Georgia Section On My Mind

APRIL, 2004

Georgia on my mind..... and pollen on my little red car. Greetings, fellow hams-ters. Coming at-choo in this beautiful spring weather from Gwinnett county, the Big Wheezy, where, on a Claritan day, you can see forever. (OK, I'll stop now!)

GREG SARRATT, W4OZK, the SM of Alabama, came up with a brilliant idea recently, when he appointed an eleven year old young lady as an assistant SM. "What a great idea!" I thought, when reading about it in the pages of QST. At the Kennehoochee Hamfest, BOB LEAR, K4SZ, pulled me aside and we talked about Greg, that "sly dog", and how he was the first SM to make that important move that clearly exemplifies just how important young people are to our hobby. Bob said I should do the same.... even suggested the obvious choice. It was one of those "Duh!" moments, y'know? Greg may have been the first, but I know a good idea when I see one, even if this April fool needed a little nudge from Bob. I've been singing this young lady's praises ever since I met her as a little tyke, and now it's my privilege and honor to announce that ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, has been appointed as our newest assistant SM. She exemplifies the very best of what's right about our young people today, and I'm pleased to have her on the Georgia leadership team. Welcome aboard, Kiddo!

While I'm talking about young people, I have a very special and important request to make on behalf of a young man who lives in the Decatur area. His mother has been desperately trying to find a mentor for him to nurture his interest in amateur radio, and to help him get his license. He's in 6th grade, and thanks to HARRY HOLMES, K4HJH, who took him and his mother to HRO, he now has a copy of "Now You're Talking". The problem is, his mother says, is that he's only been in this country from Russia for three years, and he has a little bit of difficulty with understanding some of the English in the book. This young man was adopted at the age of 10, and he does not have a father. (I told his mother that I wasn't too proud to yank on your heartstrings a little bit...) But this boy definitely has the "fire in his belly" about amateur radio. He just needs an Elmer to guide and teach him. Someone who can nurture that interest and make a huge difference in his life. Someone who can help him get his license, and show him what a wonderful world of people there are in this hobby. Any takers? Like I said, he lives in Decatur. If you have the time to take on this labor of love and fan this young man's flames of interest, please send me a note. I'd be happy to put you in touch with his mother. Thank you so much. I know someone will step forward.... I have faith in y'all. (heck! Maybe we can even have a "tag team" of mentors....)

OK, without any further ado, let's see what's been happening and what's coming up around the corner here in Georgia...

All of the one-liners in this month's newsletter come to us from that pundit of puns, that maestro of mirth, CAL NEFF, K4JSR. (So if ya don't like 'em, blame HIM!!)

Have you noticed that since everyone has a camcorder these days,
no one talks about UFOs like they used to?

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS

March 20--- Kennehoochee Hamfest--- It's the little things that count. Members of the Kennehoochee ARC once again dotted their "i"s and crossed their "t"s, to make this year's Hamfest another enjoyable event. There were plenty of signs posted to point the way to this year's new location at Life University in Marietta, enough so that even someone as "directionally challenged" as I am could breeze in with no difficulty. Where last year's Hamfests were typically threatened by stormy weather, so far this year, the weather has been smiling at us, both at Dalton and Kennehoochee, with clear skies and warm pleasant temperatures. The bone yard was in a paved parking lot, and in addition to the tail-gaters, FRED RUNKLE, K4KAZ, was there with members of his Red Cross team to show off one of the Red Cross's new high-tech Emergency Communications Response Vehicles. If you didn't have the chance to check it out, I'd recommend that you do so at the next opportunity. Just to give you an idea of the capabilities of an ECRV, it houses 14 radios, 11 wireless laptop computers, 3 cell phones, one of which is a satellite phone, a VSAT mobile satellite receiver, a weather station, a DSS digital TV receiver, 10 IP wireless telephones, multiple portable radios, a JPS Radio Interconnect Switch that enables communications between multiple agencies, and to top it off, its own 8000 W auxiliary generator. WOW! Very impressive. All they need now, Fred says, is a good coffee pot. It took a little stretch of the legs over a footbridge to get over to the indoor portion of the 'fest in the gymnasium, where our favorite curmudgeon, SE Vice Director SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, and I manned the ARRL booth. Thanks to all of you who stopped by to say hello and chat for a while. That's always a highlight for me. It was especially good to meet with that fine group of hams from the LaGrange area who are interested in establishing an ARES organization there in Troup county. I won't embarrass him by mentioning his name, but it was also particularly enjoyable to discuss the ARRL's re-structuring proposal with one terrific fellow. He's not happy about them. At all. Downright angry, in fact. But after venting for a while, he renewed his membership with me. Guess he wanted to be sure that I didn't take his displeasure personally. (I didn't, but thanks for renewing, Gary. I appreciate it.) And thanks to all of the other new members who signed up with us, too. We really appreciate your support. One thing that the Kennehoochee club does with their Hamfest that outshines everybody else's is the "Boot Camp", an all-day technician class, followed by a VE session. Would you believe that forty-four..... that's FORTY-FOUR!.... people took the class?! Lots of them were youngsters, too. An unbelievable showing. Hats off to the club, and especially to the instructors who spent the entire day teaching this group. That's a wonderful service, and from what I hear, about half of the attendees passed their test. And those who DIDN'T pass didn't miss it by much, so the next time should be the charm. This is the second or third year that "Boot Camp" has been a part of the Kennehoochee Hamfest, and I truly believe they deserve to be commended for offering this unique opportunity to bring new folks into the hobby. It's a terrific idea, and something I hope the club continues to offer in the future. Good job, guys! And to each and every one of you who paid your admission to attend the Hamfest, thank you, too. A club can plan and create the most wonderful Hamfest, but even Dayton Hamvention would be sunk if the hams didn't support it by attending. To those of you I heard on the radio who said they didn't go to Kennehoochee because they "didn't need anything"....no, no, no!! You never ever know what kind of treasures you'll find hidden in the bone yard.... and that has nothing to do with "need"! And besides, the real "treasure" lies in all of the other hams, and in the unique friendships and fellowship we share. Like BILL HUSTED, the "Technobuddy" (and a ham!) for the "Atlanta Journal" wrote in a column some years back, "In the amateur radio fraternity, there are no strangers". (Now, some non-hams may think we're "stranger" than most, but isn't that all the more reason for us to seek our own, so to speak, at Hamfest?) Anyhow, another enjoyable Hamfest. Thanks to the members of the Kennehoochee ARC who worked so hard to put on this 'fest for our enjoyment, and to all of you who attended and helped make the adventure a success. See y'all at the next one!

Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and
a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?

CLUB NEWS

ATLANTA ARC--- As is usually the case for "show and tell" programs, this club's March meeting on kit building and home brew projects proved to be very interesting and enjoyable. DAVID SCHORNAK, N1IB, proudly displayed his "baby", the amazing K-2, and RUSS RICHARDSON, AE4NY, brought along some of his fellow members from the North GA QRP Club, who were all too happy to put on a fine show of their wide array of constructed kits and interesting collectibles. My better half, MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, even brought along his famous AM-modulated laser pointer project. It was all very enjoyable. If your club has never tried this sort of program, I highly recommend it. You'd be surprised at some of the fascinating things hiding in the shadows in the shacks of some of your fellow members, especially those who've been around the hobby for a year or two.

