Georgia Section On My Mind

January, 2006

Greetings, Fellow Hams-sters. And a very HAPPY NEW YEAR, one and all!!!!

So....

Have you made a bunch of resolutions for the new year? (And have you managed to break most of them already??) Me, I'd prefer to set loose goals. (Like wearing loose britches and steering a wide berth of bathroom scales for awhile...)

As reported to you a couple of weeks ago, BPL has come to Georgia. If you're like me, you'd probably hoped that we'd somehow escape unscathed, that this scourge that's caused so many problems for hams in other parts of the country would somehow leave us alone here in Georgia. So far, the targeted areas for testing are Douglasville, Clarksville, Young Harris, and Jefferson. It is imperative that we have BPL teams of hams in each of these areas to monitor and document any interference caused by these tests. So far, we have an excellent BPL team in the Douglasville area, and their team leader EMORY GORDY, W4WRO, has also agreed to serve as the "go to" guy for other BPL teams throughout the state. Questions on how to proceed? Not sure what you need to do? Contact Emory at w4wro@arrl.net If you live in or near one of these other three areas and would be willing to be involved in this very important work, please let us know. The ARRL has been leading the way in this struggle, doing accurate testing and challenging the "powers that be" with logic and intelligence. But they can't do it alone. This is OUR state, and it's up to US to provide the ARRL with the tools they need to help us mitigate any interference caused by BPL.

We have four excellent candidates so far for the second position of DXCC card checker here in Georgia. (KC4AA from Milledgeville, K4BAI from Columbus, AF4MI from Richmond Hill, and N4PB from Statesboro) In the meantime, BILL BARR, N4NX, continues to serve, as appointed by the SE DX Club, and he has been doing an excellent job, busily checking all kinds of cards (not just DXCC) at most of the Hamfests throughout Georgia, and beyond. If there are any more folks who would like to be considered for this second DXCC card checking slot, please let me know. Hope to make a decision on this by the end of the month.

OK, let's get on with it, and dive right into this first newsletter of the new year. (This marks the 50th one, by the way, though the first one, which came out in January of 2002, was only two pages long.... maybe that one shouldn't even COUNT!) Anyhow, since this is the time of year that many people tend to get very retrospective, most of the one-liners in this newsletter fall under the classification of "Zen for Those Who Take Life Too Seriously", courtesy of LEE JUCKETT, AF4IA. Seemed kinda appropriate. Thanks, Lee.

"My new year's resolution? I'm gonna set a little time aside each day,
so at the end of the year I'll have a lot of extra time saved up."
STEVEN WRIGHT
(Oh, if only that were possible!)

DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

December was filled with a host of parties, and Mike and I accepted it as our duty to eat our way from one end of the state to the other. (groan: ergo the decision to gravitate towards loose britches and to eschew bathroom scales!) Every party we attended made for a great outing, and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously with all of you. Thank you! There were silly "ice-breaking" games (GARS and Alford Memorial), a demonstration of some really cool vintage equipment (Atlanta ARC), great fellowship and laughter (everywhere!). and even some live musical entertainment (Albany). And everywhere.... There was FOOD. Tons and tons of FOOD. I gotta say, the Silver Comet ARS "takes the cake" for having the most sumptuous array of desserts and home-made goodies. The only party that we attended that had a wider selection of food was QCWA, and that was only because we met at a buffet all-you-can-eat restaurant. Also at SCARS, we finally got to meet a different kind of "sweet", in the form of PATTY LOVELESS, KD4WUJ, who happens to be a club member. She really is a delightful lady. For a fairly small club, these folks managed to gather an impressive number of toys for this year's ARRL Toy Drive. (And I don't think their response was just because Patty was this year's spokesperson, either.... They're just nice folks.) Other clubs around the state also supported the Toy Drive, and many also amassed presents and food items to donate to children's homes, shelters, and families in need. Y'all did good. (not that I'm surprised.)

Our favorite Director of Vice, SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, took a nasty spill early in the month, but he still made it to a number of parties, albeit sporting quite a rakish-looking shiner. Though in quite a bit of pain, and a little loopy on pain pills, he still maintained his sense of humor and managed to crack us up with his "stories" about how he'd gotten injured. (Hmmm, come to think of it, those pills may have enhanced his humor just a tad.) Oh, and don't worry, he wasn't doing any "loopy" driving. Thanks to ACC ROBIND CUTSHAW, AA4RC, he made it to all of the outings in one piece. And I'm pleased to say that Sandy's bruising has faded, his stitches have been removed, and he's good as new again.

On the way to the party in Albany, we seized the opportunity to stop in Columbus to enjoy another visit with EDDY KOSOBUCKI, K4JNL, always a great way to spend a few hours. A certain blabbermouth, who shall go unnamed (but perhaps you may know him as, "That's meeee!"...) mentioned that it was my birthday, and Eddy promptly gave me...... a CB radio. (think he's trying to tell me something...???)

All in all, December was a good month, filled with ham meetings and family fun. However, this was the first year that New Year's Eve brought the clear revelation that we just might be getting old. We could relate to good ol' Dick Clark, but we sure didn't "get" any of the "music" they were blaring this year.
(Where's Guy Lombardo when you need him?)

