Georgia Section On My Mind

January, 2005

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I don't suppose that it's ever intended as a compliment to be called "two-faced", huh? But at this time of the year, I think we're all kinda two-faced, in a manner of speaking. January gets its name from the Roman god Janus, who's usually portrayed as having two opposite-facing faces. Those ol' Romans really knew what they were doing when they chose that particular name for the first month of the year, didn't they? The cusp of each new year usually stirs in us a primal need to both look behind us with mixed emotions at the events of the year that is slipping away, while making hopeful and well-meaning plans and resolutions for the year that rises in front of us. It's a time of taking stock, of experiencing a warm glow of satisfaction for the jobs well done, and for the acts of kindness expressed in friendship and love, and feeling some pangs of regret and sorrow for those things and people who have passed from our lives. And yet, each new year always holds such promise, like a fresh piece of paper, just waiting for us to make our mark. Let's hope that in 2005, together we can make that mark a positive one.

I spent entirely too much time trying to find some good one-liners about new year's resolutions. It sure seems like a likely topic, and I'm sure that there's probably a wealth of one-liners on the web. Somewhere. Just like I'm sure that there's a great recipe for that basil chicken on the web, just like the way it's prepared at our favorite Thai restaurant. Somewhere. But it's easier to make a trip to the restaurant. And it was easier to collect a variety of one-liners about people's foibles and failings, in line with that whole taking stock idea. I'll probably find what I'm looking for on new year's resolutions yet.... And if so, I'll simply save it for next year.

A couple of things to comment on before getting into the main body of this month's newsletter:

+First, CONGRATULATIONS to our favorite Vice Director, SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, for his recent re-election. His second three-year term begins at noon on January first. He started in his position on January first (at noon..... no kidding!) in 2002, at which time I took over his role as Section Manager. (uh-huh, at noon...) Hope he's enjoyed his new role as much as I've enjoyed his old one...

+It was with some sadness that I realized that not one single person sent me an email about the pros and cons of the incorporation of clubs, as discussed in last month's newsletter. I thought sure that there'd be a lot of response on that, and that those responses would be a huge help for those clubs who haven't yet taken the plunge, and aren't quite sure if they want to or not. But, nothing. (sigh) OK, one more chance. Any input? If not, I reckon I'll just fuhgetaboutit.

+As I've told you before, the Girl Scouts of America's 50th Convention will be held at the World Congress Center in Atlanta in October, and those girls will be counting on Georgia hams to step forward and assume the responsibility of seeing that amateur radio is a presence at this convention. I'll get some additional information and send out a separate email telling you all about it in the near future, so be prepared to give it some thought.... (I just KNOW that there are some hams out there who'd love to take on this project.)

+The Youth forum and activities from these past two Lawrenceville Hamfests have been a huge success, thanks largely to the efforts of our assistant SM for Youth, ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM. The 2005 one promises to be even better. One addition will be the presentation of the first GA Section Young Ham of the Year award. (Piglet of the Year?) Stay tuned for more info on that.

+When sending some information to our Webmaster, ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, recently, I commented to him about how good the site looked, and how I hoped somebody actually looked at it. In response, he wrote, "I just looked at the stats page for your Web site. You receive about 1200 visits a month, about 40 a day and on average you get about 200 visits a month to the news area. So yes, people are looking at the Web site and at the news pages. These numbers are up from January and February when your numbers were around 600-700 visits a month. What is interesting to me is that most of your visitors, visit the site during the week. The average visitor stays on the site for 3 to 5 minutes but about 3% of your visitors stay online for up to an hour each month. About 100 folks read GA Section On My Mind newsletter each month, and about 50 visitors read the previous month's newsletter online each month. Also, since August of this year, your visitor numbers jumped from the 800 range to the 1200 range they are in now."

Now, I don't pretend to understand how he was able to ascertain all of that, but I think it's really cool. However, please realize that it isn't MY webpage..... this is the webpage for the GA SECTION. That's you guys. If that many people are looking at it, that means that this is a place where YOUR news could be seen. And the more news we have to see, the more people will visit the website to see it. Our webpage could be a fantastic tool. Help me make it one. For one thing, wouldn't it be great if all of the club news on there was ACCURATE and covered ALL of the active clubs in the entire state, whether affiliated or not? (If you send me up-to-date info on your club contact person, when and where your club meets, your club's repeaters and nets, and your website address, etc. I'd be delighted to compile that information and send it on to our webmaster.) The more information we have on there, the better service we are providing, especially to the new hams. I will ask you to make this one little resolution.... That if you have a picture to share from a club event, or a news story this coming year, PLEASE do so. Let's attract twice the number of visitors in 2005.

(And like I said in that first, January 2002 "Georgia Section on My Mind", I live in the metro Atlanta area. If you don't want the newsletter to be all about the metro Atlanta area, I'm counting on YOU to tell us what's going on in YOUR part of the state.)

OK, let's get on with it.... Let's see what's been a-happening, and what's coming up around the corner...

If I only had a little humility, I'd be perfect."
TED TURNER

DECEMBER HAPPENINGS

No Hamfests, conferences, or conventions this month, but just about every club had a special Holiday party or banquet, and my better half MIKE, K4HBI, and I thoroughly enjoyed every one that we were able to attend. There were quite a few Hams of the Year named by individual clubs, and some clubs also held their elections for new officers.

