June 2000 Two years running we have had great weather for our hamfest weekend. Hamfest 2000 was a success thanks to the work of our co-chairs Tony Simek (N3YNH) and Roy Conners (K3TEN) as well as the club membership who all contributed to pull off our major club fund raising event. Tony and Roy are to be commended for a job well done. June is the busiest month of events for WARC with something scheduled almost every weekend. One advantage of a club with a large active membership is the ability to handle several consecutive events without overtaxing few individuals. Of course this only works if everyone makes and effort to participate and share the load. This is generally not a problem because our members enjoy using our capabilities to help out the community and have a good time while doing it. Field Day on Saturday/Sunday June 24th/25th is Amateur Radio’s main event. It gives us an annual opportunity to use our skills as radio operators under simulated emergency field conditions. We get to practice set-up, test gear, try new antenna designs, camp out, eat good food, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow club members and amateurs. It also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate to the public the capabilities of the Amateur Radio Service. I hope all members will participate in this year’s event. Set-up will start Friday afternoon. Contact our co-chairs Doc Whitticar (W3GAD) or Stu Simon (K2QBU) to let them know how you will help out. The Sounds of Freedom air show will be held June 17th and 18th. WARC has provided radio communications for the medical net for this event for many years. Our services are important and highly valued. This is a very large event with injury and illness likely. The medical staff depends on us to locate and direct medical services to the area of need. Contact Al Folsom (KY3T) to let him know when you are available. The annual election of officers occurs at the June meeting. Enclosed in this Feedback you’ll find a ballot for this year’s election. Please fill it out and bring to the meeting or mail it in if you cannot attend. See you at the next meeting, Rocky, N3FKR Upcoming Public Service Events: Date, Event, Contact Monday May 29, Warminster Memorial Parade, George Brechmann, N3HBT Saturday June 3, Buckingham 300th Birthday, Rocky Pistilli N3FKR Sunday June 4, Vintage Ford car show, George Brechmann N3HBT Thursday June 8, Five Ponds golf outing, George Brechmann N3HBT Saturday/Sunday June 17/18, Willow Grove Air Show, Al Folsom KY3T Saturday/Sunday June 24/25, Field Day, Doc Whitticar W3GAD New Night for Club Station Starting in May, the WARC club station will be open to anyone with an interest, on Tuesday evenings between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00 pm. This is a change from Thursdays and is a permanent change. For further information, call George Brechmann N3HBT at 215-443-5656. Thank you George N3HBT Hi Rich, Here are the minutes of the May 4th General Meeting. Thanks, Ron WARC General Meeting Minutes May 4, 2000 Meeting called to order at 7:35 PM President Report: - Nominating committee - current officers are on the ballad - we would like to have additional people on the slate. - The club had good participation in the March Of Dimes. - N3FKR is putting together a club roster. Vice President Report: - Program tonight is a presentation by Gene Pressler on the ARCC. - June is pizza night. - Picnic will be either at Core Creek Park or Tyler State Park - need volunteers. Membership Report: - N3YVH reported 143 current membership including 2 new members - 43 inactive members. ARES Report: - N3MJP reported 2 events coming up - need hams to apply Adopt A Highway: - N3SOQ reported new date for cleanup is Sunday, May 21st. Repeater: - N3EXA said that we are working with the FCC and neighboring repeaters about noise on repeater - ongoing tower plans Public Service: - N3FKR needs volunteers for the June 3rd Buckingham birthday - N3GAD reported on the March Of Dimes events. - N3HBT needs volunteers for upcoming events. - KY3T needs volunteers for the air show, June 17th and 18th. Ham Fest: - Need tailgater parking captain - Sat setup 8am - Sun early start 5:30am Old Business: - New club logo/QSL design needs participation - entries due by field day. New Business: - Club station night is changed to Tuesday - KD3DI talked about estate sale. Good and Welfare: - K3QQ passed away Friday, April 21st. Business meeting adjourned 8:30pm. A SHACK IN SPACE NEARS REALITY A new chapter in the history of Amateur Radio will begin later this year when ham gear is installed aboard the International Space Station for the first time. Three major events must happen before the first QSO is made from the ISS, however. First, the Russian-built Zvezda Service Module is scheduled for launch in early to mid-July, providing the living quarters for the first ISS crew. Then, the initial amateur station hardware will be sent up to the ISS aboard shuttle mission STS-106 in August. Finally, the initial crew of US astronaut Bill Shepard, KD5GSL, and Russian Cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, and Yuri Gaidzenko will be launched in October from Russia aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for what's expected to be a long-duration mission. Amateur Radio will be available to the first crew members once it's been installed temporarily aboard the Zarya Functional Cargo Block module, already in space. Earlier plans had called for the initial station gear--primarily VHF and UHF hand-held transceivers--to be put aboard the Service Module. Launch delays forced the change, however. The amateur gear likely will be transferred to the Service Module next year. The initial station will use existing antennas on the Functional Cargo Block. The system is being adapted to support Amateur Radio operation on 2 meters but not on 70 cm. A Russian station license and call sign, RZ3DZR, have been granted for the ISS ham radio station. Long-term plans call for obtaining an international call sign for the ISS station to recognize the cooperative nature of the ARISS project. With assistance from the International Amateur Radio Union, efforts are under way to request a specific ISS call sign block from the ITU. "A multinational call sign block is the most desirable route," said ARRL First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, after a meeting of the ARISS international partners earlier this year in the Netherlands. ARISS team members continue to pursue licenses in their respective countries. A German call sign, DL0ISS, has been issued, and a US call sign has been applied for. The initial ISS amateur station will provide primarily FM voice and "improved" packet capability on 2 meters and--once aboard the Service Module--on 70 cm using Ericsson hand-held transceivers. It's expected that slow-scan TV, various types of amateur TV, and experimental projects eventually will be added. A primary goal of ARISS is to continue a schedule of Amateur Radio contacts with schools, so students can interview the astronauts and cosmonauts directly--as a major component of a classroom project. NASA "clearly supports the educational outreach aspects" of the ARISS project, US delegation member Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, told the Netherlands gathering. Bauer is scheduled to discuss progress on the ARISS project during the Dayton Hamvention AMSAT forum Saturday, May 20. Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter JUNE SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS Ruskin, FL: West Central Florida SKYWARN Group, WX4TBW, 1200-2200Z June 3, for the start of the 2000 Hurricane Season. 28.350 21.350 14.250 MHz and APRS. QSL. Hurricane 2000, PO Box 8734, Seminole, FL 33775. Baltimore, MD: Historical Electronics Museum ARC, W3GR, 1400Z June 3 to 2100Z June 4, to commemorate the D-Day Invasion of Europe. 7.115 14.240 21.245 28.440. Certificate. W3GR at Historical Electronics Museum, PO Box 746, MS 4015, Baltimore, MD 21203. McDade, TX: Naturist Amateur Radio Club, NU5DE, 1800Z June 22 to 2400Z June 24, during the Southwestern Sunbathing Association Convention. 7.265 14.265 21.365 28.465. QSL. Naturist Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 200812, Austin, TX 78720. Courtesy The ARRL Newsletter BACK