Oh well, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

CLUB NEWS

ALBANY ARC --- These folks sure do know how to throw a party! With a scrumptious meal, lots of prizes, and music provided by WANDA PERRETT, K4WHP, and MARY CROSBY, everybody left with a full tummy and big smiles on their faces. The repertoire of music included many of the usual songs, including the rollicking "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", plus a few surprises, like when Wanda got the somewhat reluctant LEON PERRETT, K4GCR, to join her on the stage so she could crawl onto his lap and croon "Santa Baby". No doubt, a great time was had by all. There were also several guests from the Dougherty County Rescue Team in attendance; club members have worked in cooperation with them on numerous events, and their inclusion was a real nice touch. The votes were also tallied that night, putting the following folks into office for the next year: President- KEN ADAMS, K1KBA; VP- NEAL MOSELEY, WB4PNB; Secretary- LEON PERRETT, K4GCR; and Treasurer- BOB SMITH, K4PHE. Newly elected Board members include ART WALTERS, N4WOY; BOB SMITH, K4PHE; and LEON PERRETT, K4GCR. Here's to another great year for you all.

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- At the club's party in December, all of the good little (and not-so-little) boys and girls had a chance to whisper their Christmas wishes into the ear of Santa, AKA PATRICK WHITE, W4VZB, again this year. With his flowing white beard and hair, Patrick, whose motto is "Life's too short NOT to believe in Santa Claus", has graciously donned his official red velvet suit for the club's parties the past few years. But these club members weren't just concerned with what Santa might bring them; they were also busy with the work of playing a little Santa Claus themselves, by providing gifts for a needy family of eight. The joy is truly in the giving. One of the highlights of the evening was the recording that BOB VARONE, W4ETN, played, of one of his recent contacts with the International Space Station, where you could hear Bob telling the astronaut, "Merry Christmas from the Alford Memorial Amateur Radio Club, in Stone Mountain, Georgia." The astronaut replied, "I used to LIVE in Stone Mountain!!" Small world.

ARC OF AUGUSTA --- These guys must be doing something right. CONGRATULATIONS to the following slate of officers, who were recently elected to serve another term in office: President- HENRY AROSTEGUI, KN4AV; VP-JEFF JACKSON, KG4SSV; Treasurer- TOM BROWN, KF4ITM; and Secretary- AL MENGES, KF4NXL. Best wishes for another terrific year leading the club. Also serving as directors are (1st year) CHUCK TEETERS, W4MEW; (2nd year) DOUGLAS PUGH, KE4JSJ; (3rd year) REGGIE FRASER, KG4HAD; and (de facto) JOHN SAMPLES, KG4LEY. Coming up at their January 17 meeting, there will be formal SkyWarn training class, conducted by a member of from the Columbia, SC, NWS. The ARCA club meeting begins at 7:30 at the Doctor's Hospital H2CU building, off Wheeler Road, just south of I-20. Talk-in 145.49 All are welcome to attend.

ATHENS ARC --- These folks ended another successful year filled with a multitude of public service activities, and started preparing for the new year with a brain-storming session to come up with some challenging activities and interesting topics for club meetings in 2006. This resulted in a whole list of terrific ideas, from things like matching networks and baluns, to soldering techniques and the proper use of oscilloscopes and multimeters, to antenna grounding and basic electrical safety, to building projects, fox hunts, and various emergency training activities.(just to name some of them) Sounds like a bright and promising year ahead.

ATLANTA ARC --- The December meeting was "business as usual", in that they met at the usual meeting place, in the Red Cross facility on Monroe Drive in Atlanta. But the agenda wasn't the usual: everyone rolled up their sleeves and dug into some plates of BBQ and all the fixings, and simply enjoyed each others' company for the evening. That ol' "Rocket Man", MARTY REYNOLDS, AA4RM, provided a bit of instructional entertainment with some vintage gear he'd brought for "show and tell", and new club president JACK BOLTON, WA4PNY, presented a certificate of appreciation to former president ROBIN CUTSHAW, AA4RC, in appreciation of all he'd done for the club during his terms in office.

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARC --- This fine group held their elections in December, and the following members were selected to serve as officers for the year 2006: President- JAMES HOWARD, WQ4T; VP- FRANKLIN HOLLIS, K4FGH; Secretary- EDNA WRIGHT, KF4SDF; and Treasurer- FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN. RANDY POWELL, KC4AQS, was also elected as the Net Manager. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the new officers, and best wishes for another successful year. And, by the way, James wasn't just elected as the new club president; he was also chosen as the recipient for the club's Ham of the Year Award for 2005. So a double dose of CONGRATULATIONS goes out to James. Felton reported that the club has moved its meeting time to the third Monday of the month, when they'll also begin meeting at a new location, at the Gordon Co. Extension Office located at 1 McDaniel Station Rd in Calhoun.

COLUMBIA COUNTY ARC --- Since this club was just born back in March of this year, this December marked their first annual Christmas dinner. No ham and turkey for this crew; no siree, they opted to roll up their sleeves and dig into heaps of BBQ at the famous Sconyers. (Hmm, hmm, good!) What they also did was donate a heap of unwrapped presents to the Child Enrichment Center for Abused Children to benefit local children in need of a little joy. (a wonderful tradition which I believe was also shared by the local QCWA folks in past years) This club may be fairly new, but their membership ranks are growing by leaps and bounds: the longtime CSRA Repeater Group recently voted to dissolve as an entity and to transfer all memberships and assets to become part and parcel of the CCARC. The next CCARC Club meeting will be on January 24 at the Abilene Baptist Church at 7:00 PM, where JC CRAWFORD, W4QK, will be presenting a program on "The GPS Satellite Constellation". For more info, see http://ccarc.hamradioman.com

COLUMBUS ARC --- Some clubs name a special Ham of the Year every year, in recognition of contributions made by that certain outstanding club member. These folks went a big step farther: EDDY KOSOBUCKI, K4JNL, and JESSE DUBOSE, W4PZL, were selected in recognition of their contributions to the club and to amateur radio for the past FIFTY years! What a fitting way for this club to kick off the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary. Both Eddy and Jesse were charter members of this fine club, and they're still going strong as well-respected members of the amateur radio fraternity today. CONGRATULATIONS to both of them, and a very Happy Anniversary to the club.

