Georgia Section On My Mind

BRRRRR! Baby, it's cold outside!!! I sure don't remember seeing anything in our contract about these kinds of temperatures like we've had this January when we moved down here from Maryland in 1971. On the plus side, we haven't had to shovel any snow, so I shouldn't complain. WALLY RANKIN, KE4ISH, who moved down here from Michigan (where they REALLY know how to do up winter "right") says, yup! It WAS in that contract, just in the little bitty print. Ahhh, but it's February, and that should mean that spring isn't too far away. And nobody does "spring" better than Georgia. (if you don't mind shoveling a little bit of pollen...) So, here's to dreams of warm weather, dogwoods and azaleas...

Didja ever wonder how the guy who drives the snow plow gets to work??

CLUB NEWS

ALBANY ARC--- The Boy Scouts of America recently presented an award to club station, W4MM, in recognition and appreciation for the club's participation in the 2002 Jamboree on the Air event. New club president JAY REID, KG4OJJ, has been actively contacting other clubs in the area and extending his hand in friendship, in an effort to forge closer working relationships among them. (Outstanding!) Jay has also recently accepted the position of SKYWARN Coordinator, so it sounds like he's gonna be one busy guy.

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC--- The next club meeting, February 13th, coincides with what is expected to be an excellent window for making contacts via Oscar-40, according to AMSAT guru STEVE DIGGS, W4EPI, and he'll be set up in the parking lot of the meeting place from about 5 PM until 7 PM to take advantage of the situation. So, if you're interested in seeing "how it's done", why not grab a burger and come watch Steve and others demonstrate this fascinating mode of our hobby. Location: Annistown Road Baptist Church, at the corner of (surprise!) Annistown Road and Spain Drive in Stone Mountain.

CHEROKEE ARS--- Congratulations to recently elected officers: President- JIM MILLSAPP, N4ZFU; VP- DARRAGH MCCLUER, WA6IKS; Treasurer- JAMES JAMES, KE4HMS; and Secretary- MARKUS POWELL, AF4VS. Good luck to all of you in leading your club in a successful "tour of duty".

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARS--- Elections here put these fine folks in place as officers for the next year: President- JAMES HOWARD, WQ4T; VP- JEFFJAMES, KG6KXI; Secretary- FRANKLIN HOLLIS, K4FGH; and Treasurer- FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN. Best wishes for a successful and productive year.

FAYETTE COUNTY REPEATER ASSOCIATION--- These guys have a great idea for what to do with old ham radio magazines. In case you missed it in the February QST, they leave them in various waiting rooms around town, complete with a sticker on them giving info that directs interested parties to the ARRL and to the Fayetteville group's website at www.qsl.net/fcra. This is a great way to maybe get some new folks interested in our fine hobby, and for sure, these magazines sure beat the fire out of "Golf Digest" and "People"... Great idea, guys. Thanks to LYNN BIANCO, KN4YZ, for sharing this "DUH! Why didn't WE think of that?!" idea with the rest of us. Betcha ham magazines will start finding their way to waiting rooms all over the country, now.

GWINNETT ARS--- The club's 6th annual Techfest, held on the 25th, was, as always, a big success. How could it not be? With the way it provides the opportunity to share ideas and information about various facets of the hobby, as well as enjoy a free meal among the fellowship of other hams, it's a sure formula for success. And the good news is that the new location offers room for growth, so next year's event should be even bigger and better.

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC--- Newly-elected officers who will be leading the club in the new year are: Chairman- CURT BEEMAN, WB4JFS; Vice Chairman- DONALD GUTSTEIN, N1UDH; Secretary- PAUL DEMARONY, W4CPU; and Treasurer- JOHN GARTIN- KG4AMS. Congratulations to all of you. Also, congratulations go out to CHARLES GOLSEN, W4CHG,(ex-N4TZM)who was recently awarded a plaque at the January club meeting, in recognition of his many years of dedication to the club. Kudos also to club member FITZ WOOD, K4TYJ, who has been writing a series of excellent articles for the club newsletter on Grassroots Emergency Communications. In his column in the club newsletter, new club chairman CURT BEEMAN quoted LINUS PAULDING as saying, "In order to have good ideas, you must have lots of ideas." Well, it sure sounds like this club has a bunch, so I predict a rosy future for them. And don't forget.... Coming up in the middle of March will be the Kennehoochee hamfest at Jim Miller Park in Marietta.

