Georgia Section On My Mind

JUNE, 2004

Greetings, All. The calendar tells me that it's still springtime, but I'm not so sure that summer didn't sneak in here a little early this year. I swear, I saw a couple of birds in the front yard the other day, and they were actually using pot holders to pull worms out of the ground. And lately, the poor parched trees in our neighborhood have started whistling at the pooches passing by, in a desperate attempt to entice them to "pay a visit". So, it looks like we may have a hot Field Day this year. Let's just hope that the propagation will be just as hot as the temperature.

The Big Event for this month, besides Field Day, is the G-8 Conference, to be held on Sea Island from June 8th - 10th. The amount of preparation and planning that has gone into this conference is incredible, from the Federal, state, and local levels. A number of our Georgia ARES leadership and ARES members have already put a lot of man hours into planning for this, and will be putting a lot more time into providing their services around the clock during these activities. Sincere thanks to all of you. Y'all are terrific. Because GEMA has requested that the four of us who will be manning their Mobile Command Center "report for duty" on the 4th, my better half MIKE, K4HBI, and I won't be attending the Atlanta Hamfest this year. But if you can, you guys go and help this great club have their most successful Hamfest ever, OK? We'll sure miss being there and seeing all of you, but once the conference is safely behind us, I'll look forward to telling you about the terrific operations provided in South GA by your fellow hams. Wish us luck!

A very special CONGRATULATIONS to the MACON-BIBB EMA AMATEUR RADIO GROUP, which was recently approved as Georgia's newest ARRL Affiliated Club. Welcome aboard!!

Thanks to that ham among hams and comic among comics, CAL NEFF, K4JSR, for the wacky definition one-liners in this month's newsletter.

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing,
the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.

MAY HIGHLIGHTS

May 1-2 --- BIRMINGHAM HAMFEST -- I know, I know, technically, this isn't a Georgia event, but we ran into quite a few Georgia hams there, so doesn't that count? There's lots of room inside of the temple where this fest is held, but it was absolutely teeming with people. A really good turn-out. It was especially good to bump into BARRY ZOLL, N1TOQ, who moved over to the Birmingham area from Gwinnett county a while back. Seemed strange to see him sporting apparel for a club other than GARS, though. The bone yard was held in the parking lot, and was pretty small, smaller than I remember it being in the past. The highlight for me, besides chatting with folks, was the 2 hour MARS meeting that was held there. Alabama is doing an outstanding job of making interoperability between the Services an actuality. SE Director FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, and that other celebrity LARRY PRICE, W4RA, manned the ARRL booth most of the time, and it was good to see both of them. (It was also good to simply enjoy the Hamfest with Mike, walking around and keeping a low profile.... and NOT manning any booths at all, for a change.)

May 8 --- ARC of AUGUSTA PICNIC/ TAILGATING --- This was a fun laid-back social event for this club, and it was a real pleasure to be there to share it with them. The plan was to present club member SID HUTCHINSON, WB4GGS, with a Brass Pounder League medallion, in recognition of the multiple BPL awards he has earned over the past seven months or so. A Brass Pounder League (the GOOD kinda BPL!) award is earned when a traffic handler originates, relays, sends, and receives at least 500 messages within a calendar month, and an operator who has earned three of these awards then becomes eligible for a BPL medallion. Sid has earned, and continues to earn, more than the prerequisite three, but like I said, "that was the plan". But you know what can happen to the best laid plans of mice and men. The medallion didn't arrive in time, but we thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of the club members, and had the pleasure of shaking Sid's hand and of recognizing him with a "mug and a hug".

May 15 --- GA TRAFFIC AND EMERGENCY NET PICNIC --- This event was held at Indian Springs State Park, near Jackson, and drew over fifty attendees, some from as far away as Ocala, FL. Besides the usual sumptious food, toe-tapping music, and great fellowship, this year's gathering had an "extra added attraction": the presentation of the first annual "Ole Buzzard" award. RAY JONES, K4CXS, was prepared to assist KEN WAGES, K4WKW, in the presentation of this award, but what he wasn't prepared for was the fact that he was actually the intended recipient. Amidst much good-natured kidding, Ray received a plaque, an official "Ole Buzzard" tee shirt and a Beaky Buzzard wooden carving. A good time was had by all. See our http://www.arrl-ga.org webpage for some pictures of this fun event, taken by BILL LOYD, KE4FGC.

AVOIDABLE: what a bullfighter tries to do.