CONYERS ARG ---In October, this group held another fox hunt, with two teams of "hounds" competing to locate the crafty transmitter, which had been hidden rather craftily by that sly ol' fox himself, TIM ROSING, KC4ELV. A good time was had by all. Tim also served as the communications coordinator for the annual Children's Healthcare Parade, held at the beginning of December, and he issued a heartfelt thank you to all of the hams who turned out for this big event and contributed to its success. A great big CONGRATULATIONS to the recently elected slate of officers who will be leading the club in 2006: President- JAMES WISEMAN,KF4ASC; VP and Secretary- JOE TOTTER, WA4UJY; and Treasurer- TIM ROSING, KC4ELV.

ELLIJAY ARS --- Club members elected a new slate of officers for 2006 at their December meeting, and they have selected the following fine fellas to serve as their fearless leaders, forging ahead into the new year: President- SAM UNDERHILL, K4SWU; VP- DAVE MEADOWS, K4LDI; Secretary- DAVID BARTLITT, KF4AWU; Treasurer- DAVID FREDERICKSON, WB4HZG; and Repeater Trustee- DENNIS RODGERS, KA4VHP. CONGRATULATIONS! May you enjoy continued success. K4LDI reported: "Following the elections, a group of the members and spouses moved to the Papa's Pizza To Go restaurant for a good time of fellowship and an enjoyable meal at the pizza buffet." He also added, "EARS will conduct a VE Testing Session on Saturday, January 14 at 10:00am. The session will be held at the Albert Harrison Memorial Hall located at the corner of Dalton Street and College St. Licensed candidates should bring the original and a copy of their current Amateur Radio license. All candidates should bring the following: Any Certificate of Successful Completion of Exam (CSCE) for any amateur examination elements they have previously passed, the original and a copy of a picture ID (we'll return the original after viewing it), and $10.00 in cash or a check made out to WCARS. Candidates may bring electronic calculators but must show that no formulas or previously calculated problems from the question pool are stored in the memory of the calculator." (Thanks, Dave. I just love that cut and paste stuff!)

FAYETTE COUNTY ARC --- Heartfelt congratulations to our newest ARRL affiliated club in Georgia! The wheels of progress don't always turn as smoothly as we'd like, but this much-deserving club was finally approved as an affiliated club on December 15. Since they changed their club name and set their course, this group has been a movin' and a shakin', and they're still charging full steam ahead. To recruit new ham operators, they will be holding a two-part technician class, on January 26 and February 2, from 6-9 PM at the Peachtree City Fire Station number 81. Last I heard, they already had 20 people signed up for this class. Anyone who is interested in attending can contact President JOE DOMALESKI, KI4ASK, at ki4ask@fayetteares.org 

GA SINGLE SIDEBAND ASSOCIATION --- This long-time and traditional GA group will be holding their annual meeting at the Dalton Hamfest, coming up on February 25. After chowing down at the nearby Western Sizzler at 12:30, the meeting is slated for one PM at the Hamfest site. Because propagation hasn't been exactly optimal during the 7 PM evening nets of late, net controls have been given the OK to accept early check-ins, beginning at 6:30, when possible. Best wishes to President- CHARLES PENNINGTON, K4GK; VP- MICKEY ROBINSON,N4DZV; Secretary/Treasurer-JIMMY PIPER, W4HON; and Directors PAUL PROSSER, WA4RWS and J.D. GOINGS, AA4P, for the continued success of the association and of the net.

GWINNETT ARS --- As always, the club's Ham of the Year recipient was announced at the annual Christmas party, and this year's GARS Shining Star was CARL PLOTZ, WB9JSW, who became an SK in 2005. Carl was a vital part of GARS, as well as the Alford Memorial ARC, and Gwinnett ARES. He also served as DEC for the Salvation Army, and was an active part of GA traffic nets. His loss is still felt very heavily throughout the GA ham community. When his name was announced, heads were bobbing in agreement all over the room, in acknowledgement of this excellent choice. The plaque was sent to his widow MAVIS, N9FWG, up in chilly Wisconsin.

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC --- CONGRATULATIONS to this group's newly chosen Chairman of the Board, PAUL MANNO, KG4UVU, and also to Vice Chairman and Secretary JIM STUDER, KI4ET, and Treasurer MIKE JENKINS, K4MNJ. Rounding out the leadership in the new year are directors JAMIE MARCHALK, KG4FJK; BOBBY O'DONALD, KD4ISM; AL MILES, KG4VIB; LEW CARSON, N4HRA; and KEITH CHAFIN, NC4O. Best wishes for another successful year. In the club's newsletter, I read that, at their Christmas party, AL MILES, KG4VIB, demonstrated his success in "saving a string of Christmas tree lights from a landfill and turning it into a resonant 2M antenna." Now THAT must've been fun. (not to mention illuminating!)