LONG COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO GROUP--- Hats off to the caring members of this club, who've initiated an "Adopt a Soldier" program, where they are assembling care packages for over 200 members of the 464th Battalion, currently serving in Kuwait. They've also enlisted three local schools to help with this terrific project, and have asked local banks and a WalMart to participate, as well. If you'd like to help this group put a smile on the face of a soldier who's far away from home, contact PAUL MORGAN, KF4ZUR, at bmorgan@comcast.net and ask what you can do to help.

THOMASVILLE ARC--- "Twin" 2002 Special Service awards were presented to devoted club members BUDDY PEEPLES, WD4CJI, and BOBBY COOPER, N4KXL, in recognition of their work for the club and for the way each serves as a special goodwill ambassador for the club and for amateur radio. Congratulations to both of them.

VALDOSTA ARC--- Congratulations to this club's Ham of the Year, WILLIAM FERGUSON, W9UNH, who was presented a plaque, and his moment in the sun, at the January club meeting. Also, it looks like the plans for the first Valdosta hamfest, to be held August 8th through 10th at the Lowndes County fairgrounds, are moving right along. They have two huge air-conditioned (thank goodness!!) buildings for vendors and tables, and a third building (with fans) for the overflow. A covered tailgating area will be available on a first come, first serve basis, and RV parking will even be offered. I've been informed that some "major vendors" have already committed to being there. The date's marked on OUR calendar....how about yours?

NEED HELP?? With so many clubs recently electing new slates of officers, maybe some of you are unaware that there is a terrific President's Workbook online, available for download. It contains valuable information and suggestions that may be helpful in leading your club. http://www.arrl.org/field/club/workbook/

GENTLE REMINDER: Annual reports are due in February for Northwest Georgia ARC, and 4-Landers VHF UHF Contest Team. Charles E Newton Radio Club, Columbus ARC, and Conyers ARG were due in January. TWENTY-THREE other clubs are OVERDUE. PLEASE check your records at http://www.arrl.org/field/club/biglist.html If you have any questions about how to file the needed changes to your club's data, feel free to contact our ACC MARY AHLS, W4NZJ at w4nzj@arrl.net, or you can drop me a line. We'd both be happy to help. (Now, don't y'all make me start "naming names"....!!!)

If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

ARES NEWS

The biggest news on this front is that the STATEWIDE ARES MEETING date has finally been set. It will be held (pause here a moment for a dramatic little drumroll and a clash of the cymbals....) on Saturday, July 12th. If you're like me and my better half Mike, our first reaction was....Oh NO! That's the date of the Gainesville Hamfest! But there's a good reason for that. This year's ARES meeting will actually be held AT the Gainesville Hamfest. The meeting facilities at the Georgia Mountains Center are excellent, and since the Hamfest will be the proud host site for the Southeastern Division convention this year, it will be an expanded 2 day affair this time around, so you should have plenty of time to both attend the meeting and enjoy the Hamfest activities, as well. As a special bonus, reduced Hamfest prices will be available at the local hotel, right across the street from the center. Details are still to be worked out, but it looks like the meeting will be at about 11AM, and will last for an hour to an hour and a half, and possibly followed by a variety of ARES related presentations and activities.

COBB COUNTY ARES members are planning a "four corners" exercise on February 15th, in which simulated emergency and tactical traffic will be passed from the four corners of Cobb county to the American Red Cross. ARES leaders also participated in a recent EMAG meeting that was held in Cobb county, and were told by the new EMAG president that an ARES presence is wanted at this year's EMAG Convention. Last year, EMAG members were TOLD what amateur radio operators can do... now, they want to SEE it. Cool.