CLUB NEWS

It's ALL about Field Day!!! This is where some of our Georgia groups will be holding their Field Day activities this year. If you don't belong to a club, or if you've (shudder!!) never experienced Field Day, take a look and see if there's a location near you. Try it.... You'll LIKE it!!! And this is a fun activity for ALL members of your family. Field Day always falls on the last full weekend of June, meaning that this year, it'll be on June 26th and 27th. Sincere thanks to all of you who so kindly shared information on your group's location and plans for this year. The jury's still out on whether or not my better half and I will motor all over the state again this year, or whether we'll go to one location.... and chill.

ALBANY ARC --- The Albany Radio Club will again this year be operating EOC class for the Southwest Georgia Red Cross Chapter at 500 Pine Ave., Albany, GA. We plan on having 3 or 4 stations on the air. We are planning a cookout Saturday afternoon. Come join us for a great time. For further information contact Bob K4PHE k4phe@bellsouth.net.

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- Briscoe Park on Lenora Church Road, in Snellville.

ARC OF AUGUSTA --- Patriot's Park, off of Columbia Road, past the Columbia County Fairgrounds

ATHENS ARC --- Athens/ Clarke county (Ben Epps) Airport on Winterville Road, on the outskirts of Athens

BILL GREMILLION MEMORIAL ARC --- Field Day 2004 will be at the Heritage School (Hwy 29, north of Newnan), the last full weekend of June, beginning at 1800Z Saturday, June 26 and ending 1800Z Sunday, June 27.

CHEROKEE ARS & CHEROKEE ARES ---These folks will be doing a joint club Field Day at Chapman Elementary School (next to Etowah High School) on Eagle Drive in Woodstock. The location is great, not only for ham use, but excellent for the public to stop by with plenty of parking and high visibility in the Towne Lake Community. Directions are I-575 north from I-75, exit at Towne Lake Parkway and turn left. Proceed about 1.5 miles, go past the Kroger (on the right), go to top of the hill, and turn right at red light and you're at the school.

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARS --- Cherokee Capital Fairgrounds, off highway 53, west of Calhoun.

CLARKE COUNTY ARES --- Class F from the GA Public Health EOC, Athens

COLUMBUS ARC ---The Columbus Amateur Radio Club will hold its 2004 Field Day operations from the parking lot of the Sam's Club/Wal-Mart complex on Airport Thruway in Columbus. This is the same location that we have used for the past two years and provides plenty of exposure to the public and opportunities for us to spread the word about amateur radio. We invite all interested individuals to
come out and join us to operate or just to fellowship.

COASTAL ARS --- In conjunction with members of the SAVANNAH ARC, these folks will be setting up their operations at the Southside Fire Department on White Bluff Road, in Savannah. If tradition holds, they'll also enjoy an auction and their famous low country boil, to make the day one to long remember.

CONYERS ARG--- Field Day is being held at Rockdale County Parks and Rec Dept Parker Road Facility in Conyers 1 block south of I-20. To access from Atlanta take I-20 East to West Ave Exit. Turn right at top of ramp to 1st Traffic light and turn Left. Go to Parker Road overpass and take 1st right after bridge. At traffic light turn left and go 1 block to facility on left.

ELLIJAY ARC --- will set up for FD at the Mountain Town Campground. The directions are: From the Ellijay Square, take Highway 52 West approximately 3.25 miles to Roberts Ridge Rd. Turn left on Roberts Ridge Rd to Craig Town Rd. Turn Right on Craig Town Rd and proceed approximately 2.9 miles and look for the Mountain Town Campground sign. Follow the gravel road approximately 1 mile to the campground.

FORSYTH ARES ---Once again, Forsyth County ARES will be setting up for our 2nd annual Field day operation. We will be operating as 5F this year after our 3rd place finish Nationwide last year in the 3F category. Location will be the same as last year, Fire Station 12 (FDFC Headquarters) on Settingdown Road, 1/4 mile north of Hwy 369 in North Forsyth County. Directions from GA 400: Take 400 North to the first traffic light which is Hwy 369. Take a LEFT (West) on 369, go approx 1/2 mile to Settingdown Road. Make a RIGHT on Settingdown Road and the Fire station is on the RIGHT). Everyone is welcome and we will have the best food in Georgia once again this year with Scott, KG4WPU manning the kitchen!!!