The Cherokee Capital ARC was the first club in the state to respond to the White Dove project by immediately sending a generous check to Florida, and club president FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN, issued a challenge to other GA clubs and hams to follow suit. And that they did. (in spades!) Some clubs collected money and sent a check, some used that money to purchase toys for the drive, and some even made a point of delivering their donations to Florida in person. And of course, there was our Atlanta Santa, CLAY POWELL, KD4DMT, who conducted an all-out, personal, one-man drive to gather toys and funds for the kids. So, Georgia hams, from one end of the state to the other, were terrific about helping those kids in Florida.

A couple of groups around the state concentrated their charitable efforts towards other worthwhile projects, in keeping with the Season. As is their usual December tradition, president DON "ANDY" ANDERSON, K4PSW, of QCWA Chapter 100, out of the Augusta area, visited the local Abused Children's Shelter to ascertain their needs, and then the group amply filled those needs.... and then some. Last year, they managed to fill the back seats of two cars with all of their donations, and I'd wager that they did at least the same this year. And this year, for the first time, members of the Alford Memorial ARC chose to "adopt" a needy family, and brought presents to their Holiday party to fulfill that family's wish list, probably creating a wonderful new tradition for that club. So, there was PLENTY happening around the state in the month of December. And it was all good.

On the way to the party in Albany, we took one of those delightful side trips to Columbus, so we could spend a little bit of time with EDDY KOSOBUCKI, K4JNL. I know that a lot of you have missed hearing him on the air, so let me reassure you that he is doing well, and hopes to be back on the air again real soon. His shack has been housed in an outbuilding for many years, and he's in the process of having it moved into the house, where he'll be able to enjoy new carpeting, a fresh paint job, and that all-important central heat and air. Let me tell you about his current shack, though. It's quite large, and I'm sure that it has provided him with a wonderful "dog house" for many years. Eddy has such a wonderful collection of books and magazines and photos that it's a fascinating experience just to look around and take it all in. He has lots of cool equipment, some home-brew, and a bunch of great components, too, but most of that is all neatly organized and not as easily viewed as the other cool stuff on the shelves and on the walls. Like signed photographs of BARRY GOLDWATER and GEORGE BUSBEE. (I was MUCH more impressed with the pic of Barry) He even has a photograph of the pope on the wall. (I TOLD you that he knows everybody!) There was a terrific article from the local newspaper about Eddy and amateur radio that was written in the 80's, and some great pictures of Eddy and a very young FRANK BUTLER, W4RH. And a letter from LARRY PRICE, W4RA, that was written in appreciation of all that Eddy had done as the Georgia Section Manager. (well, actually, he started as the SCM....) So, it was a real treat to visit with Mr. K and to absorb some of his rich history. We're looking forward to the opportunity to do it again.

"I may have faults, but being wrong ain't one of them."
JIMMY HOFFA

CLUB NEWS

ALBANY ARC --- There's no doubt that these folks know how to work hard when it comes to public service activities and emergency communications, but there's also no doubt that they know how to sit back, relax, and have a good time, too, when it comes to their annual Holiday party. I'd heard about their party the past few years, so it was a real pleasure to be able to join them and share the experience with them first-hand this time around. KEN ADAMS, K1KBA, started out the evening by infecting everyone with his good humor, as he led the door prize drawing activities with a warm wit and down-home sense of humor. (I kept waiting for him to say, "They call-l-l-l me..... Tater Salad...") The dinner was really good, especially that yummy custardy pineapple stuff, and the post-dinner entertainment provided by that dynamic singing duet, WANDA PERRETT, K4WHP, and MARY CROSBY, helped put everyone in a holly-jolly Holiday spirit. A great time was had by all. Officers were also elected for 2005, and congratulations go out to President- KEN ADAMS, K1KBA; VP- DAN TYSON, KB4OMV; Secretary- LEON PERRETT, K4GCR; and Treasurer- BOB SMITH, K4PHE. Best wishes for a great 2005.

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- Club PIC STEVE DIGGS, W4EPI, was rightly proud of what this club did to make the Holidays special. I mentioned to you all earlier that this group had decided to "adopt" a needy family, but let's let Steve tell you, in his own words, how that all came about, and what a wonderful success it was. Steve wrote, "During our November Meeting, we were discussing plans for our upcoming Christmas Party, and the subject of exchanging gifts among club members came up. A bit of roundtable discussion quickly brought out the commonly held belief that we all had enough "stuff" in our homes, and didn't need any more. Maureen Helm KG4NDV quickly offered that we should turn our focus outward, and that is exactly what we did. I contacted the Buckhead Christian Ministry http://www.bcmatlanta.org, a group where I've done volunteer work in the past and asked about sponsoring a family for the Christmas holidays. We were quickly paired up with mom Tera, daughters Brittany and Camyia, along with son Devin. BCM supplied us with details about the needs and preferences of each. Our Webmaster Robert Tyler KF4VBR quickly whipped up a web gift registration page (how did he do that so fast?) letting everyone know each individual's needs and what items had already been spoken for. The big night for the Christmas Party rolled around, and the AMRC members didn't disappoint. We collected two carloads of presents and $330 in cash, which we then used to round out the gifts with purchases and a small cash envelope for each. Like normal, Mrs. W4EPI (Diana) jumped in with both feet and volunteered to do all the shopping. The whole shebang was delivered to BCM on Sunday December 12th. What a rush! We put the whole thing together in barely 30 days and it came off without a hitch. I'm sure we will do this again next year. I mention it to you in hopes that other ham clubs can come together during the Holidays and make similar efforts. No doubt, other such activities are being done, and I for one would like to hear about them."