CHEROKEE ARES sure has an innovative way to encourage the recruitment of new members. How about a $150 gift certificate to HRO? That's what the biggest recruiter for the December-January period will earn, followed by another for the February-March time period. This was the brainchild of AEC KENNY CANNON, N4ZFT, and so far, it's really working well to swell the ranks of this active group. The brand new State of the Art EOC facility in Cherokee is completed now, and ARES members have finished installing radios and antennas in the area designated at the center for them. On January 25th, using the "tricks of the trade" as taught by WADE MASSENGILL, KU4OJ, members taught a one-day technician class to 12 Cherokee county EAC and fire/EMA folks. Five of them went on that same day to pass their test and earn their amateur radio tickets.

REGISTRATION for the next EC-001 online course opens February 3, at 12:01AM EST (0500 UTC), and will remain open through the February 8-9 weekend, or until all seats are taken. The class itself will actually begin on February 18. This class is still eligible for the $45 refund to ARRL members after successful completion of the course. To register, go to www.arrl.org/cce First come, first serve, so register early if you want to get in!

Congratulations to new EC for TURNER county, GREG WALLS, W4GHW. Thanks, Greg, for your willingness to lead your fellow hams there in Turner county in service to your community.

Congratulations, also, to two new AECs for the NWS: DAVE HOMANS, KG4PZI, of Peachtree City, and CHRIS WILKE, W1LKE, of Jonesboro.

Talking about the NWS, Peachtree City is seeking information on the latitude and longitude of Georgia hams. Once they have this information, it will be used in map form to overlay the radar screen with ham locations. Cool, huh? Send your name, callsign, your latitude and longitude, and whether or not you're SKYWARN certified to your local Emergency Coordinator. (If you aren't sure who your EC is, you can find that information at www.qsl.net/gaares ) Our ECs will, in turn, send this information to JEFF PAHL, KF4JVD, who's graciously volunteered to help in these efforts. If you aren't sure of your lat/long figures, you can get that information at http://www.geocode.com/modules.php?name=TestDrive_Eagle by choosing "address and map information" and entering your address. If you use this website to get your figures, please indicate as such when submitting your data. If your county does NOT have an EC, you can still participate by going to http://wind-angel.com/nws/ and filling out the information there. This information, once compiled, will also be useful to GEMA, and to other NWS offices, as well.

NOTE: The SKYWARN webpage for the state of Georgia has moved and can now be found at http://www.geocities.com/WX4PTC  Also, if you're interested in joining the Georgia Skywarn email list, send an email to subscribe to georgiaskywarn-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Sincere thanks to our Georgia ARES Net Manager (and DEC for Southwest District) J.D.GOINGS, AA4P, and to all of the folks who've been volunteering their time and talents to serve as NCS for the weekly statewide ARES nets on Sunday afternoons at 5PM on 3975. This net offers the opportunity to share information and concerns about ARES activities, training, exercises, etc. with the entire statewide organization at once. You've probably noticed by now that I'm rather keen on "spreading information", so by my thinking, the more people who have access to the information disseminated on this weekly net, the better. To that end, maybe you've noticed that the format has been slightly modified (with the approval of both J.D. and MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, SEC) such that the announcement portion of the net has been moved to the beginning of the net, immediately following any traffic, and then re-capped by the NCS at the end of the net. Hopefully, this will get the info to both the early birds and to the late-comers to the net. A definite plus. But I'd like to see it go one step farther, if possible. If there's someone who'd be willing to file a "Net Report" on the ARES reflector after the net each week, information would reach an even larger audience. Many of our AECs and ARES members don't yet have operating privileges that enable them to participate in our weekly nets, but it would certainly be beneficial to share with them any information that's disseminated on these nets. I visualize this "Net Report" as being a short summary of the announcements, primarily, but with the potential to be a little more, at the discretion of the reporter. Perhaps, info on the name of the NCS, total number of check-ins, which state officers checked in, which DECs and ECs, and which counties were represented? This is too much to expect from the NCS, I realize. Perhaps there could be an assistant NCS for each net who'd be willing to undertake the posting on the reflector? Or maybe there's someone out there who'd find it to be fun to do every week....??? If you have any comments on this, or would like to volunteer to do a weekly report about the net on the reflector, please contact me at af4fo@arrl.org