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARS--- Mike (that's meeee!) and I had the distinct pleasure of visiting these folks for their March meeting and putting on our ARRL "dog and pony show". (and don't ask me which of us is which!) Thanks to these warm and friendly folks for dinner and the warm hospitality. You made us feel right at home.

COASTAL PLAINS ARC--- Members of this Tifton area club are gearing up to serve as Elmers for Tift County High School, which was recently selected as one of the Big Project schools. Also, they will be hosting a Skywarn class on June 15th.

CONYERS ARG--- Happy Anniversary! Club members celebrated their 25th anniversary on March 18th at a special celebratory meeting held in Johnson Park. I hear that a good time was had by all.

GWINNETT ARS--- The March meeting program was provided by EC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, on the ARES program, and specifically on what's shakin' in Gwinnett county. Coming up in April will be a program on DXing, provided by the Southeastern DX Club.

LANIERLAND ARC--- For those of you who may not have heard, the Lanierland folks will not be hosting a big Hamfest this year, doggone it. In addition to some logistics problems with the former venue, club members decided that they wanted to hold an event where they could relax and enjoy themselves. With that in mind, they'll be holding a tailgating/ bone yard event at Johnson High School (just off I-985 at exit 16 in Gainesville) on July 10, from 8 AM until 2 PM. For more information, see http://www.lanierlandarc.org

NORTH FULTON ARL--- President TODD MCGINNIS, KB4KAY, has announced that the club will be sponsoring the first annual Metro Atlanta Fox Hunt on May 22 in the Roswell area. Activities are slated to begin from the rallying point of "the Silos" in Roswell at 10 AM. Stay tuned for more details as plans progress.

PEACH STATE CHAPTER 49 QCWA--- I'll let "da prez" tell you in his own words:

Folks, This Is -- "THATS ME" -- K4HBI, Mike Swiderski, President of Atlanta's Peach State Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) Chapter 49. I would like to notify everyone of a very SPECIAL meeting and invite everyone, you do not need to be a QCWA member. The food is wonderful and there will be doorprizes.

Our Program Manager, Sandy Donahue relates:

"Croft Taylor, VE3CT, President of the national QCWA will address the Peach State Chapter 49 of QCWA at its next meeting on Saturday April 3 at noon. The meeting will be at the usual place, Fire Mountain Restaurant.

Croft has served as a Director and headed two very active committees. He was first licensed in 1950 and has held several VE2 and VE3 calls since then. While in the University Croft joined COTC and pursued a military career in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. Afterwards he joined Bell System in Canada and directed a team of senior engineers in a long term planning of Canada's major telecommunications networks, and their integration with similar USA networks. At the same time he chaired the Carrier Working Group whose mandate was to develop fail safe high density networks for the military.

Croft's major contribution to the Amateur Community was the development of a program with The Bell System to distribute surplus Bell teletype and data equipment to amateurs in North America. He personally handled about 5000 tons of such equipment during its distribution. He is a QCWA Life member and a member of several Chapters in Canada and in the USA.

Croft spends his winters in Florida and is stopping by for a visit on his way back home to Canada. Please make an extra effort to come meet this fine gentleman and his XYL, Elizabeth."

Where and When:

Our Saturday April 3 meeting will be at Fire Mountain Restaurant, previously known as Ryan's Steak House, 7045 Jimmy Carter Blvd. 12 Noon to eat and meeting to begin at 1PM. The food is buffet style and much better and a wider variety than Ryan's and quite reasonable to boot.

Directions to Fire Mountain:

From I-285 take Peachtree Industrial Blvd (141) North. Stay on Peachtree Industrial for about 3 and a half miles to the Jimmy Carter Blvd exit. Exit off Peachtree Industrial at Jimmy Carter and at the traffic light at the bottom of the exit ramp make a left on to Jimmy Carter . You will go under Peachtree Industrial and get in the right hand lane. Fire Mountain will be about 200 yards up on the right. They have a separate turn-in lane. If you miss the turn-in lane, go to the light and make a right, go till the road ends (drive way into a motel) and turn right, the restaurant will be on the right. Leaving, to get back on to Peachtree Industrial Blvd, it is easier to go out the back way and make a left. Make another left at the motel and this will take you to a traffic light on Jimmy Carter. A left at the light and head towards the right hand lane entrance ramp to Peachtree Industrial Blvd South.

Augusta Folks, this is NE of Atlanta in Gwinnett Co. I-20 west to I-285 N/E, Exit at Peachtree Industrial Blvd (141) North.

Hope to see you all there. 73 Mike K4HBI

SE DX CLUB--- The March meeting was another "show and tell" event, and this group of DXers extraordinaire have a wide range of goodies to show, for sure. Coming up in April will be a program on DXing in Costa Rica, presented by BOB WILSON, W4BD and ED WILSON, K4UN. Club president JIM KAUSTEN, W4TE, HARRY SAUNDERS, W4KJ, BOB ALLPHIN, K4UEE, and WES LAMBOLEY, W3WL, will all be making the trek to Visalia, CA April 23-25, for the International DX Convention. In a bit of friendly club competition, the winners of the 2003 SEDXC CQWW Club Challenge were, on high power: DAVE JOHNSTON, K4SSU (Phone), and HARRY SAUNDERS, W4KJ,(CW). JIM KAUTEN, W4TE, took the honors on low power, on both phone and CW, and MATT LEE, WB6BWZ, made a clean sweep on QRP. And one final word on a double oops..... in last month's newsletter, I made a "correction" about JOE OWEN, KO4RR's presentation.... Now, I need to "correct the correction"... it seems I had it right the first time. The CY-9 DXpedition was to St. Paul's Island, as initially reported. (I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken....)

SOUTHEAST CONTEST CLUB and SEDX CLUB--- will be sponsoring the Georgia QSO Party, coming up April 10th - 11th. A fun event, and a chance to work towards a WAG (Worked All Georgia) award, too. (See http://www.w4doc.org/arc/wagaward.htm) There are many awards and certificates to be earned in this QSO party.... Why not aim for one of them? For more information on the GA QSO Party, see http://gqp.contesting.com/Rules.htm (a good opportunity to rack up a bunch of states for the ARRL's special 90th anniversary WAS award, too!)

