Georgia Section On My Mind

February, 2006

Greetings, All. Here we are, at the beginning of February already, and you know what that means, don't you? That means that it's almost time for the start of the 2006 GA Hamfest Season! It will be kicking off on February 25, with the Dalton Hamfest, where the temperatures are often cool, (OK.... COLD!) but the fellowship is ALWAYS warm. Let's all do our best to support this year's Hamfests by attending as many of them as we can. It's up to US to make them a success. Hope to see YOU in Dalton...

I'm pleased to announce that the second DXCC Card Checker slot for Georgia has now been filled. Though all of the candidates were certainly well-qualified, I received numerous (unsolicited!) emails of support for one of them, in particular. That one, well-known, and much-respected "people's choice" is JOHN LANEY, K4BAI. Many thanks to those of you who wrote, and CONGRATULATIONS and thanks to John for filling this position. I judge him to be an excellent choice...

By now, I'm sure that all of you are well aware that the lone survivor of that tragic mining accident in West Virginia, RANDAL MCCLOY, is an amateur radio operator, callsign KC8VKZ. Many hams from Georgia and from all across the country have sent him a QSL card and a note of encouragement. The Middle GA Radio Association even took it on as a club project and sent a card to him from the entire club. If you or your club would like to send a card of support to this young ham, you can send it to P.O. Box 223, Philippi, WV, 26435. Maybe at your next club meeting, you could pass around a "thinking of you" or "get well" card for everyone to sign, and send it to him, along with QSL cards from club members. Like BILL HUSTED, KQ4YA, said, "In the amateur radio fraternity, there are no strangers."

In honor of this being the month of hearts and flowers and all things chocolate, this month's one-liners are about LOVE. Sent to me by KATI SEGER, the lovely bride of CLIFF, KD4GT, they represent some of the responses that were given by a group of children, aged 4 to 8, when asked the question, "What does love mean?" As they say, "Out of the mouths of babes...." Happy Valentine's Day.

OK, let's get on with it, and see what's been happening, and what's coming up right around the corner. NOTE: I have jury duty next week, so there won't be much computer time for me, so please bear with me if it takes a little longer than usual to respond to your emails.

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
BILLY, age 4

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS

JANUARY 14 --- TECHFEST--- The Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society (GARS) has been hosting this annual event for about the past eight years, and while each year has varied a bit from the year before, it has always been a fun and worthwhile activity. This year was no exception. Techfest presents the unique opportunity, in a structured setting, for hams to share knowledge about various aspects of the hobby with other hams, and also serves to promote a better understanding of amateur radio to anyone in the community with an interest in learning about it. Coupled with lots of free food, fun activities, and good fellowship, this annual event, which was initially started as a fun way to bring hams together and to fill in a long gap between Georgia Hamfests, has more than proven itself to be a winning idea.

Though there has been a "chili cook-off" every year, last year was the first time that a panel of judges actually rated the chili, and ribbons were presented. This year's Chili Champ was club president DAVID ADCOCK, KA4KKF. Third place went to KEN DALTON, KI4BQS, and yours truly went from last year's chili champ to this year's chili chump, getting second. (Like Avis, I'll have to "try harder"...) This year also marked the second year for the QLF contest, in which Morse code is sent with the left foot. While last year's competition drew mostly adult enthusiasts, many of the competitors who waited in line to compete this year were young people, and it was clear that they were having a grand old time. The QLF first prize went to JAMIE BRUCE, KG4SKK, a 14-year-old general class licensee who clearly knows a thing or two about sending code. JASMINE WATSON, young daughter of STEPHEN, KI4LYF, on the other hand, isn't licensed, and doesn't know a thing about the Code (yet!), and she was presented with a trophy, too, in recognition of her enthusiasm and willingness to give it her best effort. (She also received a set of code tapes, so maybe next year, she'll be vying for first place...)

Most amateur radio operators are well aware of the initial principle listed under "Basis and Purpose" of the Amateur Radio Service, as expressed by the FCC in part 97, regarding the provision of public service and emergency communications. The second purpose (of five) isn't quite as well-known, and that one is in regards to the contribution to the advancement of the radio art. The bottom line is that the learning isn't supposed to end after we pass that test and earn that license; it's much more than simply "studying to the test". Amateur radio provides an almost endless opportunity of growth, learning, and experimentation. And a technology-driven event like Techfest is an ideal way for any club to be a part of the promotion of that learning and advancement of the radio art.

CHALLENGE: Techfest is just TOO GOOD an idea to be limited to an undertaking by just ONE club in the entire state of Georgia! How about YOUR club hosting an annual event like this in YOUR part of the state? You'd be surprised at how many hams are unfamiliar with Anderson powerpoles, or who've never held a soldering iron or seen a tube rig. How many people in your club are playing with some of the new (or not-so-new) digital modes? Contesting, DX-ing, QRP, satellite communications, computer-programming of radios, power sources, home-brewing, etc. etc. The possibilities are huge. Whether your group is a Special Service Club, like GARS, or an affiliated club, or simply a group of hams who share an interest in the hobby, a techfest-like event could be just what you're looking for as a means of sharing ideas, learning, and inspiring a whole new generation of hams to pursue new aspects of the hobby. This could be Mentoring to the Max! Maybe you could even invite the local Scout groups to attend. Think about it. If any of the other clubs choose to launch a similar undertaking, please let me know. I'd be happy to help you promote it. And would love to come share it with you, if at all possible. WHO is going to accept the challenge?