LANIERLAND ARC --- Thanks to LARRY TYSON, W4WLT, for providing this report on the latest happenings with this fine group: "Lanierland Amateur Radio Club held its Annual Christmas Breakfast at the Golden Corral Restaurant in Buford on December 3, 2005. TERRY JONES, W4TL, and his lovely bride RUTH, K4RHJ, were recognized for their many years of service as President and Secretary of the Club. They received shadow boxes in honor of their dedication and contributions to the Club and Amateur Radio. Terry and Ruth decided not to seek reelection to their respective offices. JOHN BRANDON, KE4PCF, was honored as the 2005 LARC "Amateur of the Year", and was presented with a proclamation and plaque. Officers elected at the November meeting were installed. Officers for 2005-2006 are: President- LARRY TYSON, W4WLT; Vice-President BOB SCOTT, KG4NJC; Secretary ROBERT COPELAN, WB4DHC; Treasurer JOHN BRANDON, KE4PCF; and Activities Director ROGER GIBSON, W4RLG." Congratulations to all of these fine folks, and much success in 2006.

MIDDLE GA RADIO ASSOCIATION --- These folks started a weekly net back in November, on Mondays at 8PM, on 147.300 and on Echolink-WR4MG. The word is that they've been quite successful so far. (If you like to play with Echolink, why not join them?) At their Christmas party this year, members decided to pool their resources and to put some "Merry" into Christmas for a local family in need, by donating items to provide them with a special Christmas dinner.

NORTHEAST ARC --- Recent elections for this group resulted in the following slate of leadership for the coming year: President- LARRY OSBORNE, WT4XX; VP- FRED LUBBES, KG4PPQ; Secretary- KAY MCMANN, KG4WHA; and Treasurer- JOE TILLER, KD4VHX. President Larry reports that "goals for the year will be to have fun, increase membership, and have the #1 score for our class on field day." Congratulations to all of these new officers, and best wishes on meeting all of those goals.... and then some.

NORTH GA ARC --- In order to ensure a smooth continuation of leadership every year, this club opts to elect officers for a two year term, with two offices up for grabs on alternating years. (Got that? It really sounds like a great idea!) Recently, club members elected VP ART CHASE, KC4FRV, and Treasurer BETTY BEASON, KG4YAG, to join the continuing President TOM CROWELL, KD4DK, and Secretary DIANA WHITE, KB4SNU, in the Leaders' Circle. Best wishes to all for an enjoyable and successful year in leading the club.

QCWA, PEACH STATE CHAPTER 49 --- Like many other groups, December marked the annual party and gift exchange, as well as elections for the new year. He heard the whistle blowing, but he didn't get off the tracks: CONGRATULATIONS to my better half, MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, for his election to another term in office as the president of this fine group. (After serving six years as "Da Prez", he'd loaded up all of the accoutrements and brought them to the meeting to pass on to the "next president"..... needless to say, it all came back home with us...!)Also re-elected for the next term are VP-JERRY LOFSTEAD, W3CDE, and brand new Secretary-Treasurer- DAVE BRUSE, W4DRT (who will be ably assisted by MARK WILSON, WI1SON) Best wishes for another year of fun and fellowship. And special thanks, also, to BOB LEAR, K4SZ, who has served as secretary-treasurer for bunches of years. (He DID get off the tracks!)

SEDX CLUB --- These folks put on all their Holiday finery and gathered at the home QTH of JOHN HARDIN, W4NU, and his bride JACKIE, to celebrate their Christmas party in gen-u-ine style. From the pictures, it sure looks like they had a grand ol' time. Coming up at the January 24 meeting, BILL BARR, N4NX, Georgia's All-Around Premiere Card Checker, will be presenting a program on "Awards and How to Win 'Em". They'll be meeting at the Fuqua Heart Center classroom at Piedmont Hospital. www.sedxc.org 

SILVER COMET ARS --- (Hiram, Ga 12-26-2005) The Silver Comet Amateur Radio Society had its 2005 Christmas Party (thanks to all the ladies in the club) and year end meeting. A video presentation of the past year highlights was also shown. ARRL Officials were on hand to present our Special Service Club Award and enjoy a photo-op with member KD4WUJ Patty Loveless, Chair Person this year for the ARRL Toy Drive for Hurricane Relief. Toys were collected at the party and W4WRO Emory Gordy, Jr. collected toys for the trip to Memphis. (see www.arrl.org for photos at Memphis). Rich, N1VXW, who produced the Toy Drive Public Service Announcement was also on hand to show a 15 min video of his filming with amateurs that helped with communications at the Gulf Coast, GREAT WORK !! Thanks Rich for a Fantastic Video. The Silver Comet ARS Amateur of the year awards were presented to two young people that had done a lot in Paulding County in 2005 for Amateur Radio. Each received a plaque and a certificate from Ham Radio Outlet for their good work. Andrew Blecher KG4NFL and Ellery Durgin KG4NFS were awarded. CONGRATULATIONS !!! The 2006 Officers were also announced Lee McDaniel WB4OQJ President, Sean Sparks W4JFL Vice President, Dave Fuller K4DMF Treasurer and Bea West (KMOM) as Secretary. For more info please check www.silvercometars.com (Submitted by Lee McDaniel WB4QOJ)

THOMASVILLE ARC --- It comes as no surprise that MIKE BROWN, KE4FGF, was unanimously elected to continue serving as this fine club's president. (This begins his twelfth year in office!) CONGRATULATIONS to Mike, and to all of the other duly-elected officers selected for the new year: VP- WYNONA SADLER, KF4HSM; VP/Special Events- TERRY SADLER, KF4CLE; Secretary- TERRY HUNT, KI4MAH; Treasurer- BOBBY COOPER, N4KXL; and Newsletter Editor- BUDDY PEOPLES, WC4CJI. Here's to another great year.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