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

REPORT ON ARES AND THE NTS

 Last year, the Volunteer Resources Committee (VRC) was assigned the job of doing an in-depth study of the ARRL's programs related to emergency communications and non-emergency public service communications, and to then present their evaluations and recommendations for modernizing, streamlining, and increasing their effectiveness at this year's January Board of Directors meeting. The findings of the committee were as follows:

5.3.1.  Amateur Radio must earn and maintain increased credibility with served agencies, both nationally and at the local level.  The existing ARRL certification programs can help in this regard.  Additionally, excellent training is available through FEMA, the Red Cross, and other served agencies.  Such courses aren't designed for exclusive Amateur Radio audiences, but present an opportunity for ARES/NTS volunteers to expand their emergency preparedness horizons.

5.3.2   Amateur Radio emergency communications volunteers must be more actively involved in a variety of training experiences throughout the year.

5.3.3.  Although ARES and NTS are structurally separate in Section field organizations, these two volunteer programs must work more cooperatively, functioning as part of one coherent emergency communications program at the Section level.

5.3.4  The Committee notes persistent requests for creating new leadership positions.  The post of Assistant District Emergency Coordinator (ADEC) is the one most often suggested.  In addition, suggestions are received from time to time to give Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC),  appointment more stature.  It is presently a local appointment, not part of the formal field organization structure.  The VRC, however, is not convinced that the solution of organizational problems require new leadership positions.  Many SMs have solved their local organizational problems by more creative use of the existing appointee structure.

5.4  Recommendations.  In support of the above conclusions, the VRC recommends the following actions.

5.4.1  Amateur Radio should exhibit a higher level of readiness than is presently the case.  This may be accomplished, at least in part, by encouraging SMs, in collaboration with their SECs and STMs, to study, on a continuing basis, the training needs of their Sections and the effectiveness of training programs in place.

5.4.2  Amateur Radio should exhibit a higher level of professionalism than is presently the case.  This may be satisfied, at least in part, by adhering to the following program.  Please note that these are not requirements, but recommendations.

• SECs and STMs, earn Level 1, 2, and 3 certification as soon as possible
• DECs and NMs earn at least Level 1 and 2 certification as soon as possible
• ECs and OES appointees earn at least Level l certification as soon as possible
• SECs, and STMs strongly encourage all ARES and NTS members to earn Level l certification in order to prepare them for possible future disasters and in order to prepare them to become future leadership officials.
• Finally, the training provided by FEMA, the Red Cross, and other served agencies should be considered for inclusion in ARES/NTS training programs.  These courses aren't designed for exclusive Amateur Radio audiences, but present an opportunity for ARES/NTS volunteers to expand their emergency preparedness horizons.

5.4.3  SECs should make more effective effective use of OES appointees -- the guideline document for this Field appointment is deliberately broad, so as to give SECs flexibility required to solve a variety of Section organizational problems.

5.4.4 SMs, SECs, and STMs should work cooperatively to develop workable plans for joint drills and training.

From PAUL MANNO, KG4UVU, as an addition to the corny job puns from last month
Then I tried working with computers, but I just couldn't get with the program.
and
At first, my next job as a deep-sea diver seemed to work out well,
but there were too many parts of the job I really couldn't fathom.