JANUARY 19 --- GA TECH ISS CONTACT--- This scheduled contact was an unmitigated success! Like clockwork, the contact began very shortly after 10 AM, and communications held up well for the entire pass overhead. There were a few moments of technical difficulties with WREK, but between listening to WREK and to the two meter downlink frequency, we had a good copy on most of the questions and answers from our home location. When asked what he missed most by being in a non-gravity environment, astronaut BILL MCARTHUR, KC5ACR, who received his masters degree in aeronautical engineering from Tech in 1983, declared, without hesitation, that he most missed... driving his Corvette. ALEX CARVER, KF4LVZ, grad student and president of the GA Tech ARC, was the one who had the honor of manning the mike and putting out the call to the Space Station as it approached, and he said that the contact is now posted on the GA Tech webpage, if you'd like to check it out.

JANUARY 26 --- FAYETTE COUNTY ARC meeting--- We go to a LOT of meetings every month, so what makes THIS one qualify for mention as a "January highlight"? That's because it was our privilege to present these fine folks with their ARRL Charter of Affiliation at this particular meeting. It was a genuine pleasure to see the enthusiasm and fine leadership that is evident among this group. Clearly, club members were in agreement about the quality of their leadership, too, because they elected to bestow the ARNOLD CHEEK Ham of the Year award to none other than club president JOE DOMALESKI, KI4ASK, who was caught just a teensy bit off-guard. There he stood, with camera in hand, prepared to take a picture of the honored recipient when the announcement was made.... little did he know that he was on the wrong side of the camera! CONGRATULATIONS to Joe for this much-deserved recognition. Also in attendance were, of course, my better half MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, our Affiliated Club Coordinator ROBIN CUTSHAW, AA4RC, and guest speaker ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, who spoke for a few minutes about what it takes to have a successful club. Not that it was necessary. These folks already seem to know the secrets, and I predict that they will join the ranks of GA success stories. CONGRATULATIONS to all of these club members. It was a pleasure to meet with you, and thank you so much for your hospitality.

JANUARY 28 --- STATEWIDE ARES MEETING--- Once again, a successful meeting was held, supported by a large number of hams (as well as a handful of non-hams) from all over the state. Though this wasn't the first time that a separate DEC meeting was held in addition to the general meeting, this was the first time that I had the privilege of attending a DEC meeting, and it was heartening to see that over 40 people attended this one. In addition, most, if not all of them, also stayed for the afternoon session, as well. (by an informal nose count, I'd say that there were about 140 in attendance at the general meeting, though the sign-in sheet reflected a lower number) We are very fortunate to have so many dedicated volunteers in GA ARES, both in the positions of leadership and in the general membership, the backbone of the organization. We have a long list of people who, over the years, have put in countless hours, as well as their proverbial "blood, sweat, and tears", to help build a better organization. Each year, we strive to build upon the progress that was made by those that came before us. To all leadership, past and present, I say a very heartfelt "thank you". Whatever we are, and whatever we become, is built on the efforts of many dedicated people.

There was much useful information provided at these meetings, more of which I'll address under ARES NEWS. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend. For those of you who had other commitments and were unable to make this year's meeting, hop you'll be able to be with us next year. You were missed.

The 2005 ARES Ham of the Year was also named at the meeting, and I'm pleased to announce that JERRY PEREIRA, K4KBL, was this year's worthy recipient. Jerry serves as the AEC for Training for Gwinnett county ARES, and among his many other achievements, he did an absolutely outstanding job in putting together an extremely ambitious and realistic SET that earned favorable reviews from numerous agencies. So, CONGRATULATIONS to Jerry, and many thanks to the panel of EMA directors, who reviewed all nominations and served as this year's judges.

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
BOBBY, age 7

CLUB NEWS

ATLANTA ARC --- Coming up at the February 2 meeting, which will be held at the Red Cross building, 1955 Monroe Drive in Atlanta, JACK YEAZEL will be presenting a program on "All You Ever Wanted to Know About GPS". Jack operates a website that reviews GPS equipment, and will have a lot of valuable information for anyone interested in learning more about this interesting technology. http://gpsinformation.net GPS demos will begin at 7PM, with the meeting scheduled to start at 7:30. Talk-in 146.820

AUGUSTA ARC --- Coming up on February 18, these folks will be holding another swapfest, starting at 8AM, at Pendleton King Park. It is FREE, and open to everyone.

CHEROKEE ARS --- A new year, and a new list of officers to lead this club. CONGRATULATIONS to President- FRANK DEAN, K4SJR; VP- MARK HARRIS, KG4WIV; Secretary- MEG DEAN, KG4WIU; and Treasurer- JAMES JAMES, KE4HMS. Here's wishing them all a terrific year leading the club.

COLUMBIA COUNTY ARC --- At the January meeting, J.C. CRAWFORD, W4QK, did a presentation on "The GPS Satellite Constellation", and I understand that his power point presentation may be made available on the club's http://ccarc.hamradioman.com website. Coming up on February 28, ACE NORTON, W4WTA, will be leading a discussion on proper repeater etiquette. These fine folks meet at the Abilene Baptist Church Annex, on Roberts Road and Ruth Street, in Augusta.

