Georgia Section On My Mind

February, 2005

Greetings, All.

Darn! Who left the door open and let that cold air in here?! Close it, PLEASE!

I reckon we can't complain about this little bit of winter weather, compared to what's been happening in most of the country. Like the weather up in CT wasn't very hospitable for the recent Board of Directors meeting... absolutely frigid... and white, I hear. I know that our SE Director FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, was delighted to get back to the warmth of Florida. If you're interested, you can read the minutes from this latest Board meeting at www.arrl.org/announce/board-0501/ Some of the highlights have already been announced through an ARRL bulletin, but there's some other interesting stuff in there, as well. Like a recommendation to consider a new operating award: the "Triple Play Award", for working all states via phone, CW, and digitally. That'd be kinda neat. And the formation of a new committee on Scouting, to investigate the relationship the amateur radio community currently has with Scouting programs around the country, and look at ways to improve that integration. Hopefully, our own Assistant SM for Scouting, DAVID PEARCE, ABØNG, will help us along those same lines here in Georgia.

Talking about Scouting, remember that GSA Convention that's coming up in Atlanta this coming October? The initial request put to me was for Georgia hams to provide an amateur radio station and demonstration table in the World Congress Center exhibit hall for the weekend of the convention. At first blush, it sounded like a wonderful opportunity to showcase amateur radio to a bunch of young people. Well, it ain't gonna happen. Bottom line: the LEAST expensive table in that exhibit hall would have cost five hundred dollars. In addition, the majority of attendees are going to be the adult leadership, with commercial groups paying up to $4000+ for the privilege of trying to sell to them in that hall. Nuff said. Sincere thanks to DAVID PEARCE, ABØNG, our assistant SM for Scouting, who'd stepped forward to coordinate the event, and to STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, Gwinnett EC, and his Planning Committee, who'd volunteered to have Gwinnett ARES members support the event.

In honor of Valentine's Day, this month's one-liners are in-step with L-O-V-E, with comments from one of my favorites, RED SKELTON, with his tips for a happy marriage.

Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage,
then comes good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays. I go on Fridays.

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS

STATEWIDE ARES MEETING -- January 15--- Seeing's as I already sent out a summary telling you all about this terrific meeting, that means I don't have to say a whole lot here. (If you somehow missed the summary, it's posted on both our www.arrl-ga.org and www.gaares.org websites.) The feedback from folks who attended has been great, and it seems to be unanimous: it was a doggone good meeting! Thanks to everyone who made it such a success. (

TECHFEST --- January 22 --- Bringing hams together to share ideas, fellowship, and good chow remains a winning combination. Over the years that the Gwinnett ARS has been hosting this annual event, there have been a wide range of activities: building 6M dipoles, building crystal sets, building an antenna out of aluminum cans, coax testing, computer radio programming, general radio troubleshooting, soldering techniques, Anderson powerpole connectors, SSTV, PSK-31, CW, QRP, homebrew equipment, vintage radios, VHF, DX-ing, making QSL cards, generators, satellite communications, "free" TV, IRLP, Echolink, etc. etc. Each year is a little different, but it's always fun. This year, the weather was a bit yucky, which may explain the lighter turn-out than usual, but everyone who braved the chilly mist to attend had a good time. This year, for the first time, there was a QLF contest. That is: sending CW with the left foot... no kidding! With a very large "key". DAVID KNOWLES, KD4HNH, plopped down in the seat and handily (footily??) won the "Hot Foot" award, as well as a Hiram Percy Maxim mug, for his efforts. (His talented tootsies were better than some fists I've heard!) Young BRITTNEY HANCOCK, granddaughter of KEN DALTON, KI4BQS, won the "Bad Foot" award, although she did doggone well, especially considering she doesn't know the code. (And by winning the "bad foot", she received tapes that can teach her the code!)The task at hand... or actually, at FOOT... was to send the word "freedom", and everyone did quite well with it. Guess next year's test will have to be a little more challenging. Also, this year for the first time, ribbons were actually presented for the chili cook-off, and I'm pleased to say that I walked away with the blue ribbon. (No.. really! They actually GAVE it to me...! I didn't snitch it or anything!) Second place went to Newton county EC, CARL WULFESTIEG, AG4LS, and third went to JOY BRUCE. Lots of chili was eaten, ably taking the chill off, (some, more than others!!) and for those who don't quite "appreciate" the charms of chili, there were plenty of hot dogs and hamburgers and all the fixings, too. This year's TechFest chairman, RAY BACK, KI4GRJ, raffled off a 2004 ARRL Handbook, which had graciously been donated by those fine fellas over at HRO, and was able to raise $50 for the club's scholarship fund. Young Brittney also won the handbook, so I reckon that young lady has little choice but to follow through now and get her license! All in all, Ray did a fine job heading up the efforts, and everyone involved deserves credit for a job well done.

We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in Ontario and mine is in Toronto.

FORGOTTEN Q SIGNAL PRIMER

Since so many people have given me a blank look whenever I mentioned the QLF contest, it sounds like it must be time to refresh your memories with some of the other "forgotten" Q signals. These are a hoot, and a number of people sent then to me a couple of years ago. If you've haven't already seen them before, hope you get a kick out of them.

QBA: My antenna is BIG!
QBA? How big is YOUR antenna?

QBO: Don't sit next to that guy in the meeting.
QBO? Got soap?

QBS: It's getting deep in here.
QBS? Did I tell you about the one that got away?

QET: Phone home.
QET? Has anyone called me from another planet?

QHI: I'm jumping in to say a quick HI, and then I'm going QRT
QHI? Are you leaving after only one transmission?

QLF: I am sending with my left foot.
QLF? Are you sending with your left foot?

QOK: Your last transmission was okey-dokey.
QOK? Was my last transmission okey-dokey?

QRC: Warning! Rag chewer on frequency!
QRC? Are you a rag chewer?

QFH: This frequency is MINE! Go elsewhere!
QFH? Is this frequency hogged?

QWC: I don't care.
QWC? Who cares?

QZZ: I fell asleep at the mike.
QZZ? Is that a 60Hz hum, or are you snoring?

I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.

CLUB NEWS

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- At the January meeting, STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, was caught completely by surprise.... "shocked and awed", you might say... by the club's selection of him as its Ham of the Year. Steve, besides being an active club member, is also the Dekalb county EC, and is well deserving of this recognition. Congratulations, Steve! As is the custom with this club, numerous certificates of appreciation were also presented to individual club members for their support of the club and its many activities.

ATHENS ARC --- This industrious crew will be constructing dipoles and J-poles during their February meeting. A fun hands-on activity, giving members a chance to learn a thing or two, and a pretty good way for a club to raise funds, too, by selling the finished products to others in the ham community.