SOUTHEASTERN VHF SOCIETY--- April is an important month for these folks, because that's when they hold their annual conference. This year's big event will be held April 23rd and 24th at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites in Marietta. There will be a kick-off luncheon on Friday, and the whole weekend will be filled with technical presentations, a flea market, an auction, the presentation of the K4UHF Award to the amateur who's contributed the most to the world of VHF and the amateur community, and a big banquet with great door prizes to end the festivities on Saturday evening. And that's just SOME of the happenings! This event offers a great opportunity to meet and learn from some of the top VHF operators in the country. For details, see http://www.svhfs.org/conf_2004.htm Something else kinda new that this group has come up with is the "Worked All of 'EM" Award, for working all grids EM-00 through EM-99. The first mixed band certificate has been awarded to CARROLL "ACE" NORTON, W4WTA. The first two certificates for working all of 'EM on 6M have gone to PAT ROSE, W5OZI, and JOE KANODE, N4MM. For more details on this award, see http://www.svhf.org/workedallofem.htm

NOTE: All kinds of useful information... free for the taking!... can be found on the ARRL's club webpage at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/cpw/

I used to eat a lot of natural foods... until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

ARES NEWS

FORSYTH--- VESTER SCOTT, N8EKA, and TERRY JONES, W4TL, attended the group's March meeting and presented an interesting and informative program on SERA and the intricacies behind the huge task of coordinating repeaters.

GWINNETT--- Members took a Red Cross class on damage assessment at the March meeting, and have plans for additional Red Cross courses in the future.

MADISON--- On March 8, this fledgling ARES group held its first net. ED ROLLOR, N4ZRA, reports that the net is presently scheduled for Monday evenings at 7:30 PM on 147.300 + Tone 123.0. If you can check in with them and support them in their efforts, it would be very much appreciated.

OGLETHORPE--- The first Oglethorpe ARES Net was held on the K4TQU repeater (147.375 + tone 127.3) on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 PM. ED ROLLOR, N4ZRA, who's doing a yeoman's job getting programs going in that area, says, "Please join us if you can to help encourage the amateurs in the Oglethorpe County area to take part in the ARES Program."

CONGRATULATIONS to our newest DEC, PHIL FAULKNER, K4PCF, who has been appointed in the NE District to replace TERRY JONES, W4TL, who recently stepped down. Congratulations also go out to JOHN ADAMS, WA4NEE, who is taking Phil's place as the EC of Forsyth county and neighboring Dawson county. (that's DAWSON county, and not Dalton, as I erroneously reported last month.... like we don't have enough counties, I gotta go making up new ones....?!) Thanks to both of these fellas for their willingness to serve.

THANK YOU to WALLY RANKIN, KE4ISH, who recently stepped down as the EC of Liberty county, a position he has held since December of 1996. Wally will continue to be a valued part of the ARES team and will continue to maintain the radio equipment in the EOC. Thanks, Wally, for all of your years of service.

THE EC (EMERGENCY COORDINATOR) POSITION: It has often been said that the EC position is the most vital to the success of an ARES program. The EC "job description" lists a number of responsibilities, and the wise EC names a number of assistants to help him fulfill them. This gets the work done, without placing too much stress on the poor EC, who usually also has a whole host of other demands on his time and energies from family, work, church, etc. ARES members may not always be aware of the job that their EC is doing. To give you a better appreciation, (and to maybe encourage you to volunteer to help YOUR EC with some of these jobs) these are the duties of an EC, as described by the ARRL:

1. Promote and enhance the activities of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) for the benefit of the public as a voluntary, non-commercial communications service.

2. Manage and coordinate the training, organization and emergency participation of interested amateurs working in support of the communities, agencies or functions designated by the Section Emergency Coordinator/ Section Manager.

3. Establish viable working relationships with federal, state, county, city, governmental and private agencies in the ARES jurisdictional area which need the services of ARES in emergencies. Determine what agencies are active in your area, evaluate each of their needs, and which ones you are capable of meeting, and then prioritize these agencies and needs. Discuss your planning with your Section Emergency Coordinator and then with your counterparts in each of the agencies. Ensure they are all aware of your ARES group's capabilities, and perhaps more importantly, your limitations.

4. Develop detailed local operational plans with "served" agency officials in your jurisdiction that set forth precisely what each of your expectations are during a disaster operation. Work jointly to establish protocols for mutual trust and respect. All matters involving recruitment and utilization of ARES volunteers are directed by you, in response to the needs assessed by the agency officials. Technical issues involving message format, security of message transmission, Disaster Welfare Inquiry policies, and others, should be reviewed and expounded upon in your detailed local operations plans.

5. Establish local communications networks run on a regular basis and periodically test those networks by conducting realistic drills.

6. Establish an emergency traffic plan, with Welfare traffic inclusive, utilizing the National Traffic System as one active component for traffic handling. Establish an operational liaison with local and section nets, particularly for handling Welfare traffic in an emergency situation.

7. In times of disaster, evaluate the communications needs of the jurisdiction and respond quickly to those needs. The EC will assume authority and responsibility for emergency response and performance by ARES personnel under his jurisdiction.

8. Work with other non-ARES amateur provider-groups to establish mutual respect and understanding, and a coordination mechanism for the good of the public and Amateur Radio. The goal is to foster an efficient and effective Amateur Radio response overall.

9. Work for growth in your ARES program, making it a stronger, more valuable resource and hence able to meet more of the agencies' local needs. There are thousands of nee Technicians coming into the amateur service that would make ideal additions to your ARES roster. A stronger ARES means a better ability to serve your communities in times of need and a greater sense of pride for Amateur Radio by both amateurs and the public.

Report regularly to the SEC, as required.

Sounds like a pretty daunting list, doesn't it? Idealistic, and set up for the maximum benefit. Many of our ECs do all of these things, and more. Some of our ECs are in a different situation. They may be one of only two or three hams in their whole county. They may not be able to hold nets very often, or to hold face-to-face meetings, etc. They are still in the "building mode" and are doing the best they can. We appreciate each and every one of our ECs for taking on this important appointment and for their hard work to make emergency communications available in their area. Let's make April our EC Appreciation Month..... take the time to tell your EC thank you and to ask what you can do to help in the efforts.

MANDATORY REPORTING --- Got "nuthin to say"? We all hate that word "mandatory", don't we? See number 10 in the list above, and you'll see that regular reporting is one of the requirements for our ECs. "As required". Believe it or not, a quarterly reporting requirement would be more difficult to remember than a monthly one, which can and should become a habit, like paying the phone bill. (only easier and FREE!) Monthly reporting has improved dramatically since I "welcomed" you to the ARES meeting in Gainesville last year, and since ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, put that simple reporting form right online. While we do understand that not all of you have an active ARES group as yet, and may feel that a monthly report is unnecessary because you have "nothing to report", please understand that we seek input from EVERY EC EVERY month. Y'see, if we tell GEMA, "Yes, we have an EC for XYZ county", (made up another one!) it's imperative that we can actually get in touch with that EC when GEMA needs help in that area. Filing a monthly report, even if it's a "nothing to report" report, ensures that MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, our SEC, as well as your DEC, maintain communications with each of our ECs.

There are two ways that you can file a "nothing to report" report. Go to http://www.gaares.org to the monthly reporting form. Select your district and county, put "nothing to report" in the comments field, and then fill in your title, name, callsign, and email address. (an AEC can fill this in, too) Then submit. That'll take just a minute of your time. Or, even easier, if you click on the "directions for filing", you'll find a new form that Robert added that makes it even EASIER to file the "nothing to report" reports. These reports are due the 5th of each month. Please, please, please take the time to do this. We appreciate all of you for serving. Our ECs are a valuable part of the GA ham organization. With your help in filing these reports, that organization will be even better. Thank you.