DALTON ARC --- CONGRATULATIONS to the following slate of newly-elected officers for this fine group: President- BILL HENDERSON, KU4DO; VP-HAROLD JONES, N4BD; Treasurer- RANDY JONES, W4RSJ; Secretary- CECIL CLEMENTS, KG4RSU; and Director- WILLARD STRAIN, KG4PEA. Best wishes for a fun and successful year leading the club. This year's Ham of the Year was recently announced, too, and hearty CONGRATULATIONS go out to DAVID STANLEY, W1WL, for receiving this honor. It'll be here before ya know it! Mark it on your calendar, now, so you don't miss it! That, of course, is the club's 24th annual Hamfest, to be held on February 25, at the North GA Fairgrounds, 501 Legion Drive, in Dalton. Georgia's kick-off to the year's Hamfest calendar, this is always a great and well-attended affair. Gates open at 8AM, with set-up at 7. Hourly door prizes, with the grand drawing at 2:30. (2nd prize- a 2M mobile radio, and 1st prize- an HF mobile transceiver.) VE session at 1PM. LOTS of vendors and LOTS of free tailgating space. Hope to see you there! Talk-in 145.230(-) http://www.qsl.net/w4drc/ for more info and directions.

GWINNETT ARS --- JOHN DAVIS, WB4QDX, helped the club kick off the new year with his interesting presentation at the January meeting on programming radios by computer. Very slick! To promote harmony on the home front, the date of the February meeting has been changed from the 14th to the 8th. Very wise!

NORTH GA QRP --- At the December meeting, member MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, threw out a challenge to fellow members to "build a transceiver and put it on the air" for Straight Key Night. Though time was short, a few members accepted the challenge, and managed to get their new creations on the air in time for SKN. You can see one of these SKN Specials, a 30M rig, built by TED BRUCE, KX4OM, on his webpage at http://bellsouthpwp.net/w/h/whoopee/. Ted designed his receiver based partly on several vintages of Dave Benson's rigs, and heavily modified a 20 meter Vectronics transmit board to go with it. Mike built a W7ZOI Ugly Weekender, and PHIL SPECHT, K4PQC, built an ever-popular Pixie. (Word has it that this is probably his "heaviest rig", because his forte is working... and winning... the fly-weight rig contests.) For a change of pace, these folks held their January meeting at TechFest, sponsored by the Gwinnett ARS, and they had quite an array of their home-built gear on display. For more information on this home-brewing, "more miles per watt" crew, see www.nogaqrp.org 

THOMASVILLE ARC --- At the January meeting, IVAN COOK, K4SRB, presented a program on his "latest and greatest 6M antenna". It must have provided some inspiration to the club members, because they've gotten back on the air with their weekly Big Band 6M net, held every Monday at 7:30 on 50.150 MHz. A recent net coincided with a mini-band opening, and they had stations as far as away as Canada join them on the air. President MIKE BROWN, KE4FGF, was invited by JIM ELLIS, Grady county EMA director, to attend a March first conference, which will be held in Thomasville, called "Crossing the Imaginary Line". Representatives from 13 counties in south GA and north FL, as well as various state representatives from both states, will be in attendance, and the purpose of this conference is to promote better communications across the state line. Many thanks to Mike for accepting this invitation. (He wonders if any other GA hams or ham groups have also been invited and plan to attend...? If so, please let me know and I'll pass that info on to him.) For more info on this upcoming conference, see www.tallytown.com/redcross/leon/nims 


WEST GA ARS --- CONGRATULATIONS and best wishes to this club's new team of executives: President- TIM TYSON, KE4TIW; VP- GEORGE KARABERIS, KI4CZR; Field Day Chairman- TOM KOCOUREK, N4FWD; and Secretary/Treasurer- PATTI SMITH, KE4ZZK.

*** 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/ 

*** HEADS UP!!!! All of you club officers out there, if you want an accurate accounting of your club on our section webpage, PLEASE check out the info that's currently posted on the club link at www.arrl-ga.org. Maintaining this database can be a very demanding job. ROBERT TYLER, F4VBR, our Webmaster, does a terrific job of updating, but he can't update what he doesn't know. New hams are always looking for information about clubs in their areas, so PLEASE, help us help them, and possibly increase your membership, as well. If the information posted about your club is incorrect, let us know. If your club isn't listed, and I'm sure there are many clubs around that I don't even know about, let us know. The goal is for our website to as accurately as possible reflect ALL of the clubs in Georgia, whether affiliated with the ARRL or not. Many times, a ham who never "hooks up" with other hams in his area ends up drifting away from the hobby altogether. Your club and your willingness to serve as an Elmer to these new hams can make all of the difference in the world.

*** HAVING TROUBLE?? With booking speakers for your club meetings, that is. This info, from SHERRI BROWER, W4STB, Southern FL SM and a member of the ARRL PR Committee, offers a fresh idea on finding potential speakers. She wrote: "Need ideas for speakers for local club meetings? Especially something other than a technical program? Type "speakers bureau" followed by your state into a search engine, or even type the city instead of state. Most counties, large cities, universities, and bar associations offer free speakers. You'll find everything from "Hazardous materials in your community" to "Effects of aging" to "Team building" Sounds like a great idea!

REMINDER: Is it time for your club to file its annual report or to renew its Special Service Club status??