STM REPORTS FROM JIM HANNA, AF4NS

NET ACTIVITY:

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

MORE ON NTS

Have you ever wondered what it's like to participate in a busy CW traffic net? PHIL TEMPLES, K9HI, the SM for EMA, wrote an interesting story about the Eastern Area Net that can give you a better appreciation for how traffic is handled at the "higher echelons". You can read his story at
http://www.temples.com/mod.php?mod=userpage&menu=140025&page_id=44

But, hey! You don't have to jump into the "deep end of the pool". Let BILL CARTER, KG4FXG, and his other NCSs teach you "how to swim" on the slow speed CW training net every night at 9PM on 3702. Even the Illinois Training Net newsletter compliments GA's GTN and GSN, noting that Bill and "the rest of the Georgia boys (and ladies) have done a great job of recruiting new hams to CW traffic handling."

If you're interested, you can download a working reference manual on traffic nets and message handling procedures in NTS at www.arrl.org/FandES/field/nts-mpg/ Also, there's an interesting webpage on "Tools for Traffic Handling" at http://homepage.earthlink.net/~k7bfl/tfctools.html

THE JOYS OF UHF/ VHF OPERATIONS

We have a lot of UHF/ VHF enthusiasts here in Georgia, and three of our most enthusiastic, JIM WORSHAM, W4KXY, BOB LEAR, K4SZ, and FRED RUNKLE, K4KAZ, set up a table at the recent Techfest, sponsored by the Gwinnett ARS, with some terrific "show and tell" items, like antennas, QSL cards, pictures of operations, etc. Jim also had some hand-outs that he'd written on "VHF/ UHF Weak Signal Operating for Beginners", in which a host of valuable information was given on effective operations on the magic 50 MHz band and on up.

Like, did you know that, in building a VHF/ UHF weak signal station, it's recommended to use a horizontally polarized antenna, with at least enough elevation to be in the clear? It doesn't have to be up a hundred feet, but it does need to be up above those treetops and surrounding buildings to be truly effective. Traditionally, Yagis are most commonly used from 6 M to 33 cm (903 MHz), and loop Yagis and dishes are usually preferred from 23 cm (1296) on up. As for feedlines, coax is most commonly used, but RG-58, RG-213, and RG-8 are only acceptable for very short runs. Low loss coax, such as 9913 or LMR-400 is preferable, with hardline being the most desirable. With a host of operating events and contests, there are ample opportunities for honing your skills and experiment with such interesting propagation modes as meteor scatter, aurora, tropospheric ducting, sporadic E, and even EME. There's a whole other world of operating experiences above 50 MHz, and a bunch of experienced operators here in Georgia to show you how.

COMING UP: The 7th annual conference of the Southeastern VHF Society, on Friday and Saturday, April 25th and 26th, at the Huntsville Marriott in Huntsville, AL. You'll get so much information here that you may need to poke your fingers in your ears from time to time to keep your brain from overloading. Those of you interested in submitting a paper for the conference, the deadline is March 11th, and those papers go to DICK HANSON, K5AND, at k5and@adelphia.net  For more information about the conference, check out www.svhfs.org

"Yeah, I'm only running full legal limit.... To EACH antenna..."

ATTENTION: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS

To get a couple of PowerPoint presentations on promoting amateur radio, go to www.arrl.org/pio You can also access a web-based PR newsletter at this same site. How about a PIO Handbook that can give you advice on promoting our hobby to the public? You can download a 12-chapter manual to help your efforts at www.arrl.org/pio/handbook There's even a nationwide PR reflector for PIOs to exchange ideas. To subscribe, contact JENNIFER HAGY at jhagy@arrl.org, giving her your name, callsign, and email address, and of course, asking to be added to the subscriber's list.

VOLUNTEER COUNSEL PROGRAM

Have you ever had to struggle with a local ordinance that seemed overly restrictive, maybe even illegal? Or deal with a neighbor who's convinced that every bit of interference within miles is caused by YOU..... even when you're not on the air?? To help amateur radio operators deal with such issues, the ARRL has a Volunteer Counsel Program, wherein (do ya like that "legalese" talk?) it maintains a pool of volunteer lawyers who are willing to help hams deal with these sorts of situations. The program was established as a means of keeping track of, and if necessary, opposing, local ordinances and statutes that might have a detrimental effect on the Amateur Radio Service.