ATHENS ARC --- I've told you before about how busy this club stays, providing communications for a myriad of runs and parades all year, not to mention the UGA home games. At a recent club meeting, ED ROLLOR, N4ZRA, provided a review of the community service projects that this club has supported in the past year. Would you believe that their tally includes providing communications for 22 run/walks, Red Cross communications for 6 Georgia football games, civil defense siren tests, Field Day, 1 Sky Warn net, 6 VE test sessions, ARES training nets, and 1 full-fledged Emergency Response for the NE GA 9-17/17 tornado? (And I do believe that this accounting occurred prior to the Santa run and another football game....) Congratulations to club members for being such a positive and involved presence in the community.

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARS --- These folks have a new net on the air, on Tuesday evenings at 9PM, and you even have a choice of repeaters to use to participate: 443.675, 146.745, or 146.805.

COASTAL ARS --- On December 6th, this group held their annual Christmas Banquet at Johnny Harris Restaurant in Savannah, and in addition to sharing a great meal and great fellowship, the officers for next year were announced, and the club's Ham of the Year was honored and celebrated. Congratulations to these newly elected officers: President - JACK SINCLAIR, KG4SFW; VP - BILL DELOACH, K4QCD; 2nd VP - BOB HARMAN, KG4WTO; Secretary - SUE JONAS, W4SWJ; and Treasurer - JERE CONNAN, KT4ZB. Incoming Board Members DAVID DELAMATER, K4DJD, JO ANN SOLOMON, KG4ZBW, and KAYTON SMITH, W4KTN, join current board members DR. KEN GRIFFIN, W4JKG, and BILL SOLOMON, K4WCS. Best wishes to all of these fine folks for a successful and enjoyable year leading the club. Now, let's hear a drum roll and a hearty congratulations for this year's freshly crowned Amateur of the Year, BILL DELOACH, K4QCD. Congratulations, Bill, for this wonderful honor. This club has an interesting distinction that not too many other clubs can claim, and that's the Griffin family: when 11-year old TINSLEY, KI4HAY, recently earned her license, she joined dad KEN, W4JKG, and granddad JOE, KI4DZK, to make it a three generation ham family. (See the picture of this special trio and more of their story at www.arrl-ga.org  Members of the Coastal Amateur Radio Society and the Amateur Radio Club of Savannah pooled resources to collect over $260.00 in donations. This money was used to purchase a "sleigh-full" of toys for the White Dove Project, which club members DAVID DELAMATER, K4DJD, and KAYTON SMITH, W4KTN, then whisked down to deliver to the United Way office in Stewart, Florida. (THANKS to Trustee STEVE JONAS, K4SDJ, for providing all of this terrific info.)

CONYERS ARG --- Congratulations to these recently elected officers for 2005: President DAVID WAGNER, KG4WVP; VP- JOE TOTTER, WA4UJY; Secretary- JAMES "MOOSE" WISEMAN, KF4ASC; and Treasurer- TIM ROSING, KC4ELV. Best wishes in leading the club into a new year of fun and growth. Tim has headed up the communications efforts for the Egleston Christmas parade in Atlanta for a number of years now, and he happily reported that this year's event, held on December 4th, drew the largest number of hams ever, with 40 volunteers showing up before the crack of dawn to help in these efforts. Sincere thanks to Tim for coordinating the communications for this parade every year, and to each and every one of the hams who helped make it a huge success again this year.

ELLIJAY ARS --- DAVE MEADOWS, K4LDI, reported that during the Special Event station that the club ran in conjunction with the Georgia Apple Festival in October, club members logged nearly 700 QSOs. They've received requests for a certificate commemorating the contacts from over 100 of those QSOs, from hams in the US, Canada and a number of European stations. Needless to say, the club plans to have another special event operation at the 2005 Apple Festival, and has already reserved the W4A call sign for the event. (If your club has never operated a Special Event station, I highly recommend that you consider an operation of this sort in 2005. It's a LOT of fun.)

GWINNETT ARS --- A great big CONGRATULATIONS to STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, who was recently recognized as this club's Ham of the Year. Stan, who is Gwinnett county's hard-working EC and our GA Section's Assistant SEC, also wrote a two-part article for the January and February issues of QST on the Packet Client, an ARES needs-based program he's developed. It was a well-deserved recognition for much work well done. Coming up on January 15th will be this club's annual Tech Fest, a fun event created for hams to share ideas, technology, and fellowship, and to fill that "void" between Hamfests. (Not to mention the FREE lunch!) Always fun. See www.gars.org for directions.

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC --- Coming up at the January 4th meeting, you can find out everything you ever wanted to know about mobile installations. Can't quite bring yourself to drill a hole in the roof of your new vehicle? Not sure about breaching that firewall? Tired of having to pull over because your mag mount surrenders every time you reach that certain "magic speed" threshold while zipping down the interstate? (for us, it was 83 MPH) Well, come to the KARC meeting, and maybe you'll hear some solutions that may not have occurred to you before. Meeting will be at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta. Talk-in on 146.880. Talking about Southern Polytech, word has it that the Kennehoochee Hamfest (end of March) will be held on that campus this year, which will provide a great facility for the signature "Boot Camp" day-long technician class that this club hosts every year at their Hamfest.