ARES NEWS

++BIGGEST NEWS is the upcoming GA ARES Statewide meeting, to be held on January 28 at the Public Safety Training facility in Forsyth. This meeting isn't just for the DECs and the ECs. It is for all of our ARES members, and for anyone with an interest in the role that amateur radio plays in emergency communications. Let's fill that room to capacity! For more info, see www.gaares.org
 
++GWINNETT ARES gave a presentation to Metro Atlanta Health District representatives in November, all about ARES and how ARES members can help in a health emergency. Because the Gwinnett group has held several training exercises, including SETs, based on a health emergency, they were well prepared to address this topic. From Gwinnett were EC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, AEC for Public Health BILL CHEREPY, WB4WTN, and AEC for Training JERRY PEREIRA, K4KBL. Also present were Metro Atlanta DEC STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, and Red Cross DEC BOB BUTLER, W4RBB.

++FAYETTE ARES members participated in a drill with Piedmont Fayette Hospital on December 13, further cementing their relationship with the health teams in their county, and learning some valuable lessons along the way.

++PAULDING ARES is using a new repeater, on 146.955(-) PL 77, which is showing some great coverage in surrounding areas. Their nets are held on Thursday nights at 8PM.

++INFO WANTED: At the request of my better half, MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, we're looking for a comprehensive listing of all of the telpac nodes throughout the state, along with location and frequency, so that that information can be shared with other Georgia hams. The more people know about the availability of these nodes, the more they may be encouraged to give WinLink 2000 a try. So, please send me a note with pertinent information on your node. Thank you so much.

++Georgia activities got some mention in the latest ARES E-Letter, put out by the ARRL:

*MARY MOORE, WX4MM, who is the chairperson of the Metropolitan Medical Response Team in Columbus, did such a good job of educating the organization about the value of amateur radio that a $28000+ grant was provided so that amateur radio equipment could be installed in hospitals and EMAs within the MMRS six-county, two-state area surrounding Columbus. MUSCOGEE ARES members, under the leadership of EC BURCH CAMERON, W4WY, have been instrumental to the installation of this equipment.

*ALTON HIGGINS, W4VFZ, EC in TOWNS county, also got a mention for the fine work that's going on in his county to establish an amateur radio communications system providing widespread 2M coverage throughout the county, with the newest fixed station being installed at Fire Station #5, and with another one slated to be set up at the local hospital. A mobile communications truck and an emergency communications kit are also in the works.

*You can register to receive the ARES E-Letters on your very own computer by registering for them on the ARRL Members Only page.

++SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY follow-up--- AEC for PTC NWS LYNN BIANCO, KN4YZ, reported that Skywarn Recognition Day 2005 was a great success, and he provided the following impressive statistics for the PTC office:

328 contacts on HF !!!!!!
16 APRS contacts
44 states
3 Canadian Provinces (Ontario, BC, New Foundland)
1 Maritime Mobile
1 Special event station aboard the USS Wisconsin
38 other NWS offices !!!!!

Many thanks to the following participants:

KN4YZ, Lynn; N4FLT, George; W8BYH, Brian; KG4FHJ, Chris; KI4LTL, Charles; KI4KGJ, Brandon; W4JB, Jim; KG4WUV, David; KI4ASK, Joe; KI4HHI, M C; KI4DEM, Dwight; KF4YKY, Carl; AG4ZR, David; KB4GR, Gary; WK4U, Tim; KL0UD, Chris; K4GVO, Jim; and KD5EJN, Lans, (Meteorologist in Charge, NWS PTC!!!)

Your hard work is truly commendable. I look forward to working with you again for SKYWARN Recognition day, 2006. De Lynn, KN4YZ

P.S. Some pictures and a write-up that the NWS posted on their website can be found at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/srd2005.shtml

Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.

ARES REPORT DE STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, ASEC

We had a slight drop in the percentage of those reporting for the month of November as well as a net decrease in membership. One county in particular contributed to the decrease as a result of removing inactive members from the membership list.

Membership: 1,158 Change since last month: -41

Total Net Sessions: 111
Drills, Tests, Training Sessions: 121 Man-hours: 1,118
Public Service Events: 7 Man-hours: 54
Emergency Operations: 0 Man-hours: 0
Misc. Events: 38 Man-hours: 252

Total Events: 166 Total Man-hours: 1,424

Reporting by District:

West Central 100.0%
Metro Atlanta 63.6%
Southeast 39.3%
Northwest 38.5%
Northeast 26.7%
East Central 14.3%
Southwest 5.3%
Central 5.3%

Non-District DECs 29.4%

Total Reporting 27.9%

The world is full of willing people: some willing to work, and some willing to let them.

NET REPORT DE JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

"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

CALL FOR PAPERS

10th Annual Southeastern VHF Society Conference
April 28th and 29th, 2006
Greenville, South Carolina

The Southeastern VHF Society is calling for the submission of papers and presentations for the upcoming 10th Annual Southeastern VHF Society Conference to be held in Greenville, South Carolina on April 28th and 29th, 2006. Papers and presentations are solicited on both the technical and operational aspects of VHF, UHF and Microwave weak signal amateur radio. Some suggested areas of interest are:

* Transmitters
* Receivers
* Transverters
* RF Power Amplifiers
* RF Low Noise Pre Amplifiers
* Antennas
* Construction Projects
* Test Equipment And Station Accessories
* Station Design And Construction
* Contesting
* Roving
* DXpeditions
* EME
* Propagation (Sporadic E, Meteor Scatter, Troposphere Ducting, etc.)
* Digital Modes (WSJT, etc.)
* Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
* Software Defined Radio (SDR)
* Amateur Satellites
* Amateur Television

In general papers and presentations on non weak signal related topics such as FM repeaters and packet will not be accepted but exceptions may be made if the topic is related to weak signal. For example, a paper or presentation on the use of APRS to track rovers during contests would be considered.