ATLANTA ARC --- This club kicked off its year with a program presented by JOE NOVOSEL, N4HC, on cable modem technology. This technology has grown by leaps and bounds, and it's amazing to see how much more compact the equipment has become as the years have gone by. (Howcum it is that technology seems to dictate smaller and smaller and faster and faster, while we all tend to get bigger and bigger and slower and slower...??) An interesting project has been adopted by some of these club members since last year, involving a very tall tower, a commercial antenna, and a beacon.... all located on the top of Stone Mountain. Read all about it at http://www.moetronix.com/beacon/ 

CAMDEN COUNTY ARS --- CONGRATULATIONS! This club was recently approved as our newest ARRL Affiliated club here in Georgia, and will be receiving their charter of affiliation in the near future. Welcome aboard! These folks started out the new year with a picnic and Fox Hunt on January 8, and will begin holding their regular meetings on the first Sunday of each month at Fire Station #4 in Kingsland at 3 PM. They plan to hold a code class on January 29 and February 5, with an all-purpose VE session to follow. Both Camden and Charlton county hams will be supporting St. Mary's Downtown Development Authority by setting up an amateur radio display and HF station at their festival on February 5th. Those fine folks from Wayne county will also provide their communications trailer for display during the event.

CHEROKEE ARS --- Recent elections placed the following folks at the helm of this fine group: President- KENNY CANNON, AI4BE; VP- FRANK DEAN, K4SJR; Treasurer- JAMES JAMES, KE4HMS, and Secretary- MEG DEAN, KG4WIU. Congratulations to all of these folks and best wishes for a year of smooth sailing and enjoyment.

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARS --- Congratulations to the following recently elected slate of officers for 2005: President- FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN; VP- DALE EVERETT, KG4YQW; Secretary- EDNA WRIGHT, KF4SDF; and Treasurer- FRANKLIN HOLLIS, K4FGH. Serving as Net Manager is RANDY POWELL, KC4AQS; and as Newsletter Editor, JAMES HOWARD, WQ4T. Best wishes for another successful year in leading the club. Hearty CONGRATULATIONS also go out to a special lady who was tapped as this year's Ham of the Year, and that's EDNA WRIGHT, KF4SDF, who's done an excellent job of serving the club as secretary, as well as being the chief organizer in charge of the menus for all of the club functions. ("Feed 'em and they will come") And besides, she is one sweet lady.

DALTON ARC --- Elections were also held for this club recently, and the people have spoken: the officers who will be leading this club in the new year are President- TONY SMITH, AG4NE; VP- HAROLD JONES, N4BD; Treasurer- RANDY JONES, W4RSJ; and Secretary- CECIL CLEMENTS, KG4RSU. LARRY BRUNSON, K4SSP, was also selected as the third member of the Board of Directors, joining incumbents ROLAND RANKIN, KV4ED, and TONY SMITH, AG4NE, under Chairman HAROLD JONES, N4BD. Congratulations to all of these club leaders, and best wishes for a great year with the club. Next up for this group will be its 23rd annual Hamfest, coming up on February 26, at the North Georgia Fairgrounds.

ELLIJAY ARS --- President DAVE MEADOWS, K4LDI, reported that elections for 2005 were held at their January meeting, and the 2004 slate of officers was retained by a landslide to serve for the year of 2005. (Sounds like they must be doing something right!) Continuing to lead the club are: President- DAVE MEADOWS, K4LDI, VP- JOE FRACK, AD4NH; Secretary/Treasurer- BILL CAMPBELL, WB4HAT; Trustee- DENNIS RODGERS, KA4VHP; and Executive Director- SAM UNDERSHILL, K4SWU. Also at that January meeting was FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN, DEC for NW GA, who gave a presentation on ARES, discussing such things as the ARES structure and functions, as well as the importance of establishing interfaces with the local EMA, and descriptions of how hams can serve their local agencies as ARES members. This club is actively pursuing closer relationships with their Gilmer County EMA officials and plans to draw up MOUs with them in the near future. Members are also working with the Gilmer Disaster Action Team, which is affiliated with the Red Cross.

GWINNETT ARS --- At the January meeting, BILL CHEREPY, WB4WTN, provided a program on PSK-31, a mode that has been around for awhile now, but remains "new" to many hams, both old and new. Also big in January for this club was its annual TechFest, held on the 22nd, and chaired by RAY BACK, KI4GRJ. The club is to be commended for all of the effort put into this event every year, from the displays to the food to this year's first annual QLF contest. Lots of fun!

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC --- After recent elections, the new Chairman of the Board for this group is PAUL DEMARONEY, W4CPU. Also elected were Vice Chairman PAUL MANNO, KG4UVU, Secretary WILL PETERS, WB4BRA, and Treasurer TERRY GIBBS, WK4E. Completing the Board of Directors are JAMIE MARCHALK, KG4FKJ; KEITH CHAFIN, NE4O, ANDY MILLS, KC4CXS, and out-going Chairman CURT BEEMAN, WB4JFS. Best wishes to all of these folks for another banner year. Club members, along with Cobb county ARES, did a bang-up job of providing communications for the Winter Special Olympics, held January 21-23. At the January meeting, AL MILES, KG4VIB, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to PAUL MANNO, KG4UVU, in recognition of his support and participation in the Coast Guard Auxiliary's Special Event station for the past two years. At that same meeting, CURT BEEMAN, WB4JFS, provided attendees with a font of information on mobile installations. Coming up at the February 1 meeting will be a program on "DXpeditions to the most horrible place on Earth", the South Sandwich Islands. CHAZ CONE, W4GKF, and BILL BARR, N4NX, will present a video documentary on "how a super-lightweight expedition set out to bring back the fun of old-time DXpeditions from two exotic Antarctic island locations", followed by a Q&A period and a brief overview of the imminent Peter One DXpedition. Meeting to be held at Southern Polytechnic, with talk-in on 146.880.

NORTH GA ARC --- This group will be sponsoring a SkyWarn class on Tuesday, February 8, at 7 PM at the Park and Recreation facility in Dahlonega. Also, coming up on March 19, the club will host a Special Event Station in conjunction with the Salute to Veterans Festival.

NORTHEAST GA ARC --- LARRY OSBORNE, WT4XX, reports that elections were held for 2005, and the new officers are as follows: President- BOB MOORE, N1RM; VP- FRED LUBBESS, KG4PPQ; Treasurer- JOE TILLER, KD4VHX; and Secretary- KAY MCMANN, KG4WHA. Best wishes to all of these folks for a successful and enjoyable year in leading the club. Plans are for a club membership drive, with letters going out to all hams in the area.