LANIERLAND ARC --- This may not be the only club, but it's the only one that I've heard of, that holds its December meeting as a breakfast gathering. That worked so well for members' busy schedules in 2003 that they went for it again in 2004. After two years running, it sounds like it just may rate as a bona fide tradition now. Expect to see a surge in the number of extra class operators in the Gainesville area come March, because the club will be sponsoring study classes, beginning January 10th, to help interested hams prepare to pass their test and make that upgrade.

NORTH FULTON ARL--- A very special lady who knows how to make beautiful music with a bass fiddle that's bigger than she is, and who has faced some really rough medical challenges this past year and yet, managed to keep her ever-present smile and positive attitude, was selected as this year's Al Fisher Amateur of the Year. That special lady is BECKY ROBERTS, KF4SLZ. Remember the kids' story about the little red hen, where all of the critters are always responding, "Not I" when asked for help? Well, Becky's always the one who steps forward and says, "I will!" CONGRATULATIONS to Becky for this recognition, as well as for her courage and perseverance. She's a great role model for all of us, not just when it comes to amateur radio, but when it comes to wrestling with challenges (like she does that bass fiddle) and embracing life. She has music at her fingertips and in her heart.

NORTHEAST GEORGIA ARC --- LARRY OSBORNE, WT4XX, reports that this club has had quite a bit of community involvement over the past several months. Some members have been helping the Athens club with runs and the Bulldog games, while others provided communications for the Commerce Christmas parade. To cap it off and to end the year on a positive note, the Holiday party included the collection of toys for homeless children. The upcoming January meeting will include the election of new officers.

SE DX CLUB --- Have any interest in antenna modeling? JIM STREIBLE, K4DLI, will present an informative talk on that very subject, based on the EZNEC program, at the January 25th meeting. See www.sedxc.org for directions.

THOMASVILLE ARC --- This club, like many others, held elections at their December meeting, but their meeting also held an additional special meaning for them, because they chose this time to honor their long-time president, MIKE BROWN, KE4FGF. BOBBY COOPER, N4KXL, sent us this report about the occasion: "On 4, December 2004 Bobby Cooper, N4KXL presented to Mike Brown, KE4FGF, President of the Thomasville Amateur Radio Club, at their regular meeting, a plaque. This was not just another regular meeting, this was very special to all of our members. Mike is one of those who stays busy. You've probably heard it said that "if you want something done, get that one who stays busy". Well Mike is that kind of man! You see, this night marks a milestone in our club and it might be said for our great state of Georgia. Mike has now been our club president for 10 straight years. To go a step further, he's NEVER MISSED A SINGLE MEETING that we know of. He's been late to a couple, but never missed one. We are so proud of him that we elected him for another term!" CONGRATULATIONS to Mike for this well-deserved recognition, and congratulations to the club, too, for having the good sense to recognize a good thing when you see it and re-electing him for another term! In addition to the long-serving Mike, other officers elected were VP- WYNONA SADLER, KE4HSM; Secretary- JOHN CLARK, KI4AWK; Treasurer- BOBBY COOPER, N4KXL; Events Chairman- TERRY SADLER, KF4CLE; and Newsletter Editor- BUDDY PEOPLES, WD4CJI. Having had the privilege of visiting with these folks a couple of times and of reading Mike's eloquent columns in the club's newsletter every month, I can say that these folks are very fortunate to have him as a member, let alone as its president. Best wishes for another terrific year.

WEST GEORGIA ARS --- Elections here put these fine folks at the helm of this club: President- LARRY REVIS, KE4FJI; VP- TIM TYSON, KB4TIW; and Secretary/Treasurer- PATTY SMITH, KE4ZZK. DAVE WORD, N4DYR, will continue as the club's webmaster at http://www.wgars.com. Good luck to all of these folks in a productive and enjoyable year in leading the club, and thanks to outgoing president TOM KOCOUREK, N4FWD, for providing this information. Tom also reports that the club selected TIM JONES, K4MSP, as its Ham of the Year. CONGRATULATIONS to Tim for this special recognition.

Some general information from NORM FUSARO, W3IZ, ARRL manager for affiliated clubs and the mentor program:

Plenty of operating activities planned for the first weekend of 2005

++STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT 2005 -- Dust off that straight key that's been sitting on the ham shack closet shelf and get ready for Straight Key Night 2005 (SKN). The ARRL-sponsored 24-hour operating event takes place every New Year's Day (UTC), which means it begins New Year's Eve in US time zones. It's an opportunity to operate at a slower pace, maybe using vintage equipment, and recall the way many of today's master CW operators got their start. It's also a chance for CW newcomers to venture out on a more level playing field. Read the full story at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/12/27/1/?nc=1 SKN is a great way for clubs to get members on the air. Invite some guest ops to your shack and bring in the New Year pounding some brass for auld lang syne.