The deadline for the submission of papers and presentations is March 3, 2006. All submissions should be in Microsoft Word (.doc) or alternatively Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files. Pages are 8 and 1/2 by 11 inches with a 1 inch margin on the bottom and 3/4 inch margin on the other three sides. All text, drawings, photos, etc. must be black and white only (no color). Please indicate when you submit your paper or presentation if you plan to attend the conference and present there or if you are submitting just for publication. Papers and presentations will be published in bound proceedings by the ARRL. Send all questions, comments and submissions to the technical program chair, Jim Worsham, W4KXY at w4kxy@bellsouth.net

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

SECTION NOTABLES

+++ Not only is that fine fedora-wearing fella, EMORY GORDY, W4WRO, serving as the BPL team leader for the hams who will be monitoring the BPL testing that's going on in Douglasville, but he has also graciously agreed to serve as the de facto coordinator for these efforts throughout the state. He's been busily cramming his head full of information, and is currently working on compiling some simple guidelines to aid other BPL teams. A Section-wide, unified response is in our best interest, with information funneled through Emory to the ARRL. You can reach him at w4wro@arrl.net (THANK YOU, Emory!)

+++ Dunno if you noticed, but JOHN TALIPSKY, JR, N3ACK, has taken the reins as the new GA news reporter for the "SERA Journal". And he's off to a terrific start! CONGRATULATIONS, John. We sure do appreciate you keeping Georgia "in the news" for us.

+++ One of our GA hams is a COVER GIRL! Proud hubby JOE DOMALESKI. KI4ASK, reported that his lovely bride, MARY CATHERINE, KI4HHI, graces the cover of the latest issue of the "Fayette Woman" magazine. He wrote, "The article covers her weight loss testimony and how living a healthy lifestyle changed her life. Copies of the magazine will be placed in public areas around Fayette County, including the Fayetteville, Tyrone, and PTC libraries."

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

+++ Coming up: KIDS DAY, as reported by the ARRL:

==>KIDS' TURN AT THE RADIO: FIRST KIDS DAY OF 2006 IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 8

The second Sunday in January is the day to turn your shack over to the kids for some ham radio fun with a purpose. The first running of Kids Day 2006 begins Sunday, January 8, at 1800 UTC and continues until 2400 UTC with no limit on operating time (the second Kids Day will be Saturday, June 17). Kids Day provides a terrific opportunity to show youngsters what Amateur Radio is all about--and that includes its role in emergency communication. ARRL Education and Technology Program ("The Big Project") Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, says Kids Day can be a great opportunity spark change and get kids and families thinking about emergency preparedness.

"While you are coaching the youngsters who visit your shack--and their parents too--on how to make contacts and new friends via ham radio during Kids Day, why not take a few moments to ask them about their family's plans to deal with emergency challenges?" he says in December 2005 QST (see "Kids Day 2006" on p 45). "Why not use the opportunities offered by Kids Day to show the youth in your neighborhood that ham radio can be loads of fun, and that ham radio is a way that they can contribute something very valuable to their communities?"

Call "CQ Kids Day." The suggested exchange for Kids Day contacts is first name, age, location and favorite color. It's okay to work the same station more than once if the operator has changed. Suggested frequencies are 14.270-14.300, 21.380-21.400 and 28.350-28.400 MHz. Contacts via VHF repeaters are okay too, with permission from the repeater owner. Observe third-party traffic restrictions when making DX QSOs http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/3rdparty.html.

All participants are eligible to receive a colorful certificate, which becomes the youngster's personalized "sales brochure" for ham radio, Spencer says. The League asks everyone taking part in Kids Day to complete a short survey and post comments afterward http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kids-day-survey.html. Doing this provides access to download the certificate page, or participants can send a 9x12 self-addressed, stamped envelope to Boring Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 1357, Boring, OR 97009.

Spencer notes that this year's hurricane season highlighted one of the real values that ham radio brings to the community--a spirit of resilience. "By their very nature, ham radio operators are interested in personal preparedness and community service…this is resilience," he says. Spencer suggests that Kids Day sponsors take advantage of the opportunity to show how ham radio offers a way for participants to contribute something very valuable to their communities.

"A very effective advertising strategy is to get kids hooked on an idea," he says. "The kids in turn go home and 'bug' their parents about the idea. You plant the seed in a young mind, and they will take care of the rest!"

Spencer believes Kids Day activities can result in a family emergency plan campaign that could save lives, and future community planners who know communication and how to communicate.

"Make that personal connection that may result in a new licensee and, perhaps, more resilient individuals by opening your station and inviting kids and neighbors to share in your hobby," Spencer urges. "You just might find yourself re-infected with that enthusiasm that you once had."

Visit the ARRL Web site for full information on Kids Day http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html.


+++ How can YOU get involved in Kids Day this year???? Our Assistant SM for Youth, ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, has the answer to that question:

Hello Everyone!

As year 2006 kicks off, it's time for Kid's Day. This year, it will be on January 8, 2006, from 18:00 to 24:00 Zulu (1:00 PM to 7:00 PM Eastern). In Georgia this Kid's Day, we want to encourage your participation. That's right---you! Instead of having a localized event like in the past, which limits the number of people able to participate, we're going to give you the tools to plan your own event.