NORTH FULTON ARL --- The January meeting marked the first for this club's experiment, where a different club member will chair the meeting each month, as well as provide the program. None other than MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, (AKA "That's meeeee!", my better half) was the fearless leader for this inaugural meeting, and he talked a bit about ALE. (as in "Automatic Link Establishment", not that stuff in those little brown bottles...) ALE is an amazing spread spectrum mode of communications that is rather demanding of your equipment, (both antenna and rig, what with rapid frequency changes ranging from 2 to 5 per second!) and is used somewhat extensively by both the military and such agencies as FEMA. (Do a search on PCALE for more info.) After filling our brains, he then proceeded to empty them, with an interesting 30 question trivia test, which covered all kinds of amateur radio related topics, with a little trophy going to the top scorer, BOB BEEMAN, K4BB.

QCWA --- Peach State Chapter 49--- Coming up at this group's February 19th meeting: the opportunity to meet with and enjoy a program presented by humorist and newspaper columnist, BILL HUSTED, KQ4YA, AKA the "Technobuddy". The luncheon meeting will be at noon at the Fire Mountain Grill, near the intersection of Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, in Norcross, with Bill's talk to follow. To be eligible to be an actual member of this august group, you need only to have received your first license at least 25 years ago and to have a current license now. (It doesn't matter if you were "out of the hobby" for the years in between) And you DON'T have to be a member to attend.

SILVER COMET ARS --- CONGRATULATIONS to DAVE FULLER, K4DMF, who was selected by this club as "Amateur of The Year 2004". Club president LEE MCDANIEL, WB4QOJ, wrote, "Dave has done extensive work on helping the Silver Comet ARS get off the ground as far as State Incorporation and also the club obtaining its IRS 501 (C) (3) status. Dave has worked long and hard in helping the amateur community in Paulding County and surrounding areas, in teaching, mentoring and doing liaison work between organizations. We can always count on Dave to do the right thing at the right time and do it quickly. Having an Amateur organization that meets the needs of the hams in the County and working to enhance the hobby is a great thing. Dave received a Plaque and a portable Weather/Communications receiver for his ham shack, as the club members recognize and thank him FOR A JOB WELL DONE."

SE DX CLUB --- JIM KAUTEN, W4TE, will be presenting a program on Digital DXing with PSK31 and RTTY at the February 22 meeting. Club member BOB ALLPHIN, K4UEE, and his team are currently freezing their buns off at Peter One for our operating pleasure. They should be safely home and thawed out in time for Bob to present a program on this exciting (and COLD!) adventure at the March 29th meeting, so it sounds like a couple of great programs coming up. See www.sedxc.org  for directions to the meeting place.

VALDOSTA ARC --- These folks will be celebrating an impressive anniversary this month, marking 58 years since they received their charter of affiliation on February 20, 1947. CONGRATULATIONS to this club for its strength and longevity.
Part of a club's strength is in growing new members, and to that end, the club will be sponsoring some classes in the Valdosta area, with a one-day TECHNICIAN class to be held on March 5, 2005 ending with ARRL VE TESTING at the end of the class. Plans are also afoot to host classes for both the general and the extra class to help local hams make that upgrade. Anyone interested in any of these classes can contact club president WAYNE BRANT, KO4QJ at pres@varc.net for more information. With the onset of the new year, expectations are high, and anticipation for a year of growth is reflected in this club's adopted motto:
"LET's BRING OUR CLUB "ALIVE" IN 2005" (With that kind of enthusiasm, they can't miss!)

I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time," she said. So I suggested the kitchen.

UPCOMING CLASSES

+++ BASIC ELECTRONICS CLASS: Need a little "brushing up" on your electronics knowledge? ALEX CARVER, KF4LVZ, will be providing a weekly class on Saturdays at GA Tech, beginning on February 19th, and running until April 30th. Registration for this class is $15, and you will need a copy of the book "Understanding Basic Electronics", (available from the ARRL) a scientific calculator (with trig functions) as well as a notebook and writing sticks. For more info, contact Alex at acarver@ece.gatech.edu or JIM MASSARA, at n2est@arrl.net.

+++ TECH CLASS: at Central Gwinnett High School, a 7-week class, held from 7 PM until 9 PM, beginning February 8th. A cost of $25 to the school, plus the latest "Now You're Talking" book required. For additional information, contact WIN JACKSON, N1TWX, at n1twx@arrl.net or call the school at (770)338-4877 from 3-9 PM to register.

+++ SKYWARN CLASS: Sponsored by the North GA ARC, Tuesday, February 8, at 7 PM, at the Park and Recreation facility in Dahlonega.

+++ CODE CLASS: Saturdays, January 29 and February 5, from 9-11 AM, in Camden county. Contact CHUCK COOPER, N4TIS, at n4tis@arrl.net for location

+++ TECH AND GENERAL CLASS: Forsyth ARES is currently conducting a 5-week class, which started on January 15 at Grace Chapel Church of Christ from 9AM until noon each week. I understand that there's been a good turn-out so far, but if you're interested in catching the last couple of weeks, contact JOHN MANTON, W4JJM, at w4jjm@arrl.net

+++ ONE-DAY CLASS: MARK AULICK, KF4MLT, will be conducting a training class for preparing folks to take the Technician license exam, down in the Brunswick area on Saturday, Feb. 19. If you know anyone who might be interested, please alert them, and have them contact Mark at kf4mlt@arrl.net for further information.

+++ ONE-DAY TECH CLASS plus upgrade classes for general and extra class will be offered by the Valdosta ARC on March 5. Contact WAYNE BRANT, KO4QJ, for more info at pres@varc.net

We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

ARES NEWS

This year's worthy GA ARES Ham of the Year, STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, gave a presentation at our annual statewide meeting about monthly reporting. He has been working with ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, to implement some changes for the online reporting at www.gaares.org, which are !!!NOW READY!!! for the filing of your February report. (due the FIFTH of every month!) A great big THANK YOU to Stan and Robert for the NEW and IMPROVED reporting page. The following comes from Stan:

STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, Gwinnett county EC and Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, exchanged a few e-mails with the ARRL's STEVE EWALD, WV1X, who coordinates ARES activities, about some of the reporting concerns expressed during the recent State ARES meeting as it pertains to non-event related activities. Steve accepted the recommendation made that there be a miscellaneous category to record the hours ARES members spend in performing ARES specific activity and commended us on developing a reporting guideline. Miscellaneous activities would include work on antenna and radio systems at EOCs, work on repeater systems, mobile communications facilities, etc., operated by ARES groups, and similar types of activities. Comments of what these activities are should be included in the comments section of the monthly report. This should help to record a lot of hours that previously had not been accounted for in the way of ARES activity. (Who knows, we may have set a precedent for a change in the ARRL reporting system.)

ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, and author of the on-line reporting system, is working on an update to the on-line reporting form that he hopes to have ready for this month's report. The new form will have a place for the Miscellaneous category and he will automatically total the number of events and hours for the totals. In addition, he will start allowing those filing the reports to click on a button that will populate the fields with the previous month's information so you don't have to re-type the info, and then allow changes to be made where needed. For those with no changes, it makes reporting much easier. Even for those with only a few changes, it will take much less time to file the monthly report. As a note, you will have to enter all the information the first time using the updated report form since no history has been maintained, but the feature will be available after that.

If there are any questions, please contact Stan and he will try to resolve them on a case by case basis. While many exceptions have been addressed, he knows there are some he didn't think of. If there are similar issues folks identify, he will do a revision to the guideline to clarify the matter for everyone.

++ Talking about reporting, this message comes to us from STEVE EWALD, WV1X:

Thanks to everyone for submitting your ARRL Emergency Coordinator Annual Reports for 2004 and the 2004 SET Reporting forms. I have been receiving many of these reports over the last several months. If you have not sent in your 2004 SET reports or annual reports quite yet, there is still time.

Please log onto these Web pages for the electronic version of these files.
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/ec_set.rtf
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/nm_set.rtf
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/ec_ann.rtf

Then, you can send the filled-out form to me at sewald@arrl.org -- or -- wv1x@arrl.org.
Printed copies can be mailed to ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494.

The On-Line Public Service Activity Report Form

As you well know, you and many other Amateur Radio operators devote numerous amounts of time and effort toward public service communications in emergencies, scheduled tests or drills, nets and events such as parades and marathons each year. These activities help to show Amateur Radio in its best light, and it is critically important that ARRL bring documentation of this public service work to the attention of the Congress, the FCC and other public officials. We can do so with your help.

The ARRL Public Service Activity Report form is a convenient way to help document Amateur Radio's public service and emergency-response activities. An on-line version of this form, FSD-157, is conveniently available at this ARRL Web page: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/fsd-157-online-form.php. You also may access the form by linking to it through the Field Services Forms Web page: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/.

If you are an ARRL Emergency Coordinator, District Emergency Coordinators, Section Emergency Coordinator, Section Traffic Manager, Net Manager or other leader of an Amateur Radio public service communications group, you are especially encouraged to fill out and submit this form on behalf of your group after each public service activity, emergency operation or alert. You are also photographs of radio amateurs in action or other supporting data. Thank you very much.

+++ NEW DEC: While at the statewide meeting. ROBERT BURTON, KD4YDC, DEC for the NWS office at Peachtree City, suggested that he thought it would be a good idea for us to have a DEC for EACH of the NWS offices that serve our fine state. While the Peachtree City office covers the largest part of the state, those other out-of-state offices that cover parts of our state are just as vital to the welfare of our communities. To that end, I am pleased to announce that we have appointed JAY REID, KG4OJJ, as DEC to the Tallahassee NWS. Jay is an avid Storm Spotter and has already been instrumental in serving this office from the SW GA area. So, sincere thanks to Jay for taking on the official position for the ARES organization. Now, then, we still need a DEC for the Jacksonville, Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville offices... About the requirements for this position, SEC JIM COTE, N4PJR, said, "I think if we have a DEC for each office we could serve the NWS and ARES better by having better off air communications. I also think these new DECs should be willing to travel to their respective NWS office and get to know folks. They would also need to let ARES folks in the other states know that they are not there to try and take away from their operation but simply to supplement the operation in the Georgia Section."

+++ CAMDEN COUNTY ARES --- In response to a request from the American Red Cross in Jacksonville, FL, members will be activated in support of a host of activities planned for the week of Super Bowl XXXIX.

+++ CLARK COUNTY ARES --- This terrific press release comes to us from ED ROLLOR, N4ZRA: "On Jan. 6, 2005, Ed Rollor, N4ZRA, Clarke Co. ARES EC met with Chief Chuck Gulley, Clarke Co. EMC, and Ibey George, the new Fire Chief. After a brief discussion of Clarke Co. ARES achievements, Chief George asked Chuck Gulley to take whatever actions necessary to make the Clarke Co. ARES an official emergency response unit of the Clarke Co. EMA and to acquire funding for the establishment of an amateur radio station at the Clarke Co. EOC. Chief George stated, "I can not image running an EOC without the backup communications provided by amateur radio operators." Ed, N4ZRA, explained that although the change in Clarke Co. personnel played a big part in this decision, the hard work of amateur radio operators is not to be overlooked. For example, Bob Herrin, KE4JLL, has done a great job in lining up Public Service Events. He has also helped with writing up exercise reports. James Reeves, KF4AQO, has also helped with public service events and producing exercise reports. Clarke County ARES submitted over 30 Exercise reports to the Clarke County EMA in 2004. These reports show that we have been active in providing communications for the community. Ken Schroder, N4NFI, has provided valuable advice in dealing with difficult and complex situations with Clarke Co., University of Georgia and Red Cross. Local repeater owners are to be thanked also. Jeff Crowell, KD4AOZ, Ralph Costa, K4TUQ, and N4ALE, Ed Riddle, all provide our area with good, solid repeaters that make it easy to communicate and run nets. Also, the Athens Radio Club repeater trustee, Ed Fuqua, N4VHA, keeps the KD4QHB repeater up and running. These people make us look good because each repeater is key to the Clarke Co. EMA since it shows our redundancy in emergency communications. Jeff Crowell, KD4AOZ, and Ian Gray, W4ZFA, both provided assistance to Clarke Co. with their 800 MHz system which also showed our williness to help. George Kelley, WA4GA, with the Oconee County RACES, provided Medical info from the UGA Football game Red Cross First Aid Communications that made our exercise reports more professional and complete. The fact that we are working with other ARES and with RACES groups also proved to be a very positive point. The entire Clarke County ARES should be congratulated for this positive step in working with their local EMA. Each member has played an important part in this decision."

CONGRATULATIONS to Ed and all others involved for this wonderful development.

+++ COBB COUNTY ARES --- BOB BUTLER, W4RBB, has done a terrific job as Cobb's EC, and under his leadership, this group has developed a great rapport with the city and county leaders, and has earned their respect and admiration. However, Bob also serves as our DEC for the Red Cross, and has decided that he will step down as the EC, effective February 1, to enable him to devote more time and effort to his role as DEC. He passes the reins into the capable hands of TERRY GIBBS, WK4E, who has been serving as Bob's Administrative AEC. Sincere thanks to both of these guys for all of their hard work on behalf of the ARES organization and for their community. And Congratulations to Terry for assuming his new position.