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
NIKKA, age 6

ARES NEWS

*** STATEWIDE ARES MEETING --- Anyone who has taken the EmComm courses and the FEMA courses is well aware of something called "span of control", and knows that NIMS guidelines indicate that, for an organization to function at its optimum, the recommended number of people over whom any given person has supervision should be in the range of three to seven. Our organization has grown by leaps and bounds, and our poor SEC, JIM COTE, N4PJR, was burdened with a span of control that was spinning out of control. In an attempt to put GA ARES into a closer alignment with NIMS guidelines, some changes in our structure were required, and those changes were described at both of our ARES meetings in Forsyth. A full explanation of the proposed changes can be found at www.gaares.org, so I won't go into any great details here. Though there was no time provided at these meetings for attendees to offer any feedback to these re-structuring plans, please know that this is a living document, subject to change, and that we welcome any constructive suggestions from our ARES leadership and members. Any ideas as to how it could be even better? Please let us know.

For those who don't care to real the details of this much-needed re-structuring, in a nutshell, STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, would continue to be the "right hand man" and assistant for our esteemed SEC, JIM COTE, N4PJR, and would continue to do most of the reporting and other paperwork for the organization, only now, instead of being the Assistant SEC, he'll be the Deputy SEC. New Assistant SECs: ASEC/ Operations: GREG TILLMAN, N4VAD; ASEC/DHR & Public Health: BARRY KANNE, W4TGA; and ASEC/NWS: LYNN BIANCO, KN4YZ. Still to be appointed is the ASEC/Logistics. (Interested? Let us know.) In support of some exciting developments with the Department of Human Resources/ Public Health, it is our intention to name DECs for each of the Public Health Districts, so that we may better meet the growing requests to provide communications capabilities to regional hospitals. These health districts differ from the geographical districts as defined by GA ARES, and cover some overlapping geographical districts. Already in place for the district which includes Augusta is JEFF JACKSON, KG4SSV, and in the district which includes Columbus, it's BURCH CAMERON, W4WY. Thanks to both of them for taking on these roles.

One other change in positions: With GREG TILLMAN, N4VAD, taking over ASEC/Operations, his successor as DEC in SE GA is DAN THORNTON, W4WDT. Greg has done a terrific job as DEC, and I know that Dan will continue the momentum in SE GA. Many thanks to both of them.

CONGRATULATIONS to each and every of these fine fellas who have accepted these new positions, and many thanks for their willingness to take on these new challenges. I know... this may be a lot to absorb. Again, please see the document pertaining to these changes on the www.gaares.org website, and if you have any suggestions on how to improve upon these plans, please let us know.

There were many terrific presentations on what's happening in Georgia: Our DEC/GPB JOHN DAVIS, WB4QDX, told us more about the exciting process evolving between Georgia Public Broadcasting and GA ARES, wherein GPB is willing to share space on their towers for ARES usage. As John explained, the signing of the MOU with GEMA paved the way for this project, coupled with strong advocacy from MARK FEHLIG, WA6NGC, Chief engineer for GPB. As previously reported, the Americus ARC has been the first group in the state to sign a formal agreement with GPB, and thanks to the usage of that tall GPB tower, their repeater has increased its coverage tremendously, and will be an even greater asset during times of emergency communications. This is an exciting project for GA ARES, and we owe many thanks to both Mark and John for their efforts.

BARRY KANNE, W4TGA, our new ASEC/ DHR & Public Health, and JERRY VENABLE, (no call....yet!) talked about another project, in which the DHR will be heading up efforts to install antennas and coax into regional hospitals all over the state, so that amateur radio operators can quickly set up communications from within these locations during times of disaster. Barry has been working on this project from the get-go, and is a natural to continue to lead these efforts, with the help of a team made up of DECs from each of these Public Health districts.

JOHN KRAUS, KC4ZGQ, our DEC/ Digital, spoke about the future of WinLink 2000, and also set up a live demo, with the help of BURCH CAMERON, W4WY.

BOB BUTLER, W4RBB, our DEC/ Red Cross, emphasized the importance of our ARES groups making contact with their local Red Cross offices, and he has provided us with a list of contacts for these offices throughout the state. That information can also be found on our GA ARES website.

There was also some talk about NIMS training, and about plans for the year. This doesn't cover everything that went down at the meeting, but it's a brief accounting. Please see the www.gaares.org website for more details.

*** CONGRATULATIONS to our 2005 GA ARES Ham of the Year, JERRY PEREIRA, K4KBL, a very worthy recipient. And many thanks go out to the panel of EMA directors who served as this year's judges.

*** CAMDEN COUNTY ARES --- (de EC CHUCK COOPER, N4TIS) Kingsland: This past week Camden County Emergency Management Agency coordinated American Red Cross (ARC), Camden County Amateur Emergency Services (ARES), Glynn County Digital Society, National Weather Services and local shelters. The purpose was to test all agencies skills and equipment in opening shelters in the county. Four shelters were opened and simulated conditions were handled. All communication was transmitted though the local ARES group to the Emergency Operation Center then relayed to the ARC headquarters in Jacksonville and to the digital society in Brunswick where it was forward to Atlanta by a program known as WINDLINK. Forty five volunteers participated generating thirty two messages and dealing with problems from overcrowding, person with a weapon to medical emergencies. Although the drill was short in time many lessons were learned. We feel we have identified areas that can be improved on in the event we are called on to open emergency shelters here.

*** GWINNETT COUNTY ARES --- At the Gwinnett county Fire and Emergency Awards banquet, held on January 21, EC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, was presented with a Meritorious Service Award, in recognition of his stellar leadership of the Gwinnett county ARES group, and of the group's excellent track record in response and support of the needs of the EMA. CONGRATULATIONS! (well-deserved!)