We're going to have a contest to see who can have the most youth come to their ham shack to operate for Kid's Day. Invite your children, grandchildren, neighbors, friends, and any other youth that you know. Then, see how many contacts they can make!

And, attention radio clubs and repeater managers! We'd like to encourage you to open up your repeaters for Kid's Day contacts. As you're listening to your local repeater on January 6th, put out several calls for any youth who may be monitoring. And, for those of you who invite youth to your shack, remember to let them get on the local repeaters, as well as HF.

In fact, just like it is for the Alford Memorial Radio Club Hamfest, the Georgia Kid's Day calling frequency will be 147.555 simplex.

So, see how many other Georgia youth you can contact using simplex and repeaters, and then see how many other states you can contact using HF, if you have that capability.

To further encourage participation, a number of prizes will be awarded to Georgia hams and youth who are particularly dedicated to Kid's Day. Special recognition will be given to:

*The ham who has the most youth in their ham shack on Kid's Day
*The Georgia youth who contacts the most youth in Georgia
*The licensed Georgia youth (under 18) who makes the most contacts
*The unlicensed Georgia youth (under 18) who makes the most contacts
*The Georgia youth who has the most interesting QSO
*The Georgia radio club or repeater manager who supports the most Kid's Day contacts on their repeater
*The Georgia youth who contacts the youngest youth
*The ham with the most creative setup/ most interesting activities for youth

After your Kid's Day event, be sure to send us a report and pictures of what happened. That's the only way we'll know who to give the above awards to. And, we'll post especially good pictures and Kid's Day reports to the Georgia Section webpage. Send your Kid's Day reports to kg4ium@arrl-ga.org by February 12th; winners will be announced towards the end of February.

And, be sure to check out the ARRL Kid's Day website, http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html, for official rules and HF calling frequencies. In addition to submitting your Kid's Day report to me, be sure to fill out the ARRL Kid's Day survey and print certificates for the youth in your shack.

If you have any questions or need suggestions about where to start, feel free to e-mail me at kg4ium@arrl-ga.org. So, start inviting youth, make as many contacts as you can, and submit those reports. And, don't forget to have fun!!

Good luck with your event!

73,
Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
ARRL GA Assistant Section Manager/ Youth

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.

TECH TIPS

+++ Betcha most of you reading this have encountered, at least once, a frustrating problem in your shack which seems to defy explanation. WEY WALKER, K8EAB, recently posted his tale of one such problem on the North GA QRP reflector. He kindly agreed to let me share his tale with you, in the hopes that it would help some of you avoid a similar bit of frustration:

I have had a nagging problem with a SCAF-1 filter ... it suddenly stopped working ... the "Power On" LED would light, but all sound coming through the filter would disappear when I switched the SCAF-1 on ...

Several e-Mails to their repair person eventually led to my sending the SCAF-1 to him (Iowa) for repair ... he found nothing wrong ...

When the SCAF-1 came back to me, I plugged all the leads back into it ... the power LED lit up, but no sound ... more e-Mails ...

The repair guy then sent me a set of test leads to use for tracing the signal ... with power ON, the signal disappeared at the first test point on an IC (socketed) ... there were two of these IC's, so I swapped them to see if the first one was bad ... same result, the SCAF-1 appeared to have power, but when I switched it on, everything went dead ...

Back to Iowa a second time ... the repair guy e-Mailed me that it was working fine on his bench ... I asked him to send the unit back and I would explore further ... I got to thinking about the power plug, and wondered if it was going too far into the jack and causing a short (it wasn't) ...

So I finally went under my desk to move the Anderson PowerPole connector to another position on my RIGrunner panel ... since the RIGrunner is mounted under my desk and its dark under there, I took my trusty LED flashlight (those things are bright, BTW!) ... I unplugged the connector and moved it to another power point and Voila! The SCAF-1came to life and operated normally ...

I dragged my butt out from under the desk and grabbed my Fluke DVM to measure the voltage on the "bad" RIGrunner outlet ...

Keep in mind that the LED flashlight was still on and shining directly on the RIGrunner panel (those LED lights are bright, BTW) ... 13.76 VDC on all outlets except the "bad" one ... 12.4 VDC there ... then the LED light fell over, and that's when I noticed the fuse for the "bad" outlet was glowing ... a fault indicator feature built-in to the RIGrunner, but you have to have the right lighting conditions to be able to "see" the glowing fault indicator (did I mention how bright those LED flashlights are?)

So, live and learn ... if a RIGrunner fuse blows, you can still have 12 VDC at the outlet, but you won't have any current on that outlet ... the 12.4 VDC was enough to illuminate the SCAF-1's power-on LED, but since there was no current, the SCAF-1 appeared to be on when it was in fact not operating ...

No, the SCAF-1 did not cause the RIGrunner fuse to blow ... I was moving equipment around and unplugging and replugging stuff and connected something that drew more than the fuse in that outlet could handle ... if you aren't paying attention when you plug into a RIGrunner outlet with a blown fuse, you may not notice the "fault" indicator ... and if you're using an LED flashlight (really bright, BTW), you won't even be able to see the fault indicator <g> ...

There's an old German saying ... "We get too soon old, and too late smart ..." 73/72, Wey

+++ FYI: The following information comes from BILL CHEREPY, WB4WTN. Thought you might find it to be of some interest.

