications. It's nice to know our services are valued and put to good use. If you didn't make it to the annual WARC holiday dinner, you missed a good one. This December marked the 35th anniversary of WARC. We had the best attendance ever, with over 140 people. Berni, N3RJD, and Doug, N3RJD, again did a great job organizing the dinner that was catered by Lindinger Delicatessen. Burt, N3YVH, put together a program honoring the past presidents of WARC. Those in attendance included: Don Schey, K3UST, 1967 George Hinkel, WA3KSK, 1969 Tony Tuerk, WA3KQC, 1976 Tom Michaud, WA3TQJ, 1977, 1994 Jim Antonacci, WA3EHD, 1980 Frank Bostick, W3ZAA, 1984 Brian Taylor, N3EXA, 1989 Bill Hemphill, WD9EQD, 1991 Vince Pironti, KD3TC, 1993 Bill Gorodetzer, K3MFI, 1996-1998 Each of the past presidents took the opportunity to share with the guests some club history and events during their term in office. We were all honored for reaching our 35th anniversary by a letter from President Bill Clinton. Mugs commemorating the 35th anniversary of WARC were passed out to all current members of the club. This was a very nice evening for all members, family and friends in attendance. If you were unable to pick up mug, they will be available to current members at the meetings. Thanks to all who helped out to make this a big success. Don't forget the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes on January 22 - 24. This is one of the club-supported contests in which you can participate with very modest equipment. Since it is local communication, the more that participate in a local area, the better the chances for a good club score. Let's get on the air and have some fun! Joe, N3EMA, will be at the January meeting to give us the details and pass out some information. Speaking of January contests, January 1st is "Kid's Day." This is an informal, relaxed; ARRL sponsored "contest" with the intention of giving young people the opportunity to get on the air together. I think this would be a great opportunity for WARC to expose young people in our area to Amateur Radio. Why not think about opening your station to some kids in your neighborhood or spend a little time making a few contacts yourself. One contact could open up the whole world of Amateur Radio to someone. Details are available on the web at http://www.arrl.org/ead/kd-rules.html or in the November issue of QST. See you at the next meeting. Rocky, N3FKR Happy New Year! 2000 From Burt Ludin N3YVH It is that time once again, the Holiday Dinner is now behind us. It was a great success plenty of good food and a nice turn out about 148 people. The program honored the clubs past presidents. There was a nice turn out around 10 past presidents. They where all given a copy of the letter sent to us from Bill Clinton and an anniversary mug. It was very nice seeing so many people having a good time. Bernie N3RJD and Doug N3RGE did a great job with food. And Jim N3XXQ did a nice job with the music. There were other people who helped out as well and I want to thank them too, but I can't remember all their names. Best Wishes for a Happy New Year! Burt N3YVH Events From 1999 Some past members we have heard from: Joe Toy, KA3JEG; Ed Lewis, K3WST; Vic Klein, WA4THR, Steve White; W4SNW Some Events we provided communications for: March of Dimes Walkathon, MS Walkathon, Warminster Memorial Day Parade, 30th Annual Vintage Ford Show at Johnsville, Middletown Grange Fair, Warminster Parks & Recreation "Hole in one" Golf Outing, The Craven Hall 5K Run, Turkey Trot. Some Special Events and activities: Constitution Review and Revision, ARRL January VHF Contest, Kit Building, Annual Auction, Hamfest, Hamfest Button slogan, PA QSO Party, Formed new Special Group Committees, Kit Building Night, Field Day, Willow Grove Naval Air Show (canceled), Pearl Buck Special Event Station, Fall and Spring Ham Radio Instructional Classes, Annual Club Picnic, Adopt-A-Highway Program, Annual Holiday Dinner. Coast Guard clarifies Amateur Radio assistance call: The US Coast Guard has asked the Amateur Radio community to help during what it calls "the Y2K event"--defined as from 1700 UTC December 31, 1999, until 2400 UTC on January 2, 2000. If a Y2K-related outage disrupts normal reporting methods, the Coast Guard requests that hams accept any reports destined for its National Response Center and forward them to respective state Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) via "RACES/ARES or other available methods." The Coast Guard says hams should follow "established reporting procedures for their respective jurisdictions." Hams will forward any appropriate reports via established Amateur Radio nets, expected to be in operation during the Y2K time frame. The National Response Center is the sole national point of contact for reports of oil, chemical, and other spills or releases into the environment in the US and its territories. The state EOC will relay reports received to the Coast Guard via telephone, the Internet or FEMA's HF radio network. For more information on the NRC, visit http://www.nrc.uscg.mil .