JUNE 1998 President’s Message Despite the weather not cooperating fully with us (for the second year in a row), Hamfest’ 98 was a success for the club. Sure, we lost some revenue from decreased general attendance, but we got great support from our indoor vendors and outdoor tailgaters who come out year after year for our major fund raising event. A sincere WARC thank you goes out to co-chairs John D’Onofrio (N3RIA) and Tony Simek (N3YNH) and their families (who actively supported our Hamfest) and all WARC members who helped out. We hear it every year from the attendees- WARC has the reputation for putting on the BEST RUN hamfest in the area! Well, judging from the comments and smiling faces on the vendors and all the "stuff" buyers carried to their cars, it looks like lots of gear changed hands. We got great feedback (again) on the food provided by the Grange. Lot’s of opportunities were provided for socializing. Another well run VE session with lots of "passes". And all those things are why people come to a hamfest! Appointed Director Joe Bagnick (N3EMA) has decided to step down from his present club duties because of his inability, due to his work schedule, to make our Thursday evening meetings. Joe has been a great contributor to the Board over the past two years and his presence at board and general meetings will be greatly missed. Joe still looks forward to participating in club activities (with his son Chris, who is working on getting his license) including two of their favorites; Field Day and Fox Hunting. Congratulations to Hugh Hart (N3SOQ) whom the executive Board appointed as Director. Also, a thank you goes out to Bill Essner (N3RAF) for his efforts as interim Secretary; Bill also will be unable to make Thursday evening meetings in the near future and our newly elected Secretary, Mark Kempisty (N3GNW), will assume his duties immediately. Our May 7 general meeting was quite a hit with the more than 80 members and guests who attended. The "Pizza Social" was a nice change in refreshments (thanks to Bert Ludin N3YVH !) and club Vice President Rocky Pistilli did a great job in moderating WARC’s version of "Everything you wanted to know about Ham Radio but were afraid to ask". The questions on technical matters, operating modes, procedures, and WARC/ham radio folklore made for a great program, which we’ve been asked by many of our members to schedule again; maybe on a yearly basis. Although we had a "panel of experts" lined up, the answers came from the same group that was asking the questions; our general membership. It’s great to see that we’ve got a club culture that encourages all questions and a broad base of in house expertise to provide the answers. With Field Day and the Willow Grove Naval Air show happening on the same weekend (June27/28), the club has chosen to commit a "maximum effort" for both events. I sincerely hope that ALL members will participate in at least one of the events, and I know many of you have already made plans to participate in both activities. The Air Show, which is the club’s most important public service communications event, involves a one (or two) day "all day" commitment (it’s not practical to spend less than a full day). Field Day participation is much more flexible. You can help with set up (scheduled for 2pm Friday this year with finishing touches on Saturday morning), operate any time from 2 pm Saturday until 2 pm Sunday, and help tear down and return equipment to storage on Sunday after 2 pm. The club supplies ALL the food, soft drinks and coffee you can consume and will again have the traditional pizza run on Saturday evening. Bring a friend(s), family member(s) or just yourself; but please try to support the club’s participation in ham radio’s premiere operating event; Field Day. It’s important to ham radio and the club and I guarantee it will be a meaningful experience for all of us who participate. Look for additional information on both activities in FEEDBACK. I’ve said it many times before; it’s up to the MEMBERSHIP to decide what we should be spending our limited resources (money and time) on and help the club officers to decide on club priorities. Please participate in answering a survey that will be distributed in the near future so the Executive Board can get a better idea on whether we need to make changes to our existing club programs, activities, meeting format and priorities. Let’s continue to make WARC responsive to the wishes of the general membership. de Bill , K3MFI We tried something new at the May meeting. In addition to the pizza social, we had a general question and answer session entitled "Everything You Wanted to Know About Ham Radio But Were Afraid to Ask." Cards were passed out for writing down the questions. The questions were at first a little slow coming in until Bill K3MFI announced you needed to turn in a question to qualify for the free pizza! We called upon the vast expertise of the club membership to answer the questions and, as usual for the W.A.R.C. membership, participation was excellent. Did