While these lawyers aren't expected to provide their services free of charge, they are required to provide a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION to provide guidance to the amateur who's "under siege", and to help him decide how best to proceed.

At this time, we in Georgia are very fortunate to have six lawyers who've already signed onto this program. However, of the six, five of them are located in the metro Atlanta area.... The sixth is located in Macon. While that's terrific for those of us who live in the metro Atlanta (or Macon) area, it doesn't provide much help for all of the hams in south Georgia or in the mountains of north Georgia.

Soooooo, the question is, do we have any attorneys in those areas (or anywhere in the state) who might be interested in joining this program, to make yourself available to help your fellow hams? I'll bet we do! If you're interested, and are both an ARRL member and a member of the GA Bar Association, you can fill out an application electronically at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/local/vcapp.html Your application would then go to our esteemed Southeastern Division Director FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, for his approval and to JOHN HENNESSEE, N1KB, of the ARRL, for review. For additional information on this program, please see http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/local/vc-vce.html  and
 http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/local/vci.html

Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome??

THIS 'N' THAT

Do you keep a library of QSTs to use as reference material? If so, I'll bet you noticed that the usual index was missing from the pages of the December issue of 2002. However, you can find a QST index search page at http://www/arrl.org/members-only/qqnsearch.html (P.S. You have to be logged in as a member to use this feature.)

From DOUG FOOS, KT4XF, Manager for the STARS amateur radio station at SciTrek in downtown Atlanta: Local hams logged in a total of 319.75 volunteer hours in the year 2002, running the W4WOW station and showing and telling museum visitors about amateur radio. (A real healthy chunk of that time was put in by Doug.)Way to go, guys! The museum has made a lot of improvements, and the attendance is rising, so more opportunities than ever abound in the new year to showcase amateur radio at this terrific station. When the weather warms up, an antenna party will be organized to make the station even better.

PAUL MANNO, KG4UVU, had a question about simplex operations. He didn't want to tie up a repeater with a QSO and wondered if there were preferred 2M FM simplex frequencies in the Atlanta area. I referred him to SERA, (Southeastern Repeater Association) where he found all of the information he was looking for, as they list these recommended frequencies, in addition to repeater information. Just in case there are others of you who may have wondered about those frequencies, they are as follows: 146.400, 146.415, 146.430, 146.445, 146.460, 146.475, 146.490, 146.505, 146.520, 145.535, 146.550, 146.565, 146.580, 146.595, 147.405, 147.420, 147.435, 147.450, 147.465, 147.480, 147.495, 147.510, 147.525, 147.540, 147.555, 147.570 and 147.585.

From EDDIE FOUST, WD4JEM, a heads up warning that the Consumer Products Commission and American Power Conversion Corporation (APC) have issued a RECALL of approximately 900,000 back-up power units. APC models CS350 and CS500 with serial numbers AB0048- AB0251, BB0104- BB0251 and JB0125- JB1251, with the exception of units with an R at the end of the serial number, are all subject to recall. The problem? The power supply can overheat and melt the external casing. For additional information, go to www.apc.com/rely and www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml03/03068.html

BRENNAN PRICE, N4QX, needs information for the next edition of the ARRL repeater directory. Deadline: February 7th, so get that information on the parameters of your repeater to SERA ASAP.

UPCOMING CLASSES

Starting at 7 PM on February 4th, at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, WIN JACKSON, N1TWX, will be teaching another semester's class for earning a technician class license. Offered as part of the county's continuing education and enrichment program, this class will run for 7 weeks. For more info, contact Win at n1twx@arrl.net

Saturday, February 22, at Hinesville/ Liberty county EMA, a one-day technician class. 8 AM until 4 PM, with a VE exam to follow. All elements will be offered, and walk-ins are welcome. Test $12. Class FREE. Contact MARK AULICK, KF4MLT at kf4mlt@arrl.net for more info.