+++ GWINNETT COUNTY ARES --- There have been a couple of organizational changes for this group, with the addition of BILL CHEREPY, WB4WTN, as AEC for Public Health, and TIM BLITCH, N4EEE, as AEC for Recruiting and Retention. RYAN DUNCAN, KI4CSM, has also agreed to serve as editor for a quarterly newsletter for this group. Thanks to all of them for stepping up into positions of leadership, to strengthen what is already a very strong organization.

+++ WAYNE COUNTY ARES --- This group sponsored a 1-day technician class and exam session on January 22, which has been a tried and true method for them to add to the ranks of the hobby, as well as to their ARES group. These Wayne county ARES members are now classified officially as part of Wayne County Rescue, which means that they will be covered under the county's workers comp insurance. Plans are afoot for members to take the GEMA rescue specialist class, bringing them into compliance with their new county classification.

+++ FYI: Would you believe that 219 Georgia amateur radio operators have taken the online EmComm courses offered through the ARRL? Of that number, 145 have completed Level I, 34 have completed Levels I and II, and 34 have successfully completed all three courses. If you're considering taking one or more of these courses, better hop to it! This is the last year for the grant, and if that money dries up before the year's end, that may mark the end of the opportunity to have the cost of these courses refunded to you. (So whatcha waiting for??)

+++ Planning to take CERT training? There is an online Introduction to the CERT Program, FEMA class, IS 317, which serves as a prerequisite, and it can be found at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp

+++ The GA Baptist Disaster Relief Group provides excellent training and additional opportunities to serve our communities. This message comes from TERRY JONES, W4TL, regarding upcoming training sessions:

We are well into the 2005 Disaster Relief Training season, having completed the first session in early January in Thomasville, GA. There are three other disaster relief trainings this year and as the old saying goes "We Need a Few Good Men." In other words if you know of someone who would make a good communicator for disaster relief, please make them aware of the available training and encourage (perhaps even twist their arms a bit) to join our ranks. The remaining training dates and locations for 2005 are as follows:

February 4 - 5, 2005 Phase I
Laurens County Baptist Association
1882 Trinity Hills Drive
Dublin, GA 31021

March 4 - 5, 2005, Phase II
Unit Director, &Chainsaw School
Georgia Baptist Assembly
8496 Lake Louise Road
Toccoa, GA 30577

May 13 - 14, 2005, Phase I
Wildwood Baptist Church
4801 Wade Green Road NW
Acworth, GA 30102

If you have not yet taken Phase II Training, I encourage and challenge you to do so. This year at Phase II Training in Toccoa, the communications scenario will be different from the past as we will be involving the SOUTHBEARS (Southern Baptist Emergency Amateur Radio Service), as well as other stations across Georgia to participate by checking in via HF, Echolink and other modes which will add other situations to the mock disaster. We don't want to make too many details available yet as this will take away from the drill exercise. After all, we as communicators should be able to adjust and respond to various communications situations and follow the Georgia Baptist Communications Motto, which is "Getting The Message Through."

I realize that next week's Phase I Training is just a few days away, so I suggest that if you have someone interested in taking the training and they have not yet sent their application in to bring their completed application with them to Dublin on Friday, February 4.

If you have completed Phase II Training, are current with your First Aid and CPR Certification and feel that you have enough field experience to be a candidate for Unit Director Training, please contact either me at w4tl@bellsouth.net or phone 770-967-6364 or Darryl Dale, K4REV, GA 14 Unit Director at k4rev@charter.net or phone 770-534-8180, so we might discuss that possibility. Unit Director Training will be held concurrently with Phase II Training in Toccoa on March 4 &5.

Applications can be downloaded at: http://mens.gabaptist.org/common/content.asp?PAGE=399

My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in the carburetor.
I asked where the car was. She told me, "In the lake."

NET REPORT FROM JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

DEC 04 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:
QCWA: Saturdays at 9AM on 3857.5 MHz
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):

** He's at it again! CONGRATULATIONS to SID HUTCHINSON, WB4GGS, whose QTC for December makes him eligible for yet another BPL award, with 259 messages sent, 256 received, and 1 delivered, for a grand total of 515.

*** CONGRATULATIONS also to JERE SANDIDGE, K4FUM, for earning his third Brass Pounder Award this month, with 97 sent, 128 received, 99 delivered, and 19 originated, for a grand total of 343. For his three-peat, he will be receiving the coveted BPL medallion in honor of his achievement.

"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

TO INCORPORATE OR NOT TO INCORPORATE: THAT IS THE QUESTION

A couple of months ago, I wrote on this topic, explaining that some of our clubs and ARES groups are still in the decision-making process as far as incorporating. The intent was to solicit input from some of you who've already jumped that hurdle, so you could maybe help to make that decision making process a little bit easier for those still grappling with the issue. Sincere thanks to those of you who responded. I really appreciate your help. And here, for the benefit of you clubs who are still examining the issue, is some great input from some folks who've "been there, done that..."

++ STACY AARON, WA4IDS, was our first respondent, writing,

Although I am no longer an office holder in my club, ARC of Savannah (ARCS), I can say that club incorporation is very important. ARCS was incorporated some 30 years ago. Anybody that owns or is involved in a small business will tell you that the insulation from personal liability is one factor that is a definite plus.

Any club that has assets ie. repeater station(s), packet station(s), HF, etc. knows that several things are required to keep those assets. Insurance is first on the list. It is easier and cheaper to get insurance for a corporate entity. Otherwise, individuals within the club would have to get the insurance. Insuring something that technically does not belong to the individual is difficult at best. That is why we incorporated way back when.

Maintenance, operation, and replacement of assets come second. These things cost money. Until recently, we have been able to handle our expenses with our annual dues. In recent years, our expenses have gone up, and equipment is in need of replacement. Dues aren't covering these costs anymore. We have been offered donations, which is good. But in order to give something back to our benefactors, we needed to become a 501(c)3 corporation. This has opened the door to corporate donations where the donors receive a tax credit for their donations. To become 501(c)3, you must first be incorporated.

++ DICK BENTLEY, K2UFT, passed on this important thought:

The legal/financial advantages I know nothing about, but based on past experience of the Atlanta Radio Club, I think it is important that if the club is incorporated, the pertinent information needs to be passed on to each incoming President when elected so the Club wouldn't have to spend time and money researching their status with the Secretary of State.