CHRIS MCGEHEE, KLØUD, our favorite lady with the NWS, shared this information about some upcoming changes in the NOAA radio warning event codes.
(Reference: "NWS Focus", 3/8/2004)

The FCC dictated some changes in the Emergency Alert System, which will be implemented in the near future. Starting June 30, 2004, NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) Specific Area Message Encoding/Emergency Alert System (SAME/EAS) event warning codes will be available nationally for a variety of non-weather events. Alert messaging will then be possible on such widely diverse happenings as child abduction emergencies, local area emergencies, fire warnings, hazardous material warnings, radiological or nuclear power plant warnings, shelter-in-place warnings, and volcano warnings. These warnings will be initiated by local, civil, or state authorities.

It's possible that these new event codes can't be programmed into your current NWR receiver, in which case, the codes may be displayed as "unknown warning" or some similar message when they are transmitted over NOAA Weather Radio. To receive the new codes correctly, you MAY need to purchase a newer model radio. Check for the Consumer Electronics Association's new "Public Alert designation" notation on the box of that radio before you buy it, to be sure that it will allow you to receive these new alert messages.

A complete list of the current and new EAS/SAME codes that will be implemented June 30, 2004, is available online at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/eas_codes.htm.
And additional information on the emergency alert system is available online at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/nws_eas.htm  and http://www.fcc.gov/eb/eas/.

FYI --- After a long hiatus, the Eastman (~50 miles SW of Macon) repeater is back on the air. 145.210 (-) PL 103.5

Gardening rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

FEMA INFORMATION

As a part of the Department of Homeland Security, please be advised that all FEMA email address suffixes are CHANGING from the old "fema.gov" to "fema.dhs" In their announcement, it was stated:

"After March 31, e-mails addressed with the suffix "fema.gov" will be undeliverable. Please change the endings of e-mail addresses of all your FEMA contacts from "fema.gov" to "dhs.gov" now. (Until March 31, both endings will work)."

Also, a COMMUNITY-BASED PRE-DISASTER MITIGATION TRAINING CURRICULUM is now available on the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov/tab_education.shtm

STEVE EWALD, WV1X, of the ARRL, writes:

This training is designed to involve emergency management and community and faith-based organizations (CBOs/FBOs) in pre-disaster mitigation activities at the local level. The materials are the result of a unique process during which ten communities across the nation selected, planned, and implemented a basic mitigation project that included participation by community- and faith-based organizations. The lessons learned and training needs identified from these projects formed the foundation of the materials.

The goals of the curriculum are to enable participants to discover the role that CBOs/FBOs can play in mitigation activities, determine possible mitigation projects in which they might engage, and better understand ways that CBOs/FBOs and emergency managers can work together. In order to engage both the emergency management and CBO/FBO communities, the material consists of two distinct products, one tailored to emergency managers and the other to members of community- and faith-based organizations.

The curriculum has been designed to be flexible and available to users at the local level and to be conducted using a minimal amount of materials or special equipment. The various training modules are designed so that organizations can arrange the material to meet their particular needs and circumstances. There is also a comprehensive resource guide that includes materials and information to support each of the training modules. The materials will be available on CD in the near future.

For answers to questions or feedback about the curriculum, contact Terry Brill, Training Coordinator, Mitigation Division, FEMA. at terry.brill@dhs.gov

Always get the last word in.... apologize.

ARES REPORT FROM MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, SEC

1 Jurisdictions Reporting 62
2 Total # of ARES Members 889
3 Change since last month 37
4 Total Net Sessions 162
5 Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month 162
6 Man hours 1322.45
7 Number of public service events this month 13
8 Man hours 51.78
9 Number of emergency operations this month 2
10 Man hours 12
11 Total number of ARES operations this month 339
12 Man hours 2069.98

Section EC Notes
- Statewide Tornado Drill, 2/27
- Dalton Hamfest ARES Forum 2/28
- NWS Group (KD4YDC, DEC) NCS for Weekly ARES Net
- Phil Faulkner, K4PCF appointed DEC Northeast (3/1)
- EC Reports now mandatory in Georgia

***Counties/Jurisdictions Reporting

GEMA , National Weather Service, and the following counties:

DISTRICT 1: Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chatooga, Coweta, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield

DISTRICT 2: Clarke, Dawson, Forsyth, Hall, Jackson, Madison, Oglethorpe

DISTRICT 3: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Rockdale

DISTRICT 5: Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Monroe, Peach, Spalding,

DISTRICT 6: Jefferson, Washington

DISTRICT 7: Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Lee, Mitchell, Sumter, Worth

DISTRICT 8: Bacon, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Dodge. Effingham,
Evans, Laurens, Telfair, Wayne

What a terrific showing! Thanks to each and every one of you filed. Due date for the next report: APRIL 5.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a new one.

THE 'DUMBIMG DOWN' OF THE HOBBY

Despite the protests of a certain Vice Director, who shall go unnamed, that the current amateur radio tests are "too hard", I've heard far more often a deeply heartfelt lament from many hams that there has been, and continues to be, a dumbing down, and an erosion, of the hobby. There was an article in the April issue of "WorldRadio" magazine, written by that Rules and Regs guru, JOHN JOHNSTON, W3BE, in which he responded to the query, "I feel that the exams have been dumbed down. What can be done about this?"

John replied:

"Here's my prescription for DDEF (that dumbed down exams feeling):

1. Take a few practice examinations on the websites. Find out if you can answer correctly all of the questions, or at least score a passing grade.

2. Join with the 30,000 volunteer examiners who donate their time and talent to administering our examinations to apprehensive candidates.

3. Write a series of questions-- with absolutely correct answers and incorrect distracters-- and submit them to our VECs' all-volunteer Question Pool Committee.

4. Volunteer to teach a class on obtaining an amateur operator license to people who know little about radio."

He concludes his response by adding, "If the above doesn't make your sense of DDEF go away, just live with it... quietly, please. The rest of us do not have time to listen to your sniping. We are too busy making our amazing all-volunteer examination system work."

Definitely food for thought, huh?

Never take life seriously..... nobody gets out alive anyway.

IT'S COMMENTING TIME AGAIN

OK, folks, the FCC is now seeking your comments on the restructuring proposals filed with them by the ARRL and others. Comments are due by APRIL 24. Lots of you have been telling me your opinion.... Now tell it to the "judge". The following is from a recent ARRL bulletin:

The FCC is seeking comment on three plans, one from the ARRL, that would reshape the Amateur Service licensing structure. Each Petition for Rule Making responds to World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 actions last summer that made changes to Article 25 of the international Radio Regulations. While differing substantially in some other aspects, the three petitions call for modifications at Amateur Radio's entry level and for a three-tiered license system. One petition goes beyond licensing structure to recommend additional changes to amateur testing and HF digital privileges. A fourth petition focuses solely on the Morse requirement. Comments are due by April 24 on all four petitions.