BOB LEAR, K4SZ, with the North Georgia ARC, is putting out feelers to see if there's enough interest to support hosting an 8-week technician class in the Dahlonega area. If you know anyone who may be interested, contact Bob at k4sz@arrl.net

NOTE: ANDY FUNK, KB7UV, has written a handy guide for prospective hams on passing amateur radio exams, available for download at http://www.arfunk.com/amrad/passexams.html

SKYWARN class: The NWS, Peachtree City, in conjunction with the Coweta county EMA, will be conducting a Spotter Training Class on March 6th at 7 PM at the Central Education Center, 160 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Newnan.

NOTE: SKYWARN classes will ONLY be offered in the months of January, (oops! Too late for THAT!) February, and March. To see if there will be a class offered near you, go to:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ftproot/ffc/html/sched.shtml

Teachers never lose their class.

TIME TO COMMENT ON THE FCC SPECTRUM POLICY TASK FORCE REPORT

STEVE HAJDUCEK, N2CKH, secretary of the Ocean-Monmouth ARC in New Jersey, has been doing his homework, and DREW MCCARSKY, KB2SEO, was kind enough to pass the fruits of Steve's labors along to us, so we have the opportunity to benefit from them, and to ACT NOW to file our own comments on the FCC Spectrum Policy report that is now under consideration. This report was filed in November of 2002, and we hams have until February 10th to file our comments at http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/ecfs/Upload

One of the major concerns is that the report fails to address the needs and goals of the Amateur Radio Service, choosing to focus, rather on commercial interests. In an initial comment to the task force last June, the ARRL said that the "marketplace forces should not determine Amateur Radio spectrum allocations and that interference management is a technical, not an economic, issue." All of the ARRL's comments are available for your perusal on the ARRL website at http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et02-135-/arrl-comments.html

The reports of the FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force can be read, also, at: http://www.fcc.gov/sptf/files/SRRWGFinalReport.pdfpdf and at http://www.fcc.gov/sptf/files/SEWGFinalReport_1.pdfpdf

Not sure how to comment? Steve was even kind enough to share the comments that he made, to give you an idea of what to say. He wrote, "In the Matter of ET Docket No. 02-135, I fully support the comments of the ARRL (THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO) dated January 27, 2003, regarding Public Notice, FCC 02-322, released November 25, 2002. In addition, I wish to state that the Amateur Radio Service is not unlike other valuable National Resources in that it provides an important role in our society and should be safeguarded from any and all threats that would diminish its value to the nation."  (He DOES have a way with words, doesn't he?)

So, there you have it, guys. The ball's in our court. Is it worth a few minutes of your time to let the FCC know that....... Amateur Radio operators are paying attention? Is our spectrum allocations worth defending?

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
Yogi Berra

TECH TIPS

Here's a gem from my better half MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI. If you're ever in need of a "twisted pair" (or "triplet") for a project, here's a simple way to get professional looking results. Cut equal lengths of however many wires you need, and secure one end of them in your vise. Put the other ends in the chuck of your electric drill. With a few flicks of the trigger, you'll have a beautifully twisted set of wires. It really works great!!

If you didn't check out that neat website that HOWIE GOULD, W9HG, told us about, check it out!! http://hfradio.org/ CARL WULFESTIEG, AG4LS, was totally psyched at what a great site it is, and at how neat the Morse code tools are. You can crank up the speed to 50 WPM if you want to, and can even throw in some background static for a touch of on-the-air authenticity. Again, in case you've forgotten, this site features a method of learning the code that was developed 60 years ago by LUDWIG KOCH, that uses high speed 20 WPM and 15 WPM character spacing, teaching 2 characters at a time. Go ahead... see for yourself!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS: "Don't unplug it. It'll just take a minute to fix..."