++ AL SMARR, W4BTZ, one of our Section's Volunteer Counsels, had this important input:

The Atlanta Radio Club, Inc. had been incorporated many years ago (I think it was right after WWII), and in the 70s I was involved in applying for and getting 501(c)(3) "tax exempt" status for the club. Later, a postal inspector type (and a licensed ham) denied our use of the non-profit rate for mailings because he took the position that we were more of a "beer bust" hobby club than a true "scientific and educational" organization (which he conceded the ARRL might be). That he was a ham and originally from Tex-ass made him an especially difficult person to persuade, so we just let it pass. As far as I know, we still have 501(c)(3) "tax exempt" status with the IRS.

For most clubs, the biggest reason for incorporation might be to protect its assets from liability claims, such as if a member, engaged in club business in his personal automobile, caused some serious injury or damage to a third party and his liability insurance limits wouldn't cover it. I haven't looked into it lately but I'm pretty certain liability insurance is available at a reasonable premium to protect amateur radio clubs from liability claims in such situations.

On the other hand, if the club or its officers, directors or even members were personally involved in some kind of criminal act, incorporation might not help that much.

Being incorporated also requires that someone file an annual tax return. It might be a problem for a smaller club, but most larger ones should have one or more accountants or lawyers who might volunteer to do it.

Being incorporated doesn't get you into the 501(c)(3) "tax exempt" status, which is another process. Frankly, except for being able to accept donations of used,  (or new) gear which permits the donor to take a tax deduction, I haven't really seen a big advantage for the ARC since we obtained that status. [Note: If a business, such as HRO, wants to donate a door prize to the ARC, it can take it as a business expense (business development, etc.) whether or not the ARC is a "tax exempt" organization. If an individual wants to donate something, in order for the individual to claim a tax deduction, it would have to be to an exempt entity...]

Most clubs are probably too small to really "need" to be incorporated. Most clubs probably wouldn't really get much mileage out of being "tax exempt" corporations.

If you know of a club that is interested in being incorporated, I would be happy to discuss it informally, without charge or obligation, as an ARRL Volunteer Counsel. (W4BTZ@aol.com)

++ GREG DOUDS, KB3GDD, is another one of our legal gurus, and he had this to say:

I'm a lawyer practicing in Canton (Cherokee County). Incorporation of the club would have one purpose -- to shield members from personal liability. For example, if the club has a repeater, and someone gets injured fooling around with it (e.g., electrocuted?, falling off tower?), or if someone slips and falls on club property, liability would be limited to the value of the assets owned by the club and there would be no way for the injured person to go after the assets of individual members or directors.

I'm not asking for anyone's business, just answering your question so you'll have cost/benefit information. We charge about $600 to incorporate a business, and more if we need to establish nonprofit status with the IRS. Other or additional work costs extra. There's an additional charge for the out-of-pocket expense paid to the Secretary of State.

The club is like any other business, except that it has the additional responsibility of making sure no person gets electrocuted or gets brain damage (from RF -- I know, it's B.S. but you still can be sued!). The corporation is, in theory, a separate legal person who shields the individual members and directors from being personally liable for payment of damages in these cases.

My question is, why would a club (or any business) not incorporate? It's cheap and permanent insurance. (gdouds@earthlink.net)

++ And this final response comes from DAVE FULLER, K4DMF, who was recently named as the Amateur of the Year, partly because of all the work he did to get the Silver Comet ARS incorporated this past year. So, he's gone through the process recently:

This article is in reply to your question about Incorporating an Amateur Radio Club. Let me begin by saying that this is not a step by step "how to" do-it-yourself project. I want to be clear that I am not a Lawyer, a CPA, or an Accountant. This article only details our decision to become incorporated, and how we obtained 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit status for our organization. I am not dispensing legal or tax advice. There are several different types of Corporations and tax status depending on your situation and what you want to accomplish with your organization. I strongly recommend obtaining the advice of an Attorney, CPA, and/or knowledgeable Accountant.

In the formation stages of our new club, the founding members had several meetings to discuss the corporate foundation this new organization would be built on. We decided right away that we wanted to be a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit entity. This choice was made with the thought that individuals and businesses would be encouraged to make tax-deductible contributions to us. Some corporations stipulate that they will only donate to 501 (c) (3) entities. Also, becoming incorporated offers some liability protection to your Board of Directors and Officers, and is step one to obtaining 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit status for your organization. You can incorporate without seeking 501 (c) (3) status, but you cannot obtain tax-exempt non-profit status unless you incorporate.

With that critical choice made, it was now time to do our homework. Little did we know how much research was to be required. One member had the task of investigating the requirements for forming the Corporation and registering the Corporation with the State. I was tasked with researching the requirements for 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS. That was to become a bigger job than I anticipated. Thank goodness for the IRS website. It will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about anything related to taxes. Fortunately, they have several publications to guide you that are actually written in plain English - not CPA lingo or legal mumbo jumbo. Did I say lots more information than you will ever want to know? There are several forms, instructions, and packages etc. that make it much more painless than it could be. Having said that, it still took a LOT of time to read and understand the requirements.

After our initial inquiries, we held another meeting to discuss the requirements and plan our direction. The next step was to assemble and write the Constitution of the corporation. This was a mostly straight forward process since that document must have several required elements to be acceptable to the State for incorporation, and conform to the IRS requirements for 501 (c) (3) status. If you decide not to pursue 501(c) (3) status, this document would have different content. Next up was the By-Laws; same process here as with the Constitution. We had several meetings to get both documents just where we wanted them. We had guidance from other club's documents, as well as documents from other corporations. This helped a great deal as some of the language is boiler plate, and some of it is what you want it to say. When we finally had both documents complete, we had them reviewed by an Attorney who made a couple of very minor changes. We followed all the requirements and sent the package, with the $25 filing fee, to the Secretary of State's office. The approval letter came back very quickly and we were now incorporated.

With the first step now complete, it was my turn to begin work on the IRS package. I had been quoted $1500 to $2000 to complete and submit our application by a CPA who specializes in non profits. Since this was completely outside our budget, we decided to ask around for some help. We were very fortunate to have another local Atlanta area Amateur Radio Club's help. I used their successful application package from their 501(c) (3) as a guide to help complete ours. A note is in order here. One of the requirements of 501(c) (3) status is that you must make all your IRS documents open for public inspection. This includes all applications, tax records, etc. You can charge a reasonable amount per page to copy these documents, but they must be provided upon request.