Designated RM-10867, ARRL's petition asks the FCC to create a new entry-level license class--being called ''Novice'' for now. It would offer limited HF CW/data and phone/image privileges on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters plus certain VHF and UHF privileges. The League plan also would consolidate Technician, Tech Plus (Technician with Element 1 credit) and General licensees into a new General license that no longer would require a Morse examination. Current Technicians automatically would gain General privileges without additional testing. Applicants for Amateur Extra would still have to pass a 5 WPM Morse code examination, but the General and Extra written exams would stay the same.

A news report ''ARRL to Propose New Entry-Level License, Code-Free HF Access,'' http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/01/19/1/, has further details. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are addressed on the ARRL Web site, http://www.arrl.org/news/restructuring2/faq.html.

An ''unincorporated grassroots organization,'' the Radio Amateur Foundation (RAF), has filed a petition designated as RM-10868. Its wide-ranging filing asks the FCC to modify the Technician ticket to allow restricted HF phone, data, image and CW privileges. The group also proposes retaining the 5 WPM Morse requirement for General and Amateur Extra applicants, upgrading Advanced class holders to Extra and all Novices to Technician. The Radio Amateur Foundation said it sees no need to change licensing requirements for General or Amateur Extra applicants.

The RAF also wants to scrap existing Amateur Radio question pools and start over from scratch, keeping the question pools out of the public domain and requiring a 10-day waiting period before retesting. In addition, it would permit only Generals and Amateur Extras or Technicians licensed more than two years to request vanity call signs.

The RAF has further asked the FCC to permit digital experimentation from 29.0 to 29.3 MHz at bandwidths of up to 15 kHz.

In his two-page petition designated RM-10869, Ronald D. Lowrance, K4SX, calls on the FCC to retain the 5 WPM Morse code requirement for General class applicants and to raise the Morse requirement to 13 WPM for Amateur Extra class applicants. He called Morse code ''the most reliable mode of communication'' in an emergency. Lowrance would make no change in Technician licensing requirements.

The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC)wants the FCC to establish a new entry-level license called the Communicator class. Its petition, designated RM-10870, reiterates its call--first made last fall in RM-10787--to altogether eliminate the Morse code testing requirement.

The NCVEC's petition would upgrade all current Novices to Communicator class. The NCVEC would further upgrade all existing Technician and Tech Plus (Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees to General and all Advanced class licensees to Amateur Extra without further testing. Once the Morse requirement goes away, NCVEC said in its filing, ''there will be no effective difference between the Technician and General class licenses.''

The new Communicator ticket would permit a power limit of 100 W on bands below 24 MHz and 50 W on all frequencies above 24 MHz. Communicator licensees would have to use commercially manufactured equipment (or gear built from a commercial kit). They could operate both voice and digital modes on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters plus VHF and UHF up to 70 cm.

All three license restructuring plans call for changes to the present HF subbands.

Interested parties may view and comment on these petitions via the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System, http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. When entering the RM number in the ECFS ''Proceeding'' field, RM must be in capital letters and the hyphen must be included.

IN ADDITION, the FCC is seeking input on its NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rule Making) on BPL. As you probably know, the FCC still seems to think that this is the greatest advance in technology since Al Gore invented the Internet. You can read the entire text of the filing on the Federal Register at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a040317c.html You will find a whole host of filings from all kinds of federal bureaus there, but just scroll down to FCC, and you'll find the BPL information. They are seeking comments on SPECIFIC areas about this, not just a rehash of all our reasons of why we consider this technology to be ill-advised. If you can suggest to them why their proposed methods of measurement are lacking, or can express why the "notch" approach will not adequately address the interference problem, or reasonably respond to any of their other requests, please file a comment before the deadline on May 3.

Some of you may have read the article that was in the "Wall Street Journal" on March 23rd about BPL and the pesky complaining about it posed by us "quirky" amateur radio operators, like we're a bunch of dinosaurs standing in the way of progress. While it's "nice" to have BPL and interference mentioned in the same article in such a well-read newspaper, many hams took exception to the way we were described in this article. (which probably got waaaay more response than they'd bargained for!) I don't know how long this article will remain posted online, but as I type this, it can still be found for your reading pleasure (?) at:
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB108000038148562350-H9jf4NjlaJ3oJ2rZ4GIbKiBm5,00.html

I've requested permission from the writer to post his article on our website, but I'm not holding my breath, so you'd better check it out ASAP, if you haven't already read it. I've also received a couple of terrific letters of response to the article, written by SHERMAN BANKS, W4ATL, and ELLIOTT KANTER, W4PGI. They've each given me permission to post their letters in this newsletter, and I'm hoping to have our Webmaster, ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, post them online, along with the original article. (If'n the OK comes through) I've also requested and received permission to post an outstanding letter of response that was written by RICHARD MOSESON, W2VU, an editor of CQ magazine. He wants to post it on his own site first, and then will give me the OK to go ahead. (a really nice guy!) Hopefully, permission will be granted by WSJ, and I'll be able to direct you to all of these in the near future.

From SHERMAN BANKS, W4ATL:

Mr. Ken Brown's March 23 article on Amateur Radio's opposition to Broadband Power Line (BPL) technology leaves one with the impression that this new service is an inconvenience to some elderly, dying hobbyists. If it causes a little interference to these "quirky bunch" of radio enthusiasts, so what? The FCC's Chief Engineer Ed Thomas states he wants to know why BPL is a major calamity.

The power industry opposed an Amateur Radio allocation in a band below the AM broadcast band on the grounds that these radio transmissions might interfere with the low-speed data transmissions that the power industry currently uses over existing unshield power lines. But radio waves travel in both directions. How can the power industry claim that radio waves will go into power line equipment and interfere, but then state that the new higher frequency, high speed data transmissions will not leave the power lines and interfere with Amateur Radio receivers?

The FCC has, in the past, been a champion of Amateur Radio because they realized that these "quirky" people provide a great public service in times of need. When hurricanes, tornadoes and ice storms ravage small towns and communities, Amateur Radio operators provide vital emergency communications which assists public safety workers. Citizens who had never heard of amateur radio receive messages on the condition of their loved ones in disaster areas. They are thankful that these "quirky" people were there to provide health and welfare information for them.

In this time of reduced tax revenue, what better way to provide emergency communications than to use self-trained and equipped volunteers. The government should be encouraging volunteers, not discouraging them.

Widespread use of BPL will chase these volunteers away from their hobby. These radio volunteers will dismantle their stations and take down their antennas. They will not be able to chat across the world about the weather, which on the surface seems insignificant. After all, we now have the Internet.

But the result will be that Amateur Radio operators will not be there for the next hurricane, tornado, Northeast power outage, or terrorist attack. During the next disaster when power and Internet are gone, phone lines are dead, and cell sites are down, someone will come up to me and ask why can't they find out about their loved ones, like we did in the past? I will point to the power lines laying dead on the ground and say, "Those lines are the reason. Send your complaint to the power company, Broadband Division."