SECTION NOTABLES

HOWIE GOULD, W9HG, does a lot more than just find neat websites to tell the rest of us about. He's featured on a webpage himself, the one for the 3905 Century Club, Inc. Established 25 years ago, Howie was the first and founding president for the club, and is still an active member. The 3905 Century Club, INC is an international amateur radio club, whose purpose is to help hams obtain their WAS award. It operates on 20, 40, 75, 80, and 160 M, using SSB, CW, RTTY, and PSK-31. Hats off to Howie for helping to launch such a long-lasting and wide-reaching organization.

BOB GOOD, K4BG, and his bride, JOY, K4VHC, held their annual special K4 "Very Happy Christmas" North Pole special events station event over the Holidays, and delighted a bunch of children by allowing them to talk to Santa. What a nice thing to do! (Bet they had fun, too!)

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
Will Rogers

UPCOMING EVENTS

CLASSIC EXCHANGE--- from 200 UTC February 2 until 0600 UTC February 3 (3PM EST Sunday until 1 AM Monday) you can enjoy a no-pressure contest that's meant to celebrate the older commercial and homebrew equipment that was the pride and joy of ham shacks many decades ago. (and STILL the pride and joy of many hams today!) The older the equipment you're operating, the more points you stand to earn. Got several "oldies but goodies"? Better yet. For more information, go to http://qsl.asti.com/cx/

FEBRUARY 5--- A VIP's birthday. Happy birthday to my better half.

GOTA--- February 15-16-"Guides on the Air", or "Thinking Day", an annual celebration of the founding of Girl Scouts, an on-the-air operating event that allows girl scouts to talk to Girl Guides in other countries via amateur radio. Lots of you have participated in JOTA with the boys; this one is for the girls. Why not get in touch with your local GSA troop and see if you can help?

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17- SEVERE WEATHER WEEK

STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL--- February 19-The GA Skywarn Linked Repeater System will be used, as well as APRS, and 3.975 Try to check in, if you possibly can. (Listen to the statewide ARES net for details.)

HOT DOG!!--- February 22--- DALTON HAMFEST-at the North GA fairgrounds, starting at 8 AM, VE testing at 1 PM. Free tailgating. Breakfast and lunch available onsite. Talk-in 145.230(-) Hope to see you all there! Come by the ARRL table to say hello. FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, and SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, and EDDY KOSOBUCKI, K4JNL, all plan to be there, along with lots of other fun people. You won't want to miss it. (But don't forget to dress warmly! Trust me: it won't be nearly as warm in Dalton as it is in Statesboro....)

"If I knew you he was comin' I'd a baked a cake...." (Maybe EDDY will bring his famous banana pudding to the Hamfest....

EARLY PLEA FOR HELP

PHIL MILAZZO, KC6OEI, is once again in charge of organizing the ham support for BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia). It'll be in the 3rd week of June, from Bainbridge to St. Mary's, traversing the following counties: Decatur, Seminole, Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, Lanier, Berrien, Atkinson, Coffee, Ware, Pierce, Brantley, Glynn, and Camden. If you're interested in helping provide communications, why not sign on early and spare Phil a little stress? Go to http://www.brag.org/ and check on the "contact us" link, or for full info on ham support for this event, see http://www.geocities.com/philip_milazzo

SILENT KEYS

DON BROWN - KC4DK
BILL CHRISTMAS - W4SIH
MIKE KOCJAN - N4YYC
JUNE MILLER - KF4DSC
PIERCE MOORE - KM4IK

Sincere condolences to the families and friends of all of these fine people.

OK, that's about it for now. I will say, though, that that I HAVE decided to run for another term as your Georgia Section Manager. It's been a lot of fun, and it'd be a real honor to "keep on keepin' on". Assuming that I can get five (better make that ten) signatures on a petition. Less one. My better half will be the first signer. (Wouldn't have it any other way!) If any of you are interested in running for the position of SM, (are you listening, Mr. BG?) please don't hesitate to do so. (I won't be offended.) Any questions on the process, just let me know, and I'd be happy to help you.

Thanks to all of you who've been sending information this-a-way so I can pass it on to the rest of you. Hope you found something interesting in this batch. Please keep the information a-coming. Af4fo@arrl.org

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