--US Coast Guard bulletin Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter The 21st Century and the 3rd Millennium - When Will They Begin? Years of the Gregorian calendar, which is currently in use today, are counted from AD 1. Thus, the 1st century comprised the years AD 1 through AD 100. The second century began with AD 101 and continued through AD 200. By extrapolation we find that the 20th century comprises the years AD 1901-2000. Therefore, the 21st century will begin with 1 January 2001 and continue through 31 December 2100. Similarly, the 1st millennium comprised the years AD 1-1000. The 2nd millennium comprises the years AD 1001-2000. The 3rd millennium will begin with AD 2001 and continue through AD 3000. Many initial epochs have been used for calendrical reckoning. Frequently, years were counted from the ascension of a ruler. For a calendrical epoch to be useful, however, it must be tied to a sequence of recorded historical events. This is illustrated by the adoption of the birth of Christ as the initial epoch of the Julian and Gregorian calendars. This epoch was established by the 6th century scholar Dionysius Exiguus who was compiling a table of dates of Easter. Dionysius followed previous precedent by extending an existing table (by Cyrillus) covering the period 228-247, reckoned from the beginning of the reign of Emperor Diocletian. However, he did not want his Easter table "to perpetuate the memory of an impious persecutor of the Church, but preferred to count and denote the years from the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ." To accomplish this he designated the years of his table Anni Domini Nostri Jesu Christi 532-550. Thus, Dionysius' Anno Domini 532 is equivalent to Anno Diocletiani 248, so that a correspondence was established between the new Christian Era and an existing system associated with historical records. What Dionysius did not do is establish an accurate date for the birth of Christ. While scholars generally believe that Christ was born a few years before AD 1, the records are too sketchy to allow a definitive dating. Given an initial epoch, one must consider how to record preceding dates. Today it is obvious that a year designated 1 would be preceded by year 0, which would be preceded by year -1, etc. But since the concept of negative numbers did not come into use in Europe until the 16th century, and was initially only of interest to mathematicians, its application to chronological problems was delayed for two more centuries. Instead, years were counted from a succession of initial epochs. Even as Dionysius' practice of dating from the Incarnation became common in ecclesiastical writings of the middle ages, traditional dating practices continued for civil purposes. In the 16th century Joseph Justus Scaliger tried to resolve the patchwork of historical eras by placing everything on a single system. Not being ready to deal with negative year counts, he sought an initial epoch in advance of any historical record. His approach was numerological and utilized three calendrical cycles: the 28-year solar cycle, the 19-year cycle of Golden Numbers, and the 15-year indiction cycle. The solar cycle is the period after which week days and calendar dates repeat in the Julian calendar. The cycle of Golden Numbers is the period after which moon phases repeat (approximately) on the same calendar dates. The indiction cycle was a Roman tax cycle of unknown origin. Therefore, Scaliger could characterize a year by the combination of numbers (S,G,I), where S runs from 1 through 28, G from 1 through 19, and I from 1 through 15. Scaliger first stated that a given combination would recur after 7980 (= 28 x 19 x 15) years. He called this a Julian cycle because it was based on the Julian calendar. Scaliger knew that the year of Christ's birth (as determined by Dionysius Exiguus) was characterized by the number 9 of the solar cycle, by Golden Number 1, and by number 3 of the indiction cycle, or (9,1,3). Then Scaliger chose as this initial epoch the year characterized by (1,1,1) and determined that (9,1,3) was year 4713 of his chronological era. Scaliger's initial epoch was later to be adopted as the initial epoch for the Julian Day numbers. We would say that Scaliger's initial epoch was 4713 BC or -4712. In the historical system of dating, AD 1 is preceded by 1 BC; there is no year 0. In the astronomical system, AD 1 is designated +1; this is preceded by year 0, which is preceded by year -1. The historical system was introduced in the 16th century. However, the astronomical system was not introduced until the 18th century. U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department FCC TURNS AWAY HAM-BAND BROADCASTING PETITION: The FCC has turned down a request by Michael R. Reynolds, W0KIE, to permit amateurs to make one-way transmissions intended for reception by the general public on Amateur Service frequencies above 420 MHz. Reynolds had said that, if adopted, his proposal would provide new opportunities for noncommercial, community-oriented radio and additional diversity on the radio dial. He also asserted that Amateur Service frequencies above 420 MHz are "seriously underutilized." The FCC dismissed the petition November 18, apparently without ever assigning it a rulemaking number or soliciting comments. In dismissing the petition, the FCC said that the Amateur Service was not intended to be used for broadcasting, that authorizing broadcasting in the 420-450 MHz band could cause harmful interference to other stations that share the band with amateurs, that the band is well-populated with repeaters, and that 420 MHz is the lowest amateur frequency available for spread spectrum and ATV. The FCC also noted the pending petition to create a low-power FM broadcasting service.