Sincerely,
Sherman Banks
Amateur Radio Operator W4ATL

And from ELLIOTT KANTER, W4PGI:

I'd always considered the editorial policy of the WSJ beyond reproach, that is until I read the above captioned article by Ken Brown. I am neither a shill for the Power Companies, nor am I a spokesman for the ARRL. However, I am, and have been for the past 46+ years a licensed Amateur Radio Operator, a Ham. Mr. Brown seemed to get only a portion of the story correct. Granted the proposed BPL technology could bring Internet access to many using existing power lines and grids, but it would be relying upon a technology which clearly was never intended to carry data, only electric power. We have only to look back a few months to the massive power grid failure to clearly understand just how limited and out of date the power line grid is, and the attempt to "piggy-back" data on a network designed to carry only electricity is fraught with problems. Mr. Brown failed to incorporate the fact that field tests of the BPL technology overseas resulted in unacceptable levels of interference from theoretically "unlicensed" data links (that's Part 15 of the FCC Rules here in the US) which governs the use of unlicensed radio transmitters - which of course, Mr. Brown failed to address in his article.

Part 15 deals with technologies we all utilize such as cordless (not cellular) telephones, electric garage openers and the like. The overseas tests resulted in termination of the project, both in Europe and Japan. Nor did Mr. Brown allude to, nor mention, the grave concerns expressed by FEMA concerning interference with emergency communications. In all, his article was an unpaid advertisement or news release for the Power Companies. Further, Mr. Brown denigrates the role of the HAM radio operator. To offer a quote (page A16)"Not too many decades ago, ham radio operators were on the cutting edge of communications technology....In the age of e-mail, wireless internet access and cell phones that double as walkie-talkies worry that their hobby will fade away.."

Let's examine the statements made by Brown: First, HAM radio operators are still on the leading age of technology. There are AMATEUR BUILT satellites in orbit as we speak, VOIP (voice over the Internet Protocol) was the product of "amateur radio operators".  Communications has indeed come a long way, but to rely on e-mail, wireless Internet access and cell phones alone is not in the country's best interest. Ask the NYC administration what happened immediately after 9-11. The cell phone circuits were overloaded and went down, the Police, Fire and other agencies were at a severe disadvantage when it came to communications once they lost their high powered repeaters located in and around the twin towers - BUT Amateur Radio, Hams, just like me stepped in and provided reliable communications using THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT and did so for many days. Hams in organizations such as ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) provide the much needed communications during times of disasters. We have the ability to "frequency hop" that is to say, have a fairly large number of available radio frequencies which we can utilize for Public Service, unlike the Police and Fire services that are limited to a few frequencies, and limited (without powerful repeaters) range. During natural disasters Hams provide vital communications for Fire, Police, the Red Cross, etc., but all of this could come to a complete halt with the wholesale deployment of BPL which has been SHOWN to cause interference to regular licensed radio frequencies. NOT JUST TO HAMS!! HAMS provide a vital service within the umbrella of Homeland Security. Hams are not idiots talking over a radio. We are people with finely honed technical skills who have passed increasingly difficult technical tests in order to be granted the privilege of operating over the airwaves. In exchange for this privilege, we provide countless hours of Public Service, frequently being the ONLY method of communications during a natural or man-made disaster. Yet, Mr. Brown seems to lump us together with the infamous "CB'ers", a mistake not to uncommon, but totally wrong. We are skilled, professional (Amateurs in name only, we do not accept compensation), and self-policing. We form bridges between different countries and cultures. Yet, Mr. Brown dismisses us as a group no longer relevant. If anything, given the state of the world, we aren't just relevant, we are essential.

The WSJ has a reputation for excellence, send Mr. Brown back to the "drawing board" and have him take a second look at his article, I'd be more than happy to share information with him, introduce him to a 10 1/2 year old Extra Class HAM radio operator (Extra Class is the highest license class today and requires a comprehensive exam with high level math and electronics required) who runs a teen- age emergency net in her home state of Alabama. Surely she doesn't fit the image of "over the hill - dinosaurs" Brown painted of a HAM.... Don't let him be influenced by anyone, either the Power Companies, the ARRL or his mother, let him learn the facts and separate fiction from fact and hopefully represent his article. For the record, I am a college graduate, author of several text books, Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator, Certified Emergency Communicator, Certified Red Cross Disaster Assessment Team Member, Designated an ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) Official Emergency Station (OES) to mention just a few of my credentials. I am far from the "over-the hill" Ham he describes. On my wall is a certificate for the 1000 miles per Watt Club, attesting to my communications with another HAM in Asiatic Russia, using 5 watts of power, that's about what a night light uses, the distance versus power worked out to 1468 miles per Watt.

Sincerely yours,
Elliott S. Kanter W4PGI

(Isn't it great to know that we have such articulate folks here in GA? Thanks, guys!))

Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day.
Teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

NET REPORT FROM JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

NET ACTIVITY:

*****NOTE: With the clock onset of Daylight Savings Time this coming weekend, (spring forward!) the GA ARES net will now be held at 6 PM local time, and the GA SSB Net will be held at 7:30 PM.

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

*****WOW! HE DID IT AGAIN!!! CONGRATULATIONS to SID HUTCHINSON, WB4GGS, who earned yet another Brass Pounder Award with this whopping score for the month of February. (That makes FOUR in the past seven months!!!)

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

SECTION NOTABLES

That prolific witty writer of fun facts, PHIL NEIDLINGER, KA3KOE, has written a couple more DED (Dead Electrical Dudes) articles for eham. Article #9 is on LEE DEFOREST and can be found at http://www.eham.net/articles/7893 and #10, on REGINALD FESSENDEN is at:
http://www.eham/articles/7979  Check 'em out.

Hats off to MANUEL DOMINGUEZ, KF4RLZ, who scored a double coup on March 13th, when he was featured in articles in both the "Gwinnett Daily Post" and the "Atlanta Journal". The Gwinnett newspaper highlighted Manuel's amateur radio activities and how he serves the community, and the Atlanta paper focused on immigration. Manuel, a member of the Gwinnett ARS, did himself proud in both articles. His bride, ANA, is also a ham.

Another one of our special section notables is MARK AULICK, KF4MLT. He's been an active leader in ARES down in SE GA for quite some time, as well as an active member of the Statesboro ARS. But what I want to brag about him here is the fine job he's done in teaching those one-day classes to bring new folks into the hobby. He recently taught a class in Jesup, and Mark reported these results:

"There were 16 people in the class -- a great turnout. One decided after the class that he needed a bit more time to prepare for the actual license exam, so 15 elected to take the test. We had 11 that earned a new Technician  license. Four of the class members were wives; 2 YL's passed and two are going to try again in a couple of weeks. Four were firemen (all passed). One of the class members was a young man who is only 15; he is also a new ham.

These results are wonderful; these folks are to be commended for their hard work during the class and to be congratulated for their significant achievement in earning a license. I'm sure we'll get them involved in amateur radio activities wherever they are."

To Mark, I say, THANK YOU, and YOU are to be commended. You've played an important part in making a difference in the lives of many many people, and we are all appreciative of your tireless efforts.

Some people are like Slinkies....
Not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

Now THAT wasn't nice!!! And everybody knows that Slinkies make pretty good antennas....