++KIDS DAY, another great operating activity this weekend. This will be the first Kid's Day of 2005. It is a great mentoring opportunity for experienced hams to give some radio exposure to youngsters. Rather than rewrite the story here is the announcement from the ARRL webpage: Reminder: The first Kid's Day http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html in 2005 will be Sunday, January 2 (the second will be Saturday, June 18). Kid's Day will run from 1800 to 2400 UTC. Suggested frequencies are 14.270-14.300, 21.350-21.400 and 28.380-28.400 MHz plus 2 meter repeaters (with the permission of the repeater's sponsor). There's no limit on operating time, and the recommended exchange is name, age, location and favorite color. Intended to encourage young people to get acquainted with Amateur Radio, Kid's Day offers a "mentoring opportunity" for experienced amateurs while giving youngsters some firsthand ham radio experience and perhaps sparking a lifelong interest. ARRL Education and Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, hopes veteran radio amateurs will "walk the walk" by getting involved. To serve as a positive example, he'll be putting W1AW on the air for Kid's Day. Perennial Kid's Day promoters Peter and Jeanne Schipelliti, W1DAD and K1MOM, plan to be on the air from special event station K1D during the week before and the week after Kid's Day. The couple's two older children, Geena and Luciano, are old hands at Kid's Day. All participants are eligible for certificates. To coincide with ARRL's Kid's Day, AMSAT-NA http://www.amsat.org/ will sponsor its own event for youngsters on the Echo satellite (AO-51) from approximately 1600 UTC on January 2 until 0345 UTC on January 3. AMSAT asks for the cooperation of all satellite users in using the window as a way to promote satellite operation with kids and to limit contacts to stations operating with youngsters at the microphone. Note the change in uplink frequency for the event to 145.880 MHz FM voice, 67 Hz tone; downlink is 435.300 MHz FM voice.

++New Resources Link
A new link has been added to the ARRL Mentor page http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/mentor/

The "Help For Beginners" link located in the resources block will take the user to the ARRL publications that are useful to new or prospective hams. These publication include the Now You're Talking study manual, Understanding Basic Electronics, FCC Rule Book, Ham Radio FAQs and many other titles that the new ham or seasoned veteran would find useful.

++A Question for Clubs
Would your club be interested in running a program that teaches about how microcontrollers work? This would be a program spread out over a few meetings or classes and would involve using a commercial kit and a course program. Kits are reusable and could be used for many classes. If this is a type of program that your club would consider, please send any feedback to w3iz@arrl.org

As we start a new year, this would be a good time to be sure that your club's info with the ARRL is up-to-date. Lots of you, for example, have held elections. Some of you have fallen behind in filing those annual reports or in renewing your Special Service Club designations.... Why not take care of it NOW? (If your club has EVER been an affiliated club, renewal is very simple to accomplish.) If you're not sure how to do that, contact our Affiliated Club Coordinator, ROBIN CUTSHAW, AA4RC, at aa4rc@amsat.org or drop me a note, and we'd be glad to assist.

PLEASE READ THIS!! NOT an affiliated club? No matter..... I STILL would like to hear from you, to know that you're out there, and to spread your news. When new hams are looking for a club in their area, it'd be great to have info on ALL of the clubs that meet in their area. Y'know, I send a post card to each and every newly licensed ham in Georgia every month, and always refer them to our www.arrl-ga.org webpage for info. There's a link on there about Georgia clubs. Is YOUR club listed? And if it IS, is the information on there accurate? The information on our webpage is only as up-to-date as you guys allow it to be. PLEASE send me accurate information on your club..... including contact information, when and where you meet, club repeater(s) and net(s), and a webpage address, if you have one, and see that YOUR club is represented on our webpage, so those new hams that are getting licensed every month know where to find YOU. You guys get that to me, and I'll compile it and get it to our esteemed webmaster ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, so he can make necessary changes. (And I'm SURE there are plenty!)

"She's not moody. She's just known for her versatility of emotions."
LOUISE LOTZ

ARES NEWS

The BIGGEST news for Georgia ARES is the upcoming statewide meeting, which will be held on January 15th, from one until four PM, at the State Public Service Training Center in Forsyth. The agenda always varies a bit from year to year, but it's always worthwhile. Those of you who've attended the past few years may be pleased to know that we won't be packed into the courtroom this time, but will have a lot more room to spread out in the auditorium this year. So, let's aim for a record turn-out. For directions, see www.gaares.org 

RECENT APPOINTMENTS:

CANDLER COUNTY- GEORGE TRAPNELL, N4FOH, EC

GORDON COUNTY - JAMES HOWARD, WQ4T, who has served as EC since May of 2001, and who does such a fine job as one of our regular net control stations on our weekly statewide ARES net, has stepped down as EC, due to the time demands of his new job at the 911 center. But, he will stay onboard as assistant to the newly appointed EC, DALE EVERETT, KG4YQW.

HENRY COUNTY - GEORGE "BUZZ" KUTCHER, K3GWK, has recently been appointed as an OES (Official Emergency Station). Buzz came to us from PA, where he was an active leader in both ARES and RACES. One of the ARES leaders from PA provided a glowing recommendation for Buzz, and he and I agreed: Pennsylvania's loss was our gain.

LONG COUNTY - BRIAN BRAY, KG4CEJ, EC

MUSCOGEE COUNTY -- BURCH CAMERON, W4WY, EC. It was a real pleasure to put this appointment through, because I've been very gently persuading (no arm-twisting!) Burch the past couple of years to take on this position. Not sure if it was my "wonderful powers of persuasion" that did the trick so much as it was Burch's realization that he was already pretty much doing the job..... all he lacked was the official title. For whatever reason it happened, sure am glad it did.