you know that W.A.RC. was started by four people back in 1964? Did you know you can access the Bucks County dispatcher on the 147.09 repeater by keying 911* on your touch tone pad? Answers ranged from a very understandable explanation of basic radio principles for a young attendee to a description of the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS). It seems there were questions and answers to keep everyone’s interest. As a result of this program, Dick N3AOG will be hosting a CW practice net on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. on the 147.09 repeater following the weekly social net at 8:30. The club will also be looking into starting a net for digital communications. Please feel free to contact Rocky Pistilli, N3FKR; crpistil@netaxs.com 215-572-5330 for any questions or concerns regarding club-meeting programs. 73’, Rocky; N3FKR Field Day '98 and Grange Fair '98 Organizational Meetings If you're interested in taking a leadership role either of these two events, please come a little earlier than usual to the June 4 General Meeting. Doc Whitticar (W3GAD) is getting together with Field Day band captains, etc. at 6:45 PM; Frank O'Neill (N3UQP) is meeting with day captains and primary traffic handlers at 7:00 PM. George Brechmann (N3HBT) To Receive Award The Warminster Park Recreation and Conservation Board has selected George F. Brechmann (N3HBT) to receive the 1998 Edward A. Jefferies Award for outstanding commitment to Warminster Township in the provision of leisure services to the community. The dedication ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 6, 1998 at 1:00 p.m. at Munro Park, Newtown and Bristol Roads, during the Warminster Baseball Association’s All Star Day. Friends are invited to attend and club members are encouraged to wear a call sign badge or some item of hamwear to identify us as amateur radio operators and/or WARC members. George received this award based upon nomination from club member Steve White (WA3IAO). Steve took note of the significant commitment George has made to Warminster Township as a community leader, volunteer at the Benjamin Wilson Senior Center and the amateur radio communications support he has facilitated for numerous public service activities. ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS WARC members elected officers (all positions) at the May 7 General Meeting . Results: President, Bill Gorodetzer (K3MFI); Vice President, Rocky Pistilli (N3FKR); Secretary, Mark Kempisty (N3GNW); Treasurer, Al Folsom (KY3T). New officers assume their responsibilities July 1, 1998 (after Hamfest and Field Day) and serve for one year. Willow Grove Naval Air Station "Sounds of Freedom" Air Show To Amateur Radio Operators Interested In Public Service Event Communications : For more than ten years, the Warminster Amateur Radio Club has assisted with communications at Willow Grove Naval Air Station "Sounds of Freedom" Air Show. This year the air show is to be held June 27th and 28th, coinciding with Field Day. Because of this conflict, we are looking for help with the air show from other area hams. Hams will assist the medical personnel in communications, tying together the medic teams roaming the crowds, the ambulances, the dispensary, and other key facilities. We DO NOT handle lost children, parking, or so on. It is strictly a medical net. Approximately 30 operators are needed each day. The show is frequently hot, and it is a long day. Most of the positions are outside, but I do have a few which are indoor, or stationary, if you cannot stand the sun or the heat. What do you need to participate? Communications are on 2 meters, so an HT is a necessity. Once the show starts, it is difficult to get people off or onto the base, so with few exceptions, we ask that people commit to a full day, either Saturday, Sunday, or both. We start at roughly eight in the morning, and finish at four or five in the afternoon, so plenty of battery power is needed. Also, the jets can get pretty loud, so some means of getting the HT audio to your ear is almost a requirement. Ear plugs or headsets are preferred. Sunscreen and water should be brought with you. Finally, the most important requirement is the proper attitude. This is a serious event. Each year there are casualties of some sort, and it is not uncommon for people’s lives to depend on quick, professional, actions of the Hams. Unlike many ham activities where we are there "in case" of problems, we are practically guaranteed problems here. Each year we have heart attacks, heat stroke, and a host of other emergencies. If you can operate in a disciplined manner, we would appreciate your help. This is not intended to imply that it isn't fun to participate. Some of our operating positions are the best seats in the house! If you would like to assist either or both days, please contact Al Folsom, KY3T, at (215) 343-6851 or by e-mail at folsom@ix.netcom.com. I look forward to hearing from you. IT'S HERE (FIELD DAY) - JUNE 1998 Field Day is June 27th and 28th - That's right the same week