*** CONGRATULATIONS and many thanks to DAVID MAAS, N7HRT, who has accepted the position of EC for Irwin county. David moved here recently from Oklahoma, where he was also serving as an EC. Welcome to Georgia, David, and thank you for joining the GA ARES team. Oklahoma's loss is our gain.

*** Winlink 2000, APRS join forces with APRSLink: Following the Amateur Radio response to some recent disasters, BOB BRUNINGA, WB4APR, proposed using the Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) to enable mobile and remote APRS users to access their Winlink 2000 e-mail accounts under emergency or unusual conditions. In response, the Winlink 2000 development team came up with APRSLink. APRSLink monitors all APRS traffic gated to the Internet and watches for special commands that allow APRS users to read or send short e-mail messages to and from other Winlink 2000 users, perform e-mail maintenance, receive notices of pending Winlink 2000 e-mail via APRS and query the APRSLink server for information on the closest Telpac gateway or Winlink participating station. Details are on the APRSLink Web page http://www.winlink.org/aprslink.htm.

*** Severe Weather Awareness Week, February 19-25, with a statewide tornado drill to be held on the 22nd.

*** Following the whole severe weather awareness, the folks from the Peachtree City NWS will be serving as NCS for the statewide ARES net during the month of February. (Sundays, 5 PM, on 3.975 MHz) They will also be setting up the linked repeater system at approximately 4PM each week to accept check-ins.

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne
and they go out and smell each other."
KARL, age 5

ARES REPORT DE STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD

We had a slight increase in the percentage of those reporting for the month of December.

Membership: 1,144 Change since last month: +6

Total Net Sessions: 112
Drills, Tests, Training Sessions: 114 Man-hours: 854
Public Service Events: 8 Man-hours: 199
Emergency Operations: 4 Man-hours: 46
Misc. Events: 31 Man-hours: 312

Total Events: 158 Total Man-hours: 1,411

Reporting by District:

West Central 100.0%
Metro Atlanta 81.8%
Southeast 32.1%
Southwest 31.6%
Northwest 28.6%
Northeast 26.7%
Central 15.0%
East Central 14.3%

Non-District DECs 23.5%

Total Reporting 31.1%

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, and then he wears it every day."
NOELLE, age 7

NET REPORT DE JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

***CONGRATULATIONS to Sid, for earning yet another BPL listing in QST. With 285 messages sent, 286 received, and 2 delivered, he racked up a grand total of 573.

"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

FCC INVITES COMMENTS ON LEAGUE'S "REGULATION BY BANDWIDTH" PETITION

Comments are due by Monday, February 6, on the ARRL's Petition for Rule Making that asks the FCC to regulate  the amateur bands by necessary bandwidth rather than by mode. The petition, designated as RM-11306, recommends what the ARRL calls "a shift in regulatory philosophy" to encourage and enable development and refinement of digital techniques and advanced technologies.

"This petition seeks for the Amateur Radio Service the flexibility to experiment with new digital transmission methods and types to be developed in the future while permitting present operating modes to continue to be used for as long as there are radio amateurs who wish to use them," the League said in its petition, filed November 14. The ARRL says the changes it suggests also will update the FCC's rules and eliminate the need for "cumbersome procedures" to determine whether a new digital mode is legal under Part 97.

The next step in this proceeding would be either a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) or a dismissal of the League's petition. An NPRM would kick off a further round of formal comments. For the rules to take effect, the FCC would have to issue a Report and Order putting the changes into place and setting an effective date.

The ARRL is asking the FCC to replace the table at §97.305(c) with a new one that segments bands by necessary bandwidths ranging from 200 Hz to 100 kHz. Unaffected by the ARRL's recommendations, if they're adopted, would be 160 and 60 meters. Other bands below 29 MHz would be segmented into subbands allowing maximum emission bandwidths of 200 or 500 Hz or 3.5 kHz, with an exception for AM phone.

* 200 Hz would permit CW "at all speeds that human operators can decode" as well as PSK31.

* 500-Hz bandwidth would accommodate RTTY and data modes and possibly some new image modes.

* 2.8 kHz would remain the bandwidth for 60-meter operation on USB.

* 3.5 kHz would accommodate SSB and digital telephony, image, high-speed data and multimedia.

* 9 kHz is the ARRL's recommendation for double-sideband AM.

* 16 kHz is "a reasonable compromise bandwidth" to continue to permit analog FM voice, data, digital voice and multimedia at 29.0 to 29.7 MHz.

* 100 kHz, now permitted for RTTY and data in bands above 420 MHz, should be allowed starting at 50 MHz, with the exception of 50.0-50.3 MHz and 144.0-144.3 MHz to allow digital multimedia and high-speed meteor scatter work.

The ARRL says the Part 97 changes it's proposing constitute a balance "between the need to encourage wider bandwidth, faster digital communications and the need to reasonably accommodate all users in crowded bands." Conceding that its regulation-by-bandwidth regime would place increased responsibility on the amateur community to establish workable, accepted band plans, the League has expressed confidence that such an effort would be successful.

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, has discussed the subject of regulating by bandwidth in three "It Seems to Us . . ." QST editorials: "Regulation by Bandwidth" in September 2004, "Narrowing the Bandwidth Issues" in April 2005 and "Self Regulation" in October 2005.