OGLETHORPE COUNTY - ED ROLLORS, N4ZRA, has been serving gamely as the EC for Clarke, Madison and Oglethorpe counties, and has worked hard to nurture an ARES group in each county, a very ambitious undertaking. These groups are like his "babies". It is with great confidence that he now passes one of these babies, Oglethorpe county, into the able hands of BRENT FITZPATRICK, N2YYP, as its new EC.

TALIAFERRO & WILKES - DON HUGHES, KK4EL, was one of the GA ARES volunteers who deployed to Florida to assist after the hurricanes. Fired up by that experience and fortified by the online emcomm courses, Don volunteered to fill the vacant EC slots in these two counties. Didn't require any arm-twistng at all.

TOOMBS COUNTY - BILL COLLINS, KG4BKO, EC

Sincere thanks to ALL of these fine fellas for their willingness to provide leadership to the GA ARES program and service to their communities.

" Well-adjusted' means you can make the same mistakes over and over again, and keep smiling."
GEORGE BERGMAN

NET REPORT FROM JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

NET ACTIVITY:

+++NOTE- The GA SSB Association net time has changed to 7 PM local, year round.

*****NOTE: Don't forget the South CARS net, which meets every day from 8 AM until 10 AM and again from noon until 2PM, on 7.251 MHz. A friendly, welcoming group of folks. Especially great company while on the road. I understand that a Trader's Net meets on this same frequency on Wednesday mornings at 10 AM.

***** Other GREAT nets:
SE 6M SSB Net: Sundays at 9 PM on 50.145 MHz
SE AM Net: Tuesdays at 7:30 PM on 3885 kc (AM nets ALWAYS meet on kcs...)
Hole in the Wall Net: Wednesdays at 9 PM on 50.135 MHz

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

***CONGRATULATIONS to JERE SANDIDGE for earning a Brass Pounder Award again this month, with a whopping total of 570, which breaks down to 2 messages originated, 150 sent, 258 received and 160 delivered. (SMOKIN'!!!)

"In days of old, when ops were bold and sideband not invented, the words were passed by pounding brass, and all were quite contented."
Anonymous

SECTION NOTABLES

++ CONGRATULATIONS to PAT HAYNES, K4BEH, who hit the milestone of FIFTY years as a ham in December. He reminisced, "I can still remember the anticipation each afternoon when I would get out of school (Freshman in high school) and hurry home to see if "it" had arrived. The "it" in this case was the little envelope that said "Federal Communications Commission, Washington 25, D.C.". The little unobtrusive windowed envelope that would become my window to the world and door to a career in electronics! So, I thank my interest in ham radio for my good luck in life. It has been an interesting fifty years. I have learned a lot. I have met many interesting people. I have been fulfilled in desire to learn and make this world a little better place. Now that I am retired and restricted in my physical abilities I find this hobby to be just as exciting and challenging as ever. I hope you find it just as satisfying and exciting and, if you are just starting out in your hobby and career, I hope it will open just as many doors and hold the wonder for you that it has for me."

++ CONGRATULATIONS, also to CLAY SMITH, WO4X, who recently received a certificate for SIXTY years as a member of the ARRL. It's pretty evident that Clay remains enthusiastic about this hobby, too, as he wrote, "Its been a long and fun filled time. I was a real nerd in high school but saw a copy of QST on the news stand and bought it. That opened the door. Had to have a copy of the ARRL Handbook so I saved my money and got that which became my bible and pathway to Ham Radio. One year of college later and I was in the Navy (1943). Since I knew enough of the buzz words on the aptitude test I got to go to Radio Technician School. The rest is history. But the Navy didn't teach code to the Technicians so after getting back in college after WWII in '46 I borrowed an Instructograph and taught myself the code. Finally, after THREE trips to the FCC exams, I passed the code test (13 wpm both send and receive with zero errors) and I got my Class B Ticket. Bought a Hammarlund HQ-129 receiver and built my CW transmitter which ran about a hundred watts. At last, I was on the air. It was CW, crystal control ("rock bound" ), plug in coils. the works. Later I built a modulater and its power supply and got on 10 Meters with AM (Ancient Modulation) Voice. Every thing was rack and panel open to the air construction. After graduating from Ga Tech with an EE degree I got married and moved to North Carolina about 25 miles from Greensboro and TV Channel 2. Talk aboout TVI! Add an RF( low pass ) filter and put every thing in a cabinet with lots of "rf weather stripping", by-pass capacitors and rf chokes on all leads coming out of the cabinet and I could live with my neighbors again. Hi! Heathkit came along about then and that was my cup of tea. Meanwhile SSB had come over the horizon so a Heath SB-102 kit arrived for me to assemble. More fun and a rig with a VFO. Never had it so good. Some where about then the transistor was invented and came into general use. No more "fire bottles". You know, I miss those glowing filaments and some times glowing plates and the blue haze in the mercury vapor rectifiers. They kept the shack warm, winter and summer. But the rigs grew suddenly much smaller and the big power supplies with the plate transformers, chokes and filter capacitors were no longer needed. And that modulator with its transformer and separate power supply were also relegated to the tail gate at the next Ham Fest. Now Portable Operation really became possible. Ten pounds per watt was no longer the rule. And today we can tuck the rig under our arm feed it with 12 volts from a car battery and with an antenna are in business. But You ain't seen nothing yet. I don't know what's around the corner but if it is as amazing as the last 60 years has been it will blow your mind..... It's really been fun."