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

There's a new contest for kids coming up. It's the "Kids Roundup", and it kicks off at 1400Z on April 3rd and runs until 2200Z April 4th. For more info, see http://www.qsl.net/ki3ds/

Have you been reading the terrific articles that ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, our ARRL Youth Editor (and my newest assistant SM) has written? See her latest at http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2004/03/11/2/

Don't forget to check out the ARRL's webpage just for young people: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/youth/

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

PLANNING A SCHOOL RADIO DEMONSTRATION

DANNY ALLEN, AG4PR, the new president for the Paulding ARC, called me and asked for some help. He's interested in going into local schools to demonstrate amateur radio to the students, but wasn't sure where to start. He wanted some step-by-step guidelines that he could follow. I was happy to oblige, and it occurred to me that there may be some more hams out there who could possibly benefit from this information. And what's even better yet, my hope is that some of YOU, who probably have way more experience than I do, would share your tips and suggestions on successful school demonstrations, or in setting up a school radio club. I know that there's lots of you out there, quietly going about your business of introducing the wonderful world of amateur radio to our young people. Please... speak up! And share your knowledge with the rest of us. Students all over the state will benefit. Any suggestions I receive will be in next month's newsletter. In the meantime, this is what I had to tell Danny, based on our experiences here in Gwinnett county:

1. Like you, my first step, as president of Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society, was to talk to someone who'd had prior experience in doing a school demonstration. PICKETT CUMMINS, AD4S, suggested that we target middle schools, since the elementary school students may not have the interest or the attention span, especially in the earlier grades, and the high schoolers have multiple extracurricular pulls on their time already, plus of course, that time-consuming new-found interest in the opposite sex. Of course, amateur radio demonstrations can and have been done successfully in both elementary and in high schools, but in a county like Gwinnett, which has a huge number of schools, we agreed to focus on the middle schools. In some counties, with a smaller pool of schools, the decision may differ.

2. Form a team. Before contacting any schools, it's wise to recruit a solid team of amateur radio operators who are able and willing to participate. I was blessed with an amazing response, with quite a few who even agreed to take a day's vacation from work (or school) in order to be a member of the team. We also had a number of retirees.

3. Be flexible. You and your team must be able to adapt to the desires and expectations of the individual school. You may be requested to do an all-day, multi-station exercise for hordes of young people, requiring many volunteers, or you may be allotted only 45 minutes to work with one small group of students, which can be handled by one or two volunteers. Having a committed pool of volunteers with varying areas of expertise makes this adaptability more easily achieved.

4. Let your fingers do the walking. Now that you have a team of willing and able volunteers, you need to find a school that is amenable to the opportunity you want to provide for the students. Gwinnett county had 27 middle schools, if I remember correctly, when I plunged into calling them on the phone. Each and every one of them. I must admit, I hit some brick walls along the way, and was totally surprised at some of the skepticism I encountered. But eventually, I hit pay dirt. You can speak to the team leader for the science department, to the vice principal, to the head of the media center, whoever it takes, until you find that someone who is amenable and excited at the prospect of a radio demonstration. This step in the process can be a little bit discouraging if you let it, but don't give up. What we have to offer the students is worth the effort.

5. Arrange a meeting. Once you've found a school and a teacher who want you to do the demonstration, arrange a visit to the school to meet with that teacher and to scope out the area where the demonstration will take place. You'll want to find out in advance what is expected: how many students, what length of time, and maybe even what they're currently studying in school. Parts of a radio demonstration can be geared to reinforce areas of the school curriculum. You'll also want to figure out in advance where, how, and what kind of antennas to use to best fit the demonstration area. Don't wait until the day of the demonstration to pay that first visit, if it can possibly be avoided. Be prepared.

6. Set the date. Now, it's time to get to the nitty-gritty and decide which volunteers will provide what function. If you're allotted a 45 minute time period, that simplifies things a bit, but the all-day demos require a bit more planning. The first demo I helped to plan was for an entire day, and we set up eight distinct learning stations. Through early visits to the school and discussions with the teacher, we knew exactly where each of those stations would be set up, and where we could string antennas. On "show day", students rotated through the stations in groups of 7 or 8, spending about 20 minutes at each location. Those stations, as best as I recollect, were on: CW (a big hit!); ARES and emergency communications; the "wave theory", which encompassed a multi-level demonstration, culminating in a "voice over laser pointer" demo; DXing, QSL cards, and certificates; an interactive game of questions and answers; PSK-31; an HF station (phone); and a jeep set up with mobile operations. Nowadays, a station on IRLP or on Echolink could be added to the mix very nicely. We began and ended the day by meeting en masse with the students and teachers. I asked how many knew anything about amateur radio, and not a single hand was raised. But I guarantee, at the end of the day, every single person knew something about amateur radio. The seeds were planted.

7. Be prepared to get more requests. Once word gets out about what a terrific job you did with the students at the first school, word will spread. You may get calls from other teachers at other schools, asking for something similar (or a little different) for their students. If not, that first successful demonstration will at the very least provide a good reference point for you to use as you approach other schools. You may not always get enough lead time to be able to comply with every request. Other times, those "last minute" requests for a "quickie" demonstration work out quite well. (Again, like in #3, "Be flexible".) But getting the opportunity to provide that first demonstration can be the hardest step. Once you accomplish that first one successfully, opportunities will abound, if you're open to them. In fact, if that first demonstration is a huge success, don't be surprised if you get a request to come back, or even get asked to help set up an amateur radio club in that same school. (Which is great, and a whole other level of opportunity and commitment. To make that a success, you MUST have someone from within the school who is committed to be the sponsor and to promote the club. Failure to have that support from within the school itself makes things much more problematic, at best. At worst, it's a losing battle.)

8. One other suggestion, which my better half, MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, always brings up, and that's the idea of offering to go into the school on something like "Career Day" or on "Science Night". That's a good tie-in, and often times, schools are desperate to have someone volunteer for something like that.

9. Have fun with it!!!!!! A mixture of teaching, hands-on displays, and that indescribable "WOW" factor, all blended nicely together, will make the experience a memorable one, for both you, your team, and the students.

OK, guys and gals, what would you add to help in these efforts???? What would your advice be for holding a successful school demo?

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

TECH TIPS

Not sure if your station is as well-protected as it should be from the scary effects of lightning? Check this website for some helpful advice: www.arrl.org/tis/info/lightning.html

Questions have started to trickle in regarding 60 M operations, so maybe it's time to re-run some information along that line:

OPERATING ON 60 METERS

When the five channels of the new 60-meter amateur allocation became available last year, Amateur Radio operators had to learn some new operating habits and adopt some new on-the-air attitudes. The limited spectrum and stringent bandwidth requirements mean amateurs have to demonstrate their best behavior and operating skills if the Amateur Service ever hopes to get an actual band segment at 60 meters. The channelized scheme, similar to the 5-MHz experimental operation underway in the United Kingdom, puts unfamiliar technical compliance demands on US hams who have, until now, not had to worry much about frequency stability or transmitted audio bandwidth. The FCC has granted amateurs 5332, 5348, 5368, 5373, and 5405 kHz--the last channel common to the UK experimental operation's band plan. These are all "channel center frequencies," meaning that hams should set their carrier frequency 1.5 kHz lower than the channel center frequency. Keeping one's audio within the 2.8-kHz wide channel to comply with the emission specification is another important issue. ARRL Laboratory Manager ED HARE, W1RFI, believes prudence calls for not having baseband audio below 200 Hz nor greater than 2800 Hz--for a total bandwidth of 2.6 kHz. Additionally, the FCC has restricted operation to USB only, with a maximum effective radiated power (ERP) of 50 W. The USB-only requirement stemmed from NTIA interoperability concerns. The NTIA wanted to make sure that federal users could copy and, if necessary, identify any amateur station using one of the 60-meter channels. As a result, the 60-meter frequencies will become the only ones available to the general amateur community that do not permit CW operation.