The CPA non-profit specialist said to expect the process of our approval letter to take six months or longer. He said that the IRS usually sends the application package back once or twice for more details or clarification. I finally completed the application and sent it in with the $150 IRS user fee. I was very surprised to get a letter from the IRS in about 2 weeks that they had our application and it was in process. I was absolutely shocked when I received a letter 4 weeks later to inform us that we were approved for 501 (c) (3) status.

The process was very educational and satisfying, and I feel very good about our final result. This project required much more research than I originally anticipated, many meetings, and several revisions of documents to get it just right. I had a lot of help both inside and outside our club. It truly was a team effort. Would I do it again? Absolutely. The hard part is already done. Was it worth it? Time will tell, but I am confident it will be proven worthwhile in the long run.

If you are starting from scratch, be prepared to invest a lot of your time in the project. Although we did almost all of the leg work, we had a lot of guidance from others who had already gone there, done that. We had our documents reviewed by an Attorney and obtained the advice of a CPA. This is not a "do it yourself" project.

There are several other considerations when making the decision to incorporate and many have legal consequences. One is the on-going $25 annual fee to register your corporation with the State. Fail to pay this and you will lose your corporate status. Another is that 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit corporations must file a 990 or 990EZ tax return with the IRS annually. As mentioned previously, all tax records are open for public inspection. Initial expenses of setting up a corporation include the filing fees, legal advertising costs, IRS one time user fee, and whatever your CPA or Attorney charges for the work they do on your behalf. Depending on how much you can do yourself, this could be very little or a whole lot of money. Will the potential extra money in the form of tax-free donations to your club be worth the cost and effort of incorporation and 501 (c) (3) status? Do you wish to have liability protection for members of your club (Directors & Officers)? These are just some of the questions each organization must ask itself. As the saying goes- your mileage may vary.

++++ So, there ya have it. Thanks again for these great responses. As mentioned previously, Piedmont ARES, a group formed by the ARES organizations in multiple counties in central GA, opted to form a Limited Liability Company. Some of you have since expressed some interest in following suit with your group. To find more information on the ins and outs of an LLC, do a search on limited liability company, and you'll find TONS of information.

She got a mudpack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.

SECTION NOTABLES

+++ CONGRATULATIONS to RAY LEWIS, WA4DCL, who recently hit a milestone of 30 years as a member in Army MARS.

+++ TIM RICHARDSON, W4IOU, isn't just a SECTION notable. As noted in last month's newsletter, Tim is an Alderman in Acworth, who was instrumental in the passage of legislation that facilitates antenna structures in new developments in his area. The folks at the ARRL were suitably impressed with Tim and with this legislation, too, and wrote about it in the February QST.

Remember, marriage is the number one cause of divorce.

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

+++ KIDS DAY was January 2nd. Hope some of you were able to participate. Here's an account, written by ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, our Assistant SM for Youth, on one Kids Day activation here in Georgia: (pictures are posted on www.arrl-ga.org)

Although it was a last minute idea, we recently had a successful Kid's Day operation. Tim Blitch, N4EEE, contacted me at the beginning of December about possibly setting up in a public place to operate for Kid's Day. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of studying for finals, and it wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind. So, by the time I got back to him, we had about a week to plan it. He got busy finding a location to set up and solicited some donations of candy and such, while I tried to do some last-minute promoting. Considering that we put the whole thing together in about a week, I think it came together quite nicely.

So, on January 2, 2005, we set up in a Kroger shopping center and operated from the Gwinnett County ARES trailer. The trailer worked great for the event. Six youngsters came by at one time or another (ranging in age from 2 to 19), and we made 25 contacts. When I sent the e-mail out two days before the event looking for volunteers, I wasn't sure that anyone would be able to help, but to my pleasant surprise, nine hams showed up early to help set up, and another five adults (both hams and non-hams) stopped by to visit.

We even had one ham from Columbia. He's not licensed in the U.S. yet, but was licensed in Columbia. Brittney Hancock stopped by, along with her grandfather, Ken Dalton, KI4BQS. She's very interested in Amateur Radio, a couple of chapters into Now You're Talking, and is even trying to hook her friends. Our youngest visitor was two-year-old Savannah Reavis, Bruce Reavis, KG4MQL's daughter.

A BIG THANK YOU to Tim Blitch, N4EEE for having the idea of setting up a local Kid's Day operation and for helping to organize the event. Thank you to John Davis, WB4QDX, for dropping off and picking up the trailer and to Stan Edwards, WA4DYD, for letting us use the trailer. Also, thanks to Alex Blitch, K4ALX; Scott Hartlage, KF4PWI; Steve Back, WB2OGY; Ray Back, KI4GRJ; Dave Adanich, K8WDJ; and Bill Cherepy, WB4WTN for coming to help set up (and tear down) on such short notice.

As with most any event, there were a couple of lessons learned, and although they were not necessarily very funny at the time, looking back, they are quite humorous.

Perhaps the most important lesson that we learned is that a site survey should be done before parking the trailer and detaching it from the vehicle. Unfortunately, we learned this one the hard way. The trailer was parked near the road, so that it would be visible to a passerby, a seemingly good location. However, we failed to notice the power lines just above the trailer until we had the welcome mat out, antennas up, and radio on.

It was then that the interference on HF made us look up at the power lines and around at the spot we had chosen. Unfortunately, the "designated tow vehicle" had already left the site. Luckily, someone else had a trailer hitch, but that was thanks to pure luck. So, we packed everything up and moved it to the center of the parking lot, where we figured out that the power lines weren't even causing the interference. Instead, the source of the interference appears to be the florescent lights inside the trailer. In this case, a site survey wouldn't have helped with the interference, but it still would not have been a bad idea.

Despite a couple of obstacles, I think that everyone still managed to have a good time, and most importantly, it was an excellent learning experience. And, we may have exposed a few people to Amateur Radio in the process. Although we haven't made any definite plans, if the opportunity presents itself, we may do a similar set up for the next Kid's Day on June 18 (the weekend before Field Day). Stay tuned for details... we'll try to put the word out a little sooner next time. For more information on Kid's Day, see the official rules: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html.

COMING UP!!! 19th Annual School Club Round-Up This is a full Monday through Friday opportunity to get youngsters on the air from their schools! 1300Z February 14 until 0100Z February 19. Award certificates will be issued for separate Elementary, Middle/Intermediate/Junior High, High School, and College/ University levels for USA and DX entries, upon request, with an SASE.