++ NOW, can you GUESS what these two fellas have in common, other than a long history in the hobby? They are BOTH currently serving as an EC: Pat, in Pickens county, and Clay, in Glynn county. (I do believe that amateur radio keeps them both young.....)

++ Another very active long-time ham is JOHN LANEY, K4BAI, who passed that magical FIFTY year mark in November, and as he noted, those years have been "all very active on the air". He recently returned from on-the-air expedition to Bonaire, and he has a history of participating in radio sports in the form of international team competitions, so when he says "very active", that's exactly what he means. Congratulations, John.

++ Kudos to JOHN ELICKER, N4FAI, who sent a well-written letter to "Time" magazine, in response to an article that described hams and stamp collectors as "an embarrassment". This is what he wrote:

"In Mr. Grossman's article honoring Time's Blog of the Year, he references Ham Radio as a curiosity, a cult phenomenon, a faintly embarrassing hobby. Previous to this article I always held Mr. Grossman and Time Magazine in the highest esteem for responsible journalism with virtually guaranteed accuracy. That is no longer the case. As you may have guessed, I'm a Ham Radio Operator and I take extreme exception to his reference to my hobby. I've been a Ham Radio Operator for over 25 years and NOT ONCE have I ever been embarrassed to advise friends and associates that I'm a member of this valuable community. The public service aspect of Ham Radio, the myriad of inventions that have come out of this hobby, the valuable educational experience for our children, and the ongoing international goodwill are all things I am very proud of about my hobby. I'm sure Mr. Grossman meant no malice in his reference, however he does show his complete ignorance of the subject in this statement. One would think a reporter of this caliber in a publication of this stature would be above this obvious level of mediocrity. I think Mr. Grossman's penance should be to do an article on Ham Radio and it's ongoing value to the community, our country, and the world. But alas, that would require him to do some real research when he could be out in the grass hitting that little white ball with a stick, and then driving after it in a cute little cart. Then hitting it again and driving after it again etc. Now there's a cult phenomenon if I've ever seen one."

++ On December 17th, CLAY POWELL, KD4DMT, sent me an update on his efforts on behalf of the White Doves project. Clay is our honest-to-goodness Atlanta Santa, and he has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of those kids in Florida, soliciting donations, and digging deeply into his own pockets, as well. He's one of those many wonderful guys who give amateur radio a good name, y'know? So a great big THANK YOU to Clay for his caring ways. He wrote, "I shipped my last two boxes today for the ARRL/White Dove Toy Drive. I don't know the total number of toys; but I shipped 5 boxes with a total weight of 249 lbs. I also collected 60.00 in cash and a 20.00 gift card. I collected toys from 6 ham operators not including myself. I also collected 20.00 from one ham as well. All boxes were shipped by Fedex. I used my own funds to buy the toys that I could not collect, and I am sorry that I could not have done more. I was also able to contact the Braves, Falcons, and Miami Dolphins to ask them for donations. They needed a request on official letterhead, so I forwarded those request to the White Doves. I contacted Bloomingdales and Riches-Macys. They also needed a official request. I contacted other Florida football and baseball teams; but got no reply. The Director at the White Dove's is going to use the info from the Braves, etc to help with a fund raiser in March." THREE CHEERS to Clay and every other ham and ham club who supported these efforts. Y'all are great.

++ In case you missed it on the webpage, TIM RICHARDSON, W4IOU, deserves the thanks of Georgia hams, especially those fortunate enough to live in the Acworth area. That's because, as an elected alderman in Acworth, Tim managed to "encourage" legislation that benefits hams. He wrote:

I am pleased to announce that the City of Acworth, GA (a city of 20,000 located 35 miles northwest of Atlanta and one of the fastest growing cities in the state) has added language to the Acworth Residential Development Standards that allows antenna installations for amateurs living in subdivisions governed by CC&Rs and homeowner's associations. While previously a special stipulation was added to each new residential zoning request before the city, this incorporates the language directly in the zoning and development standards.

The following language was incorporated in the ordinance adopted on November 5, 2004:

69.4 General Development Standards

B. Residential Development Standards (including R-1, R-2, R-3, R-5, RM-6, RM-8, RC, SLC, MU):

14. Antennas for amateur radio stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission will not be prohibited by Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions or homeowner's association and the installation of such antennas must be reasonably accommodated.

"What a pity human beings can't exchange problems.
Everyone knows exactly how to solve the other fellow's."
OLIN MILLER

TECH TIPS

The following appeared in an early December ARRL bulletin, and I found it to be of some interest. I couldn't help but wonder if this might serve to replace the expensive TNC based WinLink 2000 Airmail program currently being promoted.....

SCAMP ON-AIR TESTING COMMENCES

The Sound Card Amateur Message Protocol--or SCAMP--is not just a conference paper topic anymore. On-the-air testing of the digital communication protocol began in late November, and the first transcontinental communication using SCAMP occurred on December 4. SCAMP is designed to eliminate the need for pricey external hardware for passing e-mail traffic on relatively narrow-bandwidth channels. Rick Muething, KN6KB, prepared a presentation on SCAMP for the ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference in September.

"SCAMP is an example of what is now possible with sound card, computer and software technology using cooperative amateur efforts," he says. "SCAMP and similar programs like DIGTRX for image transmission offer low-cost alternatives to dedicated or proprietary hardware."