GWINNETT ARES --- class F, J&A Building, Lawrenceville

GWINNETT ARS --- Rhodes Jordan Park, in Lawrenceville For more info, see http://www.gars.org

KENNECHOOCHEE ARC --- at Dallas Park Landing on Lake Allatoona, in Acworth. Take exit 277, Highway 92, from I-75, and head south, approximately 1.4 miles, towards Acworth. Turn right onto Main Street, and go west for 1.2 miles, under the overpass and then turn left onto Lakewood Drive. Go 0.4 miles to the stop sign, and then bear right on Allatoona Drive. From there, it's .25 miles to Dallas Landing Park. (f you let the attendant know that you're there for Field Day, you won't be charged an entrance fee.) Go straight, and the road will loop around to the picnic pavilion at the top of the hill.

LAGRANGE ARC --- These folks will be meeting at the QTH of club members Richard Trainer, KE4YCY, and his bride Shirley, KE4YCX. From LaGrange, take highway 27 north about 7 miles. Look for a banner on the left side of the road after you cross Fish Creek. Talking about fish, blackened fish will be the culinary delight served to this lucky crowd.

LANIERLAND ARC ---The Lanierland Amateur Radio Club plans to participate in the ARRL Field Day 2004 from the beautiful campus of Gainesville College in Oakwood, GA. The campus main entrance is located on Hwy 53 (Mundy Mill Rd.) approximately 1/2 mile West of I-985 at exit #16. Turn on Education Drive, go 1/2 mile and turn left on Mathis Drive and follow the signs. We'll be set up on the right side of Mathis Drive. Everyone is invited to join us. For more information contact Alfred Westbrook, KT4VP at 770-965-4901 or kt4vp@arrl.net.

MACON-BIBB EMA ARG --- Another class F operations at the EOC under EMA director JOHNNY WINGERS, WX4R, and club president and EC BOB CURREY, W4ALQ.

MIDDLE GA RADIO ASSOCIATION --- 320 Hatcher Road, in Warner Robins. For directions, see http://www.wr4mg.org/

MILLEDGEVILLE ARC --- Milledgeville ARC Field Day will be held again at the Georgia College & State University Pavilion area, off Blandy Road. The WB4DOJ repeater is 146.700 output, 146.100 input with a 67 hertz tone. Tone can be deactivated by keying in 67 on pad. Signs will be posted for the event area.

NORTHEAST GEORGIA ARC --- (NE4GA) serving Jackson and Backs, will be setting up operations at the Victoria Bryant State Park outside of Royston. We plan on running a 3A operation with stations setup for Voice, CW, Digital and GOTA. We also welcome any hams that would like to participate with us to contact Steve Schwab (KT4Q) via kt4q@arrl.net.

NORTHEAST GA ARC --- at Victoria Bryant State Park, near Royston

NORTHWEST GA ARC --- At the orchard on Jay Bridge Road, Dahlonega: Left on Highway 60 N into Dahlonega at the end of GA400. Over Crown Mountain to traffic light at Hwy 60 and intersection of 9 and 52. Left on the Dahlonega bypass (Morrrison Moore Parkway) which is Hwy 52 & 9 W, several miles to go on past Buckhorn Grocery (closed) then turn Right on Siloam Church Road. (You will see signs to Etowah River Campground). About 3 miles to turn left on Rider Mill Road (also with a sign to campground). Keep going straight past the campground entrance on Rider Mill. At the fork in the road right where you cross a creek, go left (this is now Jay Bridge Road - no signs). About a mile of fields on the left and all woods on the right, you'll finally see a field on the right and the entrance immediately on the left into the orchard. It is the only left there. There is a fence post at the entrance. If you miss it and go all the way to Jay bridge, just come back to the first right that you can get into up the hill and around the first curve. Pull in and you should be able to see us in the field from there.

OCCONNEE ARC --- OCONEE COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (OCARS) will be at the Oconee County EOC, Hwy 15 south of Watkinsville, GA. We will operate class 2 with a GOTA and HiBand/VHF/UHF and satellite. APRS & ATV are planed demos.

SOUTH FULTON ARES ---South Fulton ARES will return to Cochran Mill Park in South Fulton County for the 2004 Field Day event. We will be celebrating our third year at Cochran Mill and look forward to lots of good propagation, good food, GREAT social time and plenty of operating for everyone. We will be setting up on Friday afternoon and beginning our operation at the assigned time on Saturday. This year we will be operating with the call sign N4LR in the tradition of using one of our member's calls each year. We'll be operating two phone stations and one CW station as a 3A station. Everyone is welcome so if anyone is interested in having fun with a fun group, come on down to South Fulton.