+++ CREW 73. This is a fabulous group of young people, with dedicated leaders, which has been sponsored by the Gwinnett ARS since its inception about six years ago. We've had the privilege of watching some great kids grow and mature into fine young men and women. Think this sounds like a good fit for you or someone you know?? This information comes to us from STEVE BACK, WB2OGY:

A Boy Scout Venture Crew is a scouting opportunity for boys and girls ages 14 to 21. GARS holds a charter from the Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America for Venture Crew 73. The basic purpose of the crew is to encourage youth to learn about Amateur Radio while enjoying the adventure opportunities offered by scouting. These opportunities include access to scout camps, their facilities and the Council's high adventure instruction. As with traditional scouting units the venture crew is also encouraged to take seriously its duty to God and the community.

Scouting and Amateur Radio have a long history of working together and teaching the youth of America. A large number of GARS members are active in Scouting. Just over five years ago Carter Wood AG4LK decided it would be nice to lower the average age of GARS members to an age under 50 years. That thought brought about the birth of Crew 73. The Crew now has about 12 active youth members and over half of the youth are now licensed. The Crew is youth run but a small group of adult leaders ensures the activities are appropriate, safe and meet the guidelines of the Boy Scouts of America.

Crew activities usually mix high adventure and the use of amateur radio. A typical outing may involve camping, horse back riding and setting up a portable HF station at the campsite. The crew has shown an interest in horseback riding, climbing, hiking and shooting spots. Members of Crew 73 finished 3rd in a South East Regional Archery Competition. The crew has also helped with GARS activities such as Field Day and won 2nd place in a competition for display exhibits.

As some of our crew approach the end of youth (Age 21) the crew is looking for new members. If anyone knows of young people who would enjoy the Crews activities please have them attend one of the crew meetings held the first Tuesday of each month. See the Crew website at http://www.gars.org/crew73 for details. An interest in Amateur Radio is not necessary but while having fun with other activities an interest may develop. As members of GARS it is our responsibility to encourage the future of our radio service and the future of our country. Encouraging youth to join Crew 73 will help ensure a better future.

I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months... I don't like to interrupt.

TECH TIPS

+++ CHRIS MCGEHEE, KLØOD, found this cool information on how to convert your regular flashlight to LED: http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_lighting_flashlites.html

++ This tidbit from the Albany ARC newsletter: IAN ABEL, G3ZHI, reports that an Echolink node is now on the air in Iraq. Its callsign is YI1IRQ dash 1, with a node number of 209608. It can be found operating on 144.225 MHz and covers most of the city of Baghdad.

++ TWO NEW AUDIO PSA's AVAILABLE! This comes to us from ALLEN PITTS, W1AGP, the Media and Public Relations Manager for the ARRL:

Both 30 and 60 second audio PSA's are being made available to highlight that ham radio once again was on the air passing emergency communications when other systems failed. The 30 second PSA was made possible thanks to Johnny Donovan at WABC-AM and Howard Price, KA2QPJ, of WABC-TV in New York who is Acting President of the Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society, a member of the ham organization at WABC Radio &TV in New York and also the BEARS. The voice on the 30 second PSA is that of Johnny Donovan, a WABC Radio legend. Folks all over America will recognize the voice from commercial radio. The 60 second PSA was made possible thanks to Dave Marthouse, N2AAM dave@wodiradio.com Both of these excellent PSA's are available for use and distribution to media

PSA Text:
"In the early hours after the tsunamis, it was ham radio that was on the air saving lives. When Florida was ripped by hurricanes, the hams were there In the critical moments after the attack of 9-11 it was the hams who coordinated emergency messages When disaster strikes the hams are ready Ham radio works when other communications don't. To learn how you can become a ham radio operator Call the ARRL, the national association for amateur radio at 1 800 326 - 3942"

These Public Service Announcements are currently available to download from the ARRL website.

+++ This was posted on the PR reflector by ALLEN PITTS, W1AGP, regarding an article on BPL:

The link below from Radio Netherlands - BPL &EmComm in Sri Lanka - should be required reading and listening and listening for every ham....and more than a few politicians! Not only does the article point out the international problems associated with BPL, it clearly shows that the concern is not unique to Amateur Radio Operators and certainly not just here in the USA. While there have been some irresponsible statements made claiming that BPL was an issue created by the ARRL to gain members, the significant concerns of the international radio community about the consequences of what happens here in the USA are clearly listed. Please read the article and then be sure to click on the box to hear the audio from the radio show. You'll see for yourself! http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/media/features/bpl050127.html

I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.

UPCOMING EVENTS

There's a multitude of contests every weekend throughout the month of February, with lots of state QSO parties, some RTTY events, CW sprints and high speed contests, and several QRP challenges. See p 102 of the February QST for details on these events.

FEBRUARY 5 --- HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite ham and better half

FEBRUARY 5 --- FYBO (Freeze Your Buns Off) QRP Field Day. (If I recollect, members of our North GA QRP crowd didn't exactly "freeze their buns off" in years past, but it hasn't stopped them from enjoying steaming hot bowls of chili, in spite of the balmy weather...)

FEBRUARY 5-6 --- Ten-Ten International Phone Contest 0001Z Feb 5- 2359Z Feb 6

FEBRUARY 5-6 --- Looking for some warmer weather?? How about the MIAMI HAMFEST?

FEBRUARY 11-13 --- ORLANDO HAMFEST

FEBRUARY 13-14 --- CLASSIC EXCHANGE-where you can work multiple rigs, and the older the rig, the higher the points. See www.qsl.asti.net/CX for details

FEBRUARY 14 --- CHOCOLATE DAY! Oops, I mean Valentine's Day....

FEBRUARY 14-19 --- School Club Round-Up

FEBRUARY 19-20 - ARRL International DX Contest (CW)

FEBRUARY 26 --- DALTON HAMFEST!! FIRST GA Hamfest of the year!! Sponsored by the Dalton ARC, and held at the North GA Fairground in Dalton. Set-up 7AM, with gates open for the public at 8. VE session at 1 PM at nearby Western Sizzlin. Breakfast and lunch foods available at Hamfest site. Hourly drawings, with two grand prize drawings at 2 PM: a 2M mobile rig, and an HA mobile rig. Talk-in on 145.230(-) Hope to see you there!!!! (Think WARM!)

FEBRUARY 26-27 --- AM QSO Party See www.antiquewireless.org for details

MARCH 19 --- KENNEHOOCHEE HAMFEST (just so you can be sure to mark it on your calendars NOW!)

The last fight was my fault. My wife asked "What's on TV" I said, "Dust."

SILENT KEYS

EDNA ANTHONY, KF4TZZ
PAB BLAKELOCK, N4PJF
ED BYARS, WB4FGM
CROWELL WOOLFOLK STEWART, N4AMW
ALONZO STRICKLAND, KA4OLS

Heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all of these fine people. They will all be sorely missed. Miss Edna, GA MARS just won't be the same without you.

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

True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.
ERICH SEGAL

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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