end as the AIR SHOW at NAS Willow Grove. This double schedule really challenges the enjoyment of the hobby for some of our members. The air show puts us where the real action is, providing communications for emergency medical personnel. Field Day, on the other hand is a training exercise for that emergency event we hope never comes and a contest to show how well we have prepared ourselves for that emergency. As in years past we will be running Field Day from the north field at the SHRINE OF CZESTOCHWA. To make things easier, we will start setting up at 2PM Friday the 26th. We have opportunities available for everyone, from band captains and operators to setup, operators, kitchen help and of course the taking down, packing up and putting all the toys away. Last year we had beautiful weather and made a respectable showing as a 7A station. In 1998 we are hoping to mount at least a 4 transmitter effort for the weekend. With the new digital modes counting as separate transmitters we may be able to have a fifth transmitter running on various bands for most of the weekend doing AMTOR, HF PACKET or RTTY. Plans are in place to have computers available for logging at each station and we are looking forward to good food, plenty of cold drinks and hot coffee. If standing out in the sun looking up in the sky for 10 hours is not your idea of how to spend a weekend but you are looking for a chance to share the amateur radio experience see NY3J, Ron; K2QBU, Stu; or W3GAD, Doc at the club meeting where we will be taking sign-ups for all areas of field day activities including Desserts and snacks. If you can not get away for the entire weekend please plan on stopping by for a few hours to help setup, tear down or operate during the weekend. Field day is a lot of fun and really fine operating experience. Remember - This is a Club function and there are plenty of control operators on deck during field day so you can operate HF even if you are only a no code tech or novice. You don't have to be a member to operate - gusts are welcome. I am hoping to see you all there. Any questions should be directed to Doc Whitticar - W3GAD at 215-968-6397 or docw@voicenet.com 73’, Doc; W3GAD Emergency Autopatch Use On '09 Repeater The 147.090 repeater has a 911 autopatch for emergencies only. To use this feature: 1--Key up the repeater, announce your call ( Example: N3HBT access autopatch ) and with the key held down, press the 9 1 1 * keys on the keypad. 2--Release the key and listen to the phone being dialed. 3--When the 911 operator comes on the air and asks what is the emergency, tell them clearly and calmly that you are an amateur radio operator and advise them of the emergency type, location and if there are any injuries. Have these details ready before calling the 911 operator. 4--At the end of the phone call, key up the repeater and with the key held down, press the # key and release the key. 5--After the repeater has hung up the phone patch, announce your call. Example: "N3HBT clear autopatch" 73, George; N3HBT June 13-15 1998 ARRL June VHF QSO Party If you're a vhf/uhf contester, try participating in the second most popular contest of the year.........the June VHF QSO party. Info is available in the May QST or on the ARRL contest page http://www.arrl.org/contests . For those who want to see a "max effort" from a club serious about this kind of event, visit the Mt.Airy VHF Society ("the Packrats") by making a pilgrimage to Camelback Mountain. For more info, contact Packrat June VHF QSO Party chairperson Al Sheppard (N3ITT) who is also a member of WARC. HAMFEST DX?? (from a recent e-mail to WARC) Dear All, I would like to thank you all for a very enjoyable Hamfest the other week. (I found your very good web site via :- ronk3lic@earthlink.net who has a very good web page, I also had the pleasure of meeting Ron, & so arranged my visit to coincide with the Ham fest). The talk-in was absolutely excellent, I was totally lost south of Cheltenham (In a very very dodgy area) & the chap that guided me in was excellent, I eventually met up with another ham & got in safely. Thank you & I believe he was Visually impaired, wow, well done again & thanks. I am from the UK, My call is G4WUH (Most people call me "G4WAKE UP HAPPY") & I am to be found on HF & 99% CW Mobile. (Warning, this is not recommended, try it at your own risk, I find it easy & use my IC706 UP & Down key in an iambic configuration) Although I hope to get an aerial up soon, when I can afford a 45' slim tower or mast. I am normally on the RNARS (Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society Freq's 28052, 21052, 18080, 14052, 10118, 7020 & 3520Khz) Although I do occasionally use a 2M handheld when travelling. I enjoyed the hamfest, but as a suggestion, why not have a few HF/VHF radios set up, & available for licenced ham use?, would be good PR & also good fun (I needed to QSO a mate in the UK, but could not get on HF) Anyway, I am coming back in Aug/Sept (I am a Y2K (Year 2000) consultant) time so maybe work some of you then. 73, Ian; G4WUH