"This petition does not favor one mode at the expense of another," the ARRL concluded in urging FCC adoption. "It merely allows expansion of the repertoire of options that amateurs may pursue compatibly."

A copy of the ARRL petition is on the ARRL Web site:
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/bandwidth/Bandwidth-Minute-64-Petition-FINAL.pdf

Comment via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Under "ECFS Main Links" on the right-hand side of the screen, click on "Submit a Filing" to file comments. To view others' comments, click on "Search for Filed Comments." In either case, type "RM-11306" in the "Proceeding" field using capital letters and including the hyphen (but not the quotation marks).

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
REBECCA, age 8

BPL IN GEORGIA

As reported previously, BPL has started to sprout up here and there in Georgia, like unwanted weeds in our prize rose gardens, with testing being conducted in Douglasville, Young Harris, Clarksville, and Jefferson. We've been working at putting teams together in each of these areas to monitor and report any interference that may be caused. In Clarksville, JIM BALAUN, K4PZ, and RON MCINTIRE, K4RBM, are sharing the leadership roles, and have already done some measurements and filed a formal letter of complaint. ALTON HIGGINS, W4VFZ, Towns county EC, is spearheading the efforts in Young Harris, has assembled a team, and has already opened the lines of communications with the EMC, which is being very cooperative thus far, and has agreed to meet with local hams. LARRY OSBOURNE, WT4XX, president of the NE GA ARC, is recruiting a team to stay on top of developments in the Jefferson area. And in Douglasville, BPL Team Leader EMORY GORDY, W4WRO, has put together a terrific team, and they've already had some very positive interaction with the power company there.

When a power company decides to give BPL a test run, they're probably assured by the companies who have a vested interest in selling their BPL equipment that the "interference problems have been worked out", if they even bother to bring up the pesky little matter of interference at all. I'd like to think that many of these power companies enter into these test periods with the best of intentions. After all, the President of the United States and the FCC itself has indicated that BPL is just about the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, these power companies aren't entirely altruistic; they certainly hope to make money. But let's assume that there is no malice aforethought involved in their attempts to offer what they may very well envision as a valuable service for their customers. We must be careful to carry that point of view with us when dealing with them, rather than approach them in a confrontational or antagonistic manner.

If there are no complaints filed during the test period, that gives the power companies a GREEN LIGHT to proceed with a more wide-spread offering of BPL. To them, no complaints means no problems. And they CANNOT be faulted for that reasoning. It is up to the ham community to let them KNOW if they are causing interference. In some areas of the country, the reluctance of hams to get involved only served to exacerbate the problem. Once the BPL starts to be deployed over a larger area, the problem is much more difficult to resolve.

That is why we are making every effort to deal with this situation NOW.

Besides being the BPL team leader in Douglasville, EMORY GORDY, W4WRO, is also our Statewide BPL Leader. Our go-to guy. He has written a wonderful document about BPL, and our response to it, and it is now posted on our www.arrl-ga.org website. You will also find an interactive forum there, where you can make comments, ask questions, etc. BPL may not be in your neighborhood TODAY, but it MAY be there tomorrow. Let's all be prepared to deal with it in an intelligent and effective manner.

On the BPL in GA forum, any of you can register, and can ask questions of Emory or make comments and suggestions. Our BPL team leaders, or their designated parties, also have the option of being moderators on the site, so that they have the capability of making direct entries of articles depicting the developments in their areas. If you wish to be a moderator, please let me know.

Many thanks to Emory and to all of our hams who are involved in these efforts, and thank you, also, to our webmaster, ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, for setting up our BPL in GA site on the webpage. This could be a very valuable tool for sharing information.

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
TERRI, age 4

THIS 'N' THAT

*** Hopes are high for the PETER ONE DX-pedition, 3Y0DX, which should be on the air in early February. To track their progress, check out http://8.3.8.118/peterone/main.net It may be many years before another group braves the elements to put this rare one on the air, so here's your chance. Let's hope for some great propagation.

*** ARRL announces new policy for deployed members of the US military:

In support of deployed US armed forces, the ARRL has adopted a new policy. ARRL members in active US military deployment outside the US and its territories may request to temporarily suspend ARRL dues payments and/or delivery of QST for the duration of their deployments. The objective is to ensure that members in active duty and deployed overseas can maintain their League memberships. The ARRL recognizes that members deployed away from their homes or permanent duty stations may experience difficulties with, or interruptions in, mail delivery or other disruptions. To apply, members should e-mail or send a copy of their deployment orders or a verification letter to ARRL, Attn:
Circulation/Military Deployment, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA;
fax 860-594-0303.

*** STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT HAS MULTIPLIED! --- For those of you who eagerly look forward to this on-the-air event every year, and who sometimes find yourselves inhabiting the proverbial doghouse for operating with your trusty ol' key on New Year's, rather than spending time with your Significant Other, here's some GOOD NEWS. TOM PETERSON, KC9ECI, realizing just how much fun participants have with SKN every year, has come up with a way to keep the fun a-comin' on a monthly basis, with the creation of the Straight Key Century Club. You no longer have to wait a full year! Now, a Straight Key Night will be held on the first of EVERY month, beginning at 0000Z, and running for a 24 hour period. You can get your official SKCC member by sending an email to Tom at tom@galesvillefiredepartment.org, and I understand that their designated frequencies stay ALIVE with activity. The last I heard, there were already well over 800 members, from all 50 states, and from all around the world. In addition to the monthly mini-SKN, you can also earn an SKCC award by making contacts at any time with 100 SKCC members. This "hot idea", which just took root after the first of this year, has taken off like wild fire. Tom has also set up a Yahoo group page for SKCC at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skcc/

*** SUITSAT Now Tentatively Set for February 2 Deployment

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced that the International Space Station crew is tentatively scheduled to deploy "SuitSat" Thursday, February 2. Possibly the most unusual Earth satellite ever, SuitSat consists of a surplus Russian Orlan space suit converted into a transmit-only satellite with an FM downlink frequency of 145.990 MHz. Using the call sign RS0RS, it will transmit voice messages, telemetry and an SSTV image on a nine-minute cycle as it orbits Earth. The batteries powering the satellite are expected to last about a week after deployment, and SuitSat's free-floating, decaying orbit should cause it to re-enter Earth's atmosphere after some six weeks in space. The SuitSat signal should be strong enough to hear using a VHF transceiver or scanner and a simple antenna--thus making it an ideal project for students to monitor and track. SuitSat's payload also includes a CD containing hundreds of school pictures, artwork, poems, and student signatures. For more information, see article "This is SuitSat-1 RS0RS!" by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, on the AMSAT Web site. http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/BauerSuitsat/index.php7.


*** For those who enjoy dabbling in digital modes, here's an exciting information on a new piece of shareware. My better half MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, first got word of it from his friends in the Tennessee Army MARS program, and he was kind enough to share the URL with us. What's special about this shareware program??? It enables the users to do Pactor I (send and receive) with a SOUND CARD. This shareware comes from France, and is called MultiPSK. You can download it at http://members.aol.com/f6cte/index_anglais.htm Mike has already given the program a test run, and says that it has a LOT to offer. The Pactor capabilities work well from keyboard to keyboard, but he hasn't found a way to adapt it for use with a bulletin board. (yet) The screen does look a little "busy" and may seem a little confusing at first, but it is well worth a look, and can be a very useful tool. (I understand that the program at the Silver Comet ARS's February meeting will be on this MultiPSK.)

*** AL LUDWICK, N4ZZK, VP of the SE DX Club, shared some info with us about a website that allows you to create your own USPS 39 cent postage stamps. He has already created a couple of his own: one of his QSL card, and another one that incorporates the FISTS logo and his FISTS number. You can see his creations at www.mindspring.com/~n4zzk/ Needless to say, the ability to create a special thirty-nine cent stamp of your own design costs MORE than thirty-nine cents, and not something that you'd want to do for all-occasion purposes. But, just think of the possibilities! This could really be FUN! (Cost is in the neighborhood of seventeen dollars for a sheet of twenty stamps.) For more information, please go to www.stamps.com

*** Do you keep a library of QSTs to use as reference material? If so, I'll bet you kinda miss the index that used to be a part of the December issues. But, fear not! That information is still available; you just know where to look for it. Check out http://www/arrl.org/members-only/qqnsearch.html (P.S. You have to be logged in as a member to use this feature.)

*** There will be a one-day no code technician class held at the Glynn county police department, at the corner of Bay and Mansfield Street in downtown Brunswick, on Saturday, February 11. Classes will be held in the green room of the facility on the right side of the building, will start promptly at 8AM, and will continue until 5PM, at which time there will be an open VE session for all elements. The class is FREE, and the VE test session will cost $14. Questions? Contact GREG TILLMAN, N4VAD, at (912) 427-0531

"Love is when your puppy licks your face, even after you left him alone all day."
MARY ANN, age 4

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

*** KIDS DAY has come and gone, and neither ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, our Asst. SM for Youth, nor I have heard anything from anyone about their involvement. Sure hope that doesn't mean that NO Georgia hams participated this year...

*** CALLING ALL KIDS!! CALLING ALL KIDS!!! Venture Crew 73, a co-ed Scouting group, for kids between the ages of 14 to 21 with an interest in High Adventure and Amateur Radio is looking for some new members. Maybe YOU, or someone you know?? This is a fabulous group of young people, with dedicated leaders, which is sponsored by the Gwinnett ARS. We've had the privilege of watching some great kids grow and mature into fine young men and women. This is such a fun organization that, when the kids who've been members turn 21, they don't want to leave! (Some of them end up being adult leaders so they can continue to enjoy the fun) Think this sounds like a good fit for you or someone you know?? The following 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.

*** SCHOOL ROUND-UP --- The 20th annual School Round-Up will be held from 1300Z February 13 until 2400Z February 17. Here's a prime opportunity for all of our school clubs to get on the air with students from all over the country, and for our ham clubs to contact a local school to set something up to help local students participate. (See the January QST, page 103, for details.)

TIM HARDY, KCØPA, reports that the Byron Middle School Amateur Radio Club will be participating, operating the club station KI4FKE. He wrote, "Student club members will be excused from their connections classes to come to the club station and participate. We will operate each of the five days of the roundup. At this past Wednesday's after-school club meeting, we took a break from our Technician Class license course and operated on 20 meters. The students were exposed to general good operating procedures, including staying within band limits, selecting a clear frequency, asking if the frequency is in use, how to call "CQ," the proper holding of the microphone and distance from the mouth, logging of contacts, the use of the RST signal report and what it means, and how to identify the location of a DX station based on its callsign prefix. The students made contact with two stations in the Caribbean and stations in Minnesota and Texas. The Byron Middle School Amateur Radio Club is an
official school-chartered extracurricular club. The club sponsor is
TIM HARDY, KCØPA, and he is assisted by volunteers DAVE CUTBUSH, KN4GD, and CHRIS BUZHARDT, KI4LAT."