STATESBORO ARS --- Class F out of the Bulloch county chapter of the American Red Cross EOC

THOMASVILLE ARC --- at Camp Piney Woods, which is west of Thomasville at the corner of US 84 and the US 84 bypass. Supper will be at 6:30p. Piney Woods also features camping and hiking areas and a fishing pond ( if you're not busy fishing for contacts) Antenna set up will be on Saturday morning. As are all our events, this is a family affair.

WAYNE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARC --- The Wayne Emergency Management Amateur Radio Club will be holding our field day activities in Westberry Park in Downtown Jesup. We will once again have the Wayne County Mobile Command Post setup as our operation center. This is right across the street from "The Kiwi".

EYEDROPPER: a clumsy ophthalmologist.

ARES NEWS

CARROLL --- On Monday, May 24, members participated in a disaster drill led by the county EMA director, TIM PADGETT, and including numerous emergency response, hazmat, and medical teams. The scenario involved simulated explosions at the Sand Hill Sheriff's office and at nearby Sand Hill Elementary School. ARES members were dispatched to two local hospitals, a shelter site, and the command post. In addition, another member monitored weather conditions and relayed that information to the Incident Command and to the hazmat team. ARES participants included Carroll county EC ALAN RUNDALL, K4DEY, BUSTER ARRINGTON, KE4ZAC, KATHERINE ARRINGTON, KF4ANV, HERBERT HATTON, W4ASA, MICHAEL SPARKMAN, KB4GHI, and Haralson county AEC, DALE HARRISON, N4CHC.

COBB --- This group held a special training exercise on Saturday, May 22, in which members deployed to fire stations in and around the city of Marietta, in response to a mock disaster. One way in which this group excels is in the extraordinary relationship it has forged with the city of Marietta, the county, and fire and police personnel. They have truly become an important and vital part of the emergency response team in their area.

GWINNETT --- At the May meeting, members were treated to a brand new crash course presentation on Disaster Assessment, taught by FRED RUNKLE, K4KAZ, and his bride PAT, KC4DOO, longtime leaders with the Red Cross. Their tag team approach made for a very interesting presentation. Thanks to EMA Vice Director FRANK DANIELL, beginning with its June 22nd meeting, this group will be holding its monthly meetings at the Fire and Emergency HQ, near Briscoe Field on Hurricane Shoals Road.

G-8 DRILL --- On May 25, SEC MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, kicked off a net from the GEMA Mobile Command Vehicle, from its G-8 deployment site on St. Simons to test the radios and antennas that he and SE DEC JIM COTE, N4PJR, had installed the day before. Commencing on 7.275 MHz shortly after 9AM, the net ran until approximately noon, at which time it formally changed over to an emergency session, in support of the chemical fire in Rockdale county. Sincere thanks to everyone who participated, with special thanks going to Mike and Jim, and to our top notch net control stations, STEVE REYNOLDS, W4CNG, and MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, and to ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, who activated the station at the GEMA SOC in Atlanta to check into the net. Important information was gleaned regarding propagation and antennas, and several pieces of traffic were passed, including important information regarding the status of the evacuations and shelters in Rockdale county. GEMA personnel were very favorably impressed with the results of this drill. And all of you who participated helped to make it a success. Thank you all.

ROCKDALE --- EC TIM ROSING, KD4ELV, got an unexpected 5AM wake-up call on May 25 from LEONARD THORNE, KG4SED, who knew that something was very very wrong. There was a huge gray cloud hanging over the city of Conyers. It didn't take long to determine that a fire at a Bio-Lab warehouse was the source of the noxious cloud, and very quickly, ARES members were put on alert. Before it was all over, 25 hams from Rockdale, Newton, and Dekalb counties ended up logging more than 226 hours, working in the shelters and in the command center, handling communications, coordinating health and welfare requests, food distribution, special care/ medicines, and shelter capacity info requests. Approximately 800 evacuees were cared for or housed at the shelters during the emergency period. CONGRATULATIONS to everyone involved for a job well done. To show you what kind of dedicated ARES members we have, Dekalb EC STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, told me that he made ten phone calls in an effort to solicit help. Would you believe he garnered eleven volunteers from those ten calls? Kudos to everyone involved in this response.