For the sake of this particular grant, the FCC said it would consider a half-wave dipole to have a gain of 0 dBd. In its letter to the FCC, the NTIA stipulated that radiated power should not exceed "the equivalent of 50 W PEP transmitter output power into an antenna with a gain of 0 dBd."

Get ready.... Get set.... Wait a minute!

Have you begun operations on those new frequencies, or are you still scratching your head, wondering how to get your rig modified, or unsure what antenna to use, and not really sure if your rig is NTIA compliant or not?

First off, before you start snipping wires to modify your rig, be advised that if your equipment is still under warranty, that you will probably render that warranty null and void by making any modifications. That being said, I presume you still want to forge ahead and "open 'er up". One of the places where you may find information on how to make those modifications is that good ol' QRZ webpage. They have a wealth of information under, appropriately enough, "radio mods". (Scroll down and you'll find the link on the left.) Another good site is http://www.mods.dk/

OK, so is your rig NTIA compliant? If it isn't, is there anything that you can do to make it compliant? Requirements for using these new frequencies won't tolerate a "drift" in your signal, or any spectrum-hogging transmissions. To see how your rig measures up, check out the following website: http://www.htc.cap.gov/comm/ntc/NTIA_Standards.htm

OK, how about your antenna? If your plan is to use a simple half-wave dipole, which is presumed to have no gain, you can run the full allowable 50W ERP. But suppose you don't have a simple half-wave dipole, but you DO have some other antenna whose specs indicate a gain? Then, you'd better start calculating to figure out how much you have to drop your transmitter's output power to compensate for that added gain. Your ERP MUST be no more than 50W. According to the FCC rules, to figure your ERP, multiply your transmitter's PEP by the antenna gain, in db, relative to a dipole. (And keep these records at hand, regarding the gain of the antenna you are using, along with the calculations you've made, to show that you are transmitting no more than 50W ERP.)

A handy website of the most frequently asked (and answered!) questions on 5 MHz operations can be found at www.arrl.org/fandes/field/regulations/faq.html#sixty

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession.
I have come to realize that it bears a very strong resemblance to the first.

UPCOMING EVENTS

APRIL 1 - DECEMBER 31 --- In honor of the ARRL's 90th anniversary, there will be a special certificate offered for WAS earned during this period of time. (a good mate to go with the DXCC Millennium Award from 2000) Also, W1AW will be running as W1AW/90 for the rest of the year and offering special QSL cards for contacts made with them. (For more information, see April QST, page 58)

APRIL 3 --- Come meet CROFT TAYLOR, VE3CT, national president of the QCWA, at the Peach State Chapter 49 meeting, at Fire Mountain Grill restaurant, near Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Jimmy Carter Boulevard, in Norcross. Lunch at NOON, meeting to follow.

APRIL 3 --- 1400Z - 2200Z April 4. "Kids Roundup" contest. See details at http://www.qsl.net/ki3ds/

APRIL 3 --- 1900Z - 1900Z April 4. QCWA QSO Party. See http://qcwa.org/2004-qso-party-rules.htm

APRIL 3 ---OK requests your support in this year's readiness exercise: Tulsa, OK: Tulsa Health Department Amateur Radio Club, K5THD. 0000Z-2400Z Apr 3. Tulsa Health Department/OK-1 DMAT Joint Readiness Exercise. 28.365 21.365 14.265 7.265. Certificate. Tulsa Health Department Amateur Radio Club, Attn: Dave Cox, 5051 S 129th E Ave, Tulsa, OK 74134. http://www.tulsa-health.org/k5thd.

APRIL 10 --- 1800Z - 0359Z April 11 and 1400Z - 2359Z April 11. Georgia QSO Party.
See http://gqp.contesting.com/Rules.htm

APRIL 17 --- The 7th annual Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race, a running, kayaking, mountain biking race that runs over a 30 mile course. The winning team will complete the event in about 6 hours. To sign up to help in this event, please go to http://www.cohutta.com/raceweb/signup.html JOHN MULLINIX, KF4SKT, who is heading up the communications efforts, says, "We have jobs for hikers as well as couch potatoes, so come on out."

APRIL 17 --- DIGITAL CONTEST--- 0000Z - 2400Z- "The Skirmish" - TARA's Digital Prefix Contest, a yearly event sponsored by TARA (Troy Amateur Radio Association) of Troy, New York and their "NEW" Four Season's Digital Contest Program. Modes: PSK31, PSK63, MFSK, RTTY, Hell, Throb, Packet, ASCII, SSTV and MT63. Bands: 6M- 160M (no WARC bands) Sounds like a great opportunity to play with some of those digital modes and "fine tune" your abilities. You'll find additional information at:
http://www.n2ty.org/seasons/tara_dpx_rules.html

APRIL 18 --- Amateur Radio Day (No kidding!) Boy, is this a good excuse to treat yourself to a new rig, or what??

APRIL 23-24 --- 8th annual Southeastern VHF Conference at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Marietta. For more information, see http://www.svhfs.org/conf_2004.htm

APRIL 24 --- Calhoun Hamfest-sponsored by the Cherokee Capital ARS. 8AM - 2PM at the Sugar Valley Community Center, 4 miles NW of Calhoun. $5 admission. VE Session at 11 AM. Breakfast and lunch goodies available onsite. Talk-in on 146.745 (-) Come by the ARRL booth and say hello. Sign up for a membership and get a FREE repeater directory.

MAY 1-2 --- Birmingham Hamfest 9-5 Saturday; 9-4 Sunday, at the Zamura Temple. http://www.w4cue.com

MAY 22 --- North Fulton ARL's First Annual Metro Atlanta Fox Hunt

MAY 21 - 23 --- Special Olympics Georgia. Venues at Emory University. Lots of volunteers needed. Please spare organizer STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, some stress by contacting him now to volunteer your help in the communications efforts. n4seg@arrl.net

MAY 24 --- XOXOXOXOX Happy Anniversary to my favorite ham. (35 years and counting!)

In the 60's people took acid to make the world weird.
Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.

SILENT KEYS

HERMAN "TEX" FRIEDSAM, WA4OPY
JOHN KINCAID, KR4OH
HILDA ZEARS, WB9KWQ

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

Well, that's about it for now. Gee, and not one "April fool's" joke in the whole thing. How about this: Why did the April fool drive off the cliff? Give up? He wanted to test out his new air brakes. Until next time, this is AF4FO, signing clear. Take care of yourselves.

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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