--W5YI Report Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter TEACHER SURVEY YIELDS NEW INSIGHTS: Teachers responding to an ARRL survey are upbeat about ham radio and say it still has youth appeal. Many also suggest that involvement with a local club is an important part of a young amateur's first steps. In October, ARRL Field and Educational Services polled 30 specially selected active teachers and instructors about their Amateur Radio instructional efforts and experiences. The group surveyed included those who have been likely to respond to earlier surveys, have had a high level of classroom activity and success, and have used innovative teaching techniques. Questions included student ages, school or club group composition, numbers of successful licensees, and types of operating activities students liked best. The questionnaire--compiled and distributed by Field & Educational Services Correspondent Dan Miller, K3UFG--specifically asked for details about what made an Amateur Radio program successful with students--the hits and misses. The overwhelming majority of those responding expressed optimism about the future of ham radio and its special attraction for young people. A few students also shared their experiences. All teachers surveyed agreed that getting someone licensed was only the beginning. While they felt that it was their responsibility to prepare students to get on the air, involvement with a local club was seen to be of equal importance since a club can offer support, guidance, and answers to questions. Miller agrees. "In our fast changing technology, the need for continuing education in the hobby has never been greater," he says. "Membership in a club allows us to learn and develop our interests, while serving the community in which we live." Those involved in an instructional program who would like to contribute to the survey may contact Dan Miller at dmiller@arrl.org for a questionnaire. Complete survey results will appear in early 2000.--Mary E. Lau, N7IAL Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter ELSER-MATHES CUP AWAITS EXTRATERRESTRIAL QSO: Recent news of the now-lost Mars Polar Lander has renewed interest in the Elser-Mathes Cup. Visitors to ARRL HQ may recall having seen the unusual trophy on display. It's intended to mark the occasion of the first two-way Amateur Radio contact between Earth and Mars. (The actual bowl of the cup is borne by images of beings that only coincidentally resemble the large-eyed hominids of alien abduction lore; that was not the intention, however.--Ed) The story of the Elser-Mathes cup appeared in the November 1969 issue of QST. In his article, "That Planet Mars QSO Cup," Col Fred Johnson Elser, W6FB, recalled meeting League founder Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, in the 1920s. He learned that Maxim had an interest in Mars and even owned a globe of "The Red Planet." Later, back in The Philippines--in 1928 under US jurisdiction--Elser was inspired by a visit with Philippines SCM Lt Cmdr Stanley Mathes, K1CY, to offer "a unique trophy" for the first two-way communication with Maxim's "pet planet," Mars. The actual trophy selected by Elser and Mathes during a trip to Baguio is an example of Igorot native woodcarving. "The base symbolizes Earth and the seated figures are its inhabitants," Elser explained in QST. "The bowl is Mars, and the standing men are the amateurs who bridge the gap of space." The plate fastened to the cup includes space for the names and call signs of those who will one day fulfill the cup's eventual destiny. (In the meantime, if you'd like to send your name to Mars, visit http://spacekids.hq.nasa.gov/2001/). Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter FAR OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS: The nonprofit Foundation for Amateur Radio Inc--an ARRL-affiliated federation of more than 75 Amateur Radio clubs in the Washington, DC, area--plans to administer 73 scholarships for the 2000-2001 academic year to assist eligible radio amateurs with post-secondary education. The Foundation fully funds 10 of the scholarships with income from grants and from its annual hamfest. FAR administers the remaining 63 scholarships at no cost to the donors. Amateur Radio licensees are eligible to compete for these awards if they plan to pursue a full-time course of study beyond high school and are enrolled in or have been accepted at an accredited university, college, or technical school. Awards range from $500 to $2500. In some cases, preference goes to those pursuing certain courses of study or to residents of specific geographical areas. FAR encourages all clubs--especially those in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin--to spread the word on the availability of these scholarships at meetings, in newsletters, during training classes, on their nets, and on their Web sites. Application forms and additional information are available by letter or QSL postmarked prior to April 30, 2000, from FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738. Contributions to FAR are tax-deductible. Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter SOLAR UPDATE: Solar flux and sunspot numbers rose over the past week after declining for the previous few weeks. Average solar flux was up over 14 points compared to the previous week, and average sunspot numbers were up nearly 34 points. The only unstable geomagnetic day was Monday, December 13, when the planetary A index was 26. The K index was four or five for most of the day. In Alaska, the higher latitude College A index was 43, and the K index reached six over several three-hour periods. On Wednesday and Thursday, December 15 and 16--just before this bulletin was written--the solar flux was still rising. Three solar flux readings are taken every day at the Penticton, British Columbia observatory, but the noon value is the one that is reported as the official number for the day. The thrice-daily values for both days were 174.9, 178.7, 182.3, 191.6, 194, and 195. This weekend, December 18-19, look for the flux to peak, with Friday through Sunday values around 200, 210 and 195. Geomagnetic conditions should be stable, with planetary A indices around 5, 8 and 10. Sunspot numbers for December 9 through 15 were 132, 130, 134, 97, 147, 139 and 148 with a mean of 132.4. The 10.7-cm flux was 156.2, 164.4, 159.1, 159.2, 166.1, 168.4 and 178.7, with a mean of 164.6. The estimated planetary A indices were 12, 7, 7, 9, 26, 3 and 4, with a mean of 9.7. Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter BACK