As Muething explains, SCAMP is intended for transmitting messages--text with binary attachments--via 2-kHz bandwidth HF and VHF voice channels. The program is compatible with Winlink2000. SCAMP uses the Redundant Digital File Transfer (RDFT) transport layer, developed by Barry Sanderson, KB9VAK, with the addition of Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ)--the technique all "linked" modes use to ensure error-free transmission--and message layer protocols that Muething developed. He says SCAMP offers a moderate-throughput, error-free protocol that works using conventional sound cards and modestly powered computers.

The RDFT utilities and documentation for the Windows and Linux operating systems have been released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Muething says a dozen dedicated testers began initial on-air testing on HF and VHF November 27 using the alpha version of a Windows-based SCAMP client called Paclink SCD that he and Vic Poor, W5SMM, developed.

In addition to Muething and Poor, alpha testers included Scott Thile, K4SET; Bud Thompson, NØIA; Bill Hickey, AB7AA; Howard White, VE3GFW; Dave Wagner, WA2DXQ; Lor Kutchins, W3QA; Larry Trullinger, KB0EMB; Mike Burton, N6KZB; Bill Kearns, WB6JAR, and Steve Waterman, K4CJX. Primary testing was done on 40, 30 and 20 meters, and VHF testing was carried out on 2-meters using both FM and SSB. Alpha testing will continue over the next several weeks, and beta testing is set to crank up in February, Muething says.

The first successful transcontinental exchange of Amateur Radio e-mail messages using SCAMP took place December 4 on 20 meters between N6KZB in Temecula, California, and W3QA in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Each station ran 70 W.

"Several other two-way exchanges were also made over the weekend as operational and protocol bugs were fixed in the alpha software," Muething reports. "The throughput of SCAMP adjusts to the channel quality, reaching a current net maximum of about 4800 bytes per minute before compression gains."

Muething says SCAMP doesn't require anything more than a 1-GHz class Pentium or Celeron processor with a minimum of 128 MB of memory to reach full throughput. Lesser systems may be used at reduced throughput.

The complete SCAMP specification is available and will be released under the GPL as a blueprint for client developers to insure compatibility across different implementations. Muething says further protocol optimization continues to up system throughput and improve its robustness in poor HF multipath channels.

He'd also like to see some band plan restructuring to "open up spectrum for digital modes and encourage new experimentation and development like SCAMP." The ARRL has sought comment from the amateur community on draft proposals http://www.arrl.org/announce/bandwidth.html seeking to regulate subbands by emission bandwidth rather than by mode. At this point, the proposals remain a work in progress, and the ARRL has not petitioned the FCC for any changes.

Muething has more information on SCAMP. Contact him via e-mail kn6kb@arrl.net. Information on RDFT is available on the Web http://www.svs.net/wyman/examples/hdsstv/index.html.

++++ WAYNE BRANT, KO4QJ, provided this website address, where you can download for FREE an entire DSP Engineering book. (Or you could BUY it for $64....) http://www.dspguide.com/ 

"I have too much respect for the truth to drag it out on every trifling occasion."
MARK TWAIN

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY 1 --- Straight Key Night

JANUARY 2 --- Kids Day 1800Z- 2400Z (See December QST, page 43, for details)

JANUARY 8-9 --- NA QSO party, CW, 1800Z Jan 8- 0600Z Jan 9 (See Jan QST, p 102)

JANUARY 15 --- Statewide ARES meeting, at the State Public Service Training Center in Forsyth. 1 PM- 4 PM. See www.gaares.org for directions.

JANUARY 15 --- South CARS annual luncheon in Lake City, FL.

JANUARY 15-16 --- NA QSO party, phone, 1800Z Jan 15- 0600Z Jan 9 (Jan QST, p 102)

JANUARY 22 --- TECH FEST, held at St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Church, 85 Gloster Road, just off Lawrenceville Highway, SW of Lawrenceville. See www.gars.org for more info

JANUARY 22-23 --- Special Event Station, K1D, celebrating the 4th anniversary of a MD radio club dedicated to kids. Certificate. www.Ki3ds.org/specialevent.html  

JANUARY 22-24 --- VHF Sweepstakes 1900Z Jan 22- 0400Z Jan 24 See Dec QST, p 104, for details

FEBRUARY 14-19 --- School Club Round-Up (p. 103, Jan QST, for details)

FEBRUARY 26 --- DALTON HAMFEST

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired."
JULES RENARD

SILENT KEYS

THOMAS E. CLEMENTS, AF4CG
BILLY COX, KE4CPV
ELLIOTT "EL" HARRIS, KE7S
BILLY WAYNE NAPPIER, K4RRV
TOMMY TERRELL, KF4FNT
J.D. WHITE, KB4DMW

Heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of each of these fine men. They will all be missed.

Well, folks that's about it for this month, and since I'm writing this in the waning days of December, I can also say, that's about it for this year, too. All the best to each of you for a blessed and healthy new year. Until next time, this is AF4FO, signing clear. Take care of yourselves. And each other.

"One thing I can guarantee you. You may not be a great deal wiser from my talk today,
but you will be a great deal older."
MELVIN HELITZER

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

73, Susan af4fo@arrl.org   (Send me your news and tech tips!!)
ARRL Georgia Section Manager

No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However,
a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

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