Worldwide 5MHz Frequency and Channel List

CHANNEL DIAL FREQ ... LOCATION REMARKS
102.0 = 5102.0kHz USB (Australia)[WIA/WICEN Emergency]
167.5 = 5167.5kHz USB (Alaska)[Emergency]
194.5 = 5194.5kHz USB (Germany) [DRA5 Beacon]
250.0-310.0 = 5250 to 5310kHz Bangladesh
258.5 = 5258.5kHz USB (UK)[Canada-Experimental]
267.5 = 5267.5kHz USB (Canada-Experimental]
278.5 = 5278.5kHz USB (UK/Finland/Norway/Iceland)
288.5 = 5288.5kHz USB (UK/Finland/Norway/Iceland)[Canada Exp]
298.5 = 5298.5kHz USB (Finland)
318.5 = 5318.5kHz USB [Canada-Experimental]
327.5 = 5327.5kHz USB [Canada-Experimental]
330.5 = 5330.5kHz USB (USA/Finland/Norway/Iceland)
346.5 = 5346.5kHz USB (USA/Finland/Norway/Iceland)
355.0 = 5355.0kHz USB (Australia)[WIA/WICEN Emergency]
366.5 = 5366.5kHz USB (USA/Finland/Norway/Iceland)
371.5 = 5371.5kHz USB (USA/Finland/Norway/Iceland)
398.5 = 5398.5kHz USB (UK/Finland/Norway/Iceland)[Canada-Exp]
403.5 = 5403.5kHz USB (USA/UK/Norway/Iceland)[Canada-Exp]

Notes on the 5MHz List (International):

1) Dial Frequency: Above listed frequencies are "dial frequencies" as you see them on your radio. The center-of-channel offset is already figured out for you. (The center-of-channel is usually 1.5kHz higher than the dial frequency).

2) Worldwide: The current worldwide standard for Amateur Radio on 5MHz is Upper Sideband (USB). Other emission types are also in use.

3) USA: Only USB voice with 2.8kHz bandwidth is authorized in USA for all General class or higher licensees, using the equivalent of 50 Watts into a dipole.

4) UK: Voice, Digital, and CW modes within a 3kHz bandwidth at 200 Watts are authorized in UK for holders of experimental or N.O.V., and channels are often described by the centre-of-channel frequency (dial+1500Hz) or the formal "Foxtrot" designators FA-FB-FC-FE-FM.

5) Germany: DRA5 Experimental Beacon, operated by DARC (DK0WCY beacon team), transmits propagation data (dial+1500Hz) CW/RTTY/PSK31.

6) Canada: Experimental licensed operation by Marconi Radio Club (VO1MRC) members. CW or USB on 5260, 5269, 5280, 5290, 5319, 5400 and 5405 kHz with 100 watts output. Some beacon testing on 5269.5 kHz and CW QSOs on 5260 kHz.

7) Finland: Club stations may apply for authorization to operate the 5MHz channels with maximum power of 50 Watts on USB only. The USB dial frequencies for Finland are: 5288.6, 5298.6, 5330.6, 5346.6, 5366.6, 5371.6, 5398.6 kHz.

8) Australia: Wireless Institute of Australia is licensed for emergency use by Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network using non-amateur callsigns AXF404 and AXF405, and ACMA type approved radio equipment (such as used in the VKS737 HF net).

9) Remote bases and Echolink HF stations: Some HF remote base stations in USA have been in operation on 5371.5kHz, using Internet Remote Base or Echolink with voice squelch and/or UHF remotes.

10) Evening/Night Guidelines: 5MHz channels are a shared resource with many users. In many countries, amateurs are secondary users and must QRT when a primary station is on the channel. For this reason, transmission time should be kept to a minimum, and it is best to wait a few seconds before responding during a QSO. Considerate hams usually try to avoid longwinded ragchews during peak evening hours whenever activity is high and propagation is open for wide regional communications on the 5MHz channels.

11) Iceland: 8 channels with 3kHz bandwidth, USB or CW at 100W.

12) Bangladesh: 5250 to 5310 kHz Amateur Applications; Amateur propagation experiments with stations of administrations permitting such activities. Secondary status.

13) Other countries: Some other authorized 5MHz operations have been reported such as the 5Z4HW DXpedition in Kenya. Some experimental operation has also been reported from Russia.

Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY 7-8 --- RTTY Round-Up

JANUARY 8 --- KIDS DAY

JANUARY 14 --- Tech Fest, at St Marguerite D'Youville Catholic Church in Lawrenceville. FREE. The event will run from 10 AM (set-up at 9) until 2 PM. Lots of FREE food, including a chili cook-off; 2nd annual QLF contest; demonstrations on various modes of amateur radio, and more. Always lots of fun. (See www.gars.org for directions)

JANUARY 14-15--- NA QSO Party (CW)

JANUARY 21-22--- NA QSO Party (phone)

JANUARY 21-23--- VHF Sweepstakes

JANUARY 28--- Statewide ARES meeting (See www.gaares.org for details and directions)

JANUARY 28-29--- CQ WW 160 M CW Contest

And don't forget to mark it on your calendar NOW! That's the FIRST GA Hamfest of 2006, the Dalton Hamfest, coming up on FEBRUARY 25. (North GA Fairgrounds in Dalton, 8AM)

Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.

SILENT KEYS

WALTER MORRIS, K4ELK
ROBERT MULLINS, N4EET

Sincere condolences to the families and friends of both of these fine men.


Well, folks that's about it for now. Until next time, this is AF4FO, signing clear. Take care of yourselves. And each other.

Always give without remembering, and always receive without forgetting.

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

(P.S. Did I happen to mention.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!)

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

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