DAVE CUTBUSH, KN4GD, had this to say about School Round-Up: "As we all realize, the hams who follow us must start somewhere. These kids need our help to make contacts with. This event is run similar to a field day, with different categories of stations, bands of operation, points scored for types of operations, etc. No station can operate more than 6 hours per day but they can choose which 6 hours to be on the air. They will work just about all bands, phone and CW. I'm certain the kids, and those licensed hams assisting with the Classes will appreciate any contacts you can make. Please remember, many of the kids are 'new' at this and very nervous - (we were there once, sweaty palms and all) probably best to go slow and be patient. There are few thing more satisfying than to see a kid's eyes light up after he/she has made that first contact."

*** SCHOLARSHIPS --- The window of opportunity to file an application for one of the many scholarships that are offered through the ARRL Foundation closed on February first, http://arl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html but opportunities still abound to apply for one of the FAR (Foundation for Amateur Radio, Inc.) scholarships. These scholarships are for amateur radio operators planning to pursue a full-time course of study beyond high school. If you have already been accepted or are currently attending an accredited university, college, or technical school, you can apply by sending a letter to FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD, 20738. These applications must be signed and received prior to June 1. See http://www.amateurradio-far.org/ for details.

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you" unless you mean it. But if you mean it,
you should say it a lot. People forget."
JESSICA, age 8

TECH TIPS

*** Do you have one of those super SteppIR antennas? Reports on them have indicated that this is a top-notch antenna. However, there have also been some reports of hearing "crackles" when tuning them, due to oxidation. As reported in the SEDXC newsletter, CHAZ CONE, W4GKF, has written a paper on how to clean the elements and, hopefully, eliminate the crackling. You can read his words of wisdom at http://www.chazcone.com/w4gkf/steppir/elementcleaning.htm

*** How about a crank-up tower? Do you have one of THEM? It's easy to determine the wind-loading capacity of these towers when fully extended, because the information is generally included in the manual. (You DO read the manual, don't you?) But determining how well your tower can withstand winds when cranked down may take more than a simple linear equation. FRANK TRAVANTY, W9JCC, has written an article, entitled "Wind Loading as a Function of Height", which you can read at http://www.arrl.org/qex/1123.pdf

*** Do you have one of those super SteppIR antennas on TOP of a crank-up tower?? (No tech tip here, but if you do, good for you!!!)

*** You can find some helpful hints about putting a PL-259 connector on 75 ohm hard line, written by DAVID BLASCHDE, W5UN, at http://web.wt.net/~w5un/pl259.htm

*** 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!!

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
ELAINE, age 5

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 page 97 of the February QST for details on these events.

FEBRUARY 4 --- FYBO (Freeze Your Buns Off) Winter QRP Field Day. 1600Z-2400Z

FEBRUARY 4-5 --- 10-10 International Winter QSO party 0001Z Feb 4- 2359Z Feb 5 See www.ten-ten.org 

FEBRUARY 4-5 --- Looking for some warmer weather?? How about the Miami, FL Hamfest (SE Division convention)

FEBRUARY 5 --- 0400Z- 0400Z North American Sprint, SSB

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

FEBRUARY 10-12 --- Orlando, FL Hamfest

FEBRUARY 12 --- 0000Z-0400Z North American Sprint, CW

FEBRUARY 12-13 --- CLASSIC EXCHANGE- 1400Z Feb 12- 0800Z Feb 13. Where you can work multiple rigs, and the older the rig, the higher the points. See www.qsl.asti.net/CX for details (What could be more romantic than sitting with your sweetie in the mellow glow of those wonderful old...?)

FEBRUARY 13-17 --- 20th annual School Club Round-Up (See "piglets" for more info)

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

FEBRUARY 18-19 ---ARRL International DX Contest, CW 0000Z Feb 18- 2400Z Feb 19 For details, please see www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2006/intldx.html or page 88 of December, 2005, QST

FEBRUARY 18-19 --- AM QSO Party www.antiquewireless.org/amqsoparty.html

FEBRUARY 19-25 --- Severe Weather Awareness Week

FEBRUARY 22 --- Statewide Tornado Drill

FEBRUARY 25 --- 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 2:30 PM: a 2M mobile rig, and an HF mobile rig. Talk-in on 145.230(-) Hope to see you there!!!! (Think WARM!)

MARCH 18 --- KENNEHOOCHEE Hamfest at Jim Miller Park in Marietta (just so you can be sure to mark it on your calendars NOW!)

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
KAREN, age 7

SILENT KEYS

RICKEY BRAY, KN4LA
MORRIS JOHNSON, KB4IT

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

Well, that's about it for now. But first, I saved the best for last. The questions that were posed to the children about love were part of a contest to find the most caring child. The winner was a 4-year-old, whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. The little boy saw his neighbor crying, so he went into the neighbor's yard, crawled up onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy replied, "Nothing. I just helped him cry." May we all have someone in our loves with that much compassion. Until next time, this is AF4FO, signing clear. Take care of yourselves. And each other.

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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