CONGRATULATIONS to JOHN SWICORD, KE4RWR, newly appointed EC in Decatur county, and to KEN FIELDS, W4KEF, who was already serving as EC in Calhoun county, and who recently agreed to also serve as EC in neighboring Randolph. Sincere thanks to both of them for their willingness to serve.

A great big congratulations and thank you go out to TONY KING, W4ZT, EC of South Fulton county, for accepting an additional position as Assistant DEC for metro Atlanta, to assist DEC STEVE REYNOLDS, W4CNG. Thanks to Tony for all of his years of service, and for stepping up, yet again, to help.

ECs, need applications for signing up new members? Forms can be downloaded at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/fsd98.pdf 

FEMA COURSE --- Subject: NIMS, An Introduction - EMI Independent Study Course "National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction", IS-700, is one of the new interactive on-line independent study courses recently added by the Emergency Management Institute. It is a good primer of concepts and terminology along with providing links for information such as ICS forms. However those that have been following NIMS development and asking for the "to be developed" details will not find them in this course. EMI states it should take about 3 hours to complete the training

The newer EMI independent courses available on-line require a one-time registration and creating a user name and password.

For more information about this course and to follow links to enroll, go to:
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp

For the list and links of all EMI courses, go to:
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp

HEROES: what a guy in a boat does.

ARES REPORT FROM MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, SEC

1 Jurisdictions Reporting 66
2 Total # of ARES Members 944
3 Change since last month 23
4 Total Net Sessions 188
5 # Drills, tests and training sessions this month 125
6 Man hours 949.56
7 # Public service events this month 85
8 Man hours 818.5
9 # of emergency operations this month 3
10 Man hours 66
11 Total # of ARES operations this month 359
12 Man hours 2204.51

Section EC Notes: Planning for G8 Conference in June, Calhoun Hamfest, NWS SKYWARN activation 04-8/9-04

COUNTIES / JURISDICTIONS REPORTING:

DISTRICT 1: Bartow- KG4SRX EC; Carroll- K4DEY EC; Catoosa- W4LAW EC; Chattooga- W4LAW EC; Coweta- KD4SHK EC; Dade- W4LAW EC; Floyd- WB4FGM EC; Gordon- WQ4T EC; Haralson- KD4YDA EC; Murray- KG4RSU EC; Pickens K4BEH EC; Polk- KD4EKZ EC; Walker- W4LAW EC; Whitfield-KV4ED EC

DISTRICT 2: Banks- KG4PPQ EC; Barrow-K4JSR EC; Clarke- N4ZRA EC; Dawson -WA4NEE
EC; Fannin- KF4SKT EC; Forsyth- WA4NEE EC; Gilmer- W4YNE EC; Habersham- KF4ZQV EC; Hall- KT4VP AEC; Jackson- K3ZF EC; Madison- N4ZRA EC: Oglethorpe- N4ZRA EC

DISTRICT 3: Clayton- WB4WQE EC; Cobb- WK4E AEC; Dekalb- N4SEG EC; Fayette- AG4ZR AEC; Gwinnett- WA4DYD EC; Newton- AG4LS EC; North Fulton- KF4MDV AEC; Rockdale- KC4ELV EC; South Fulton W4ZT EC

DISTRICT 5: Baldwin- KD4NGC EC; Houston- WB4EEL EC; Lamar- W8JI EC; Peach- AA4JF EC; Spalding- KU4TP EC

DISTRICT 6: Columbia- KF4ITM EC; Jefferson- KR4JI EC; Washington- K4GK EC;

DISTRICT 7: Baker- K4GCR EC; Dougherty- N4GPJ EC; Lee- KB4OMV EC; Mitchell- K4TWG EC; Randolph- W4KEF EC; Sumter- KE4VPD EC; Worth- K1KBA EC

DISTRICT 8: Brantley- KE4WXD EC; Bryan- W4KTN EC; Bulloch- KF4MLT EC; Camden- WD8LQT AEC; Charlton- WB4GPR EC; Coffee- KD4QFH EC; Dodge- KG4WQZ EC; Effingham- AF4VH EC; Evans- W4HYU EC; Laurens- N4XKE EC; Telfair- WA4EHO EC; Terrell- WA4EHO EC; Wayne- N4RRO AEC

PARASITES: what you see from the top of the Eiffel tower.

NET REPORT FROM JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

NET ACTIVITY:

*****NOTE: Don't forget the South CARS net, which meets every day from 8 AM until 10 AM and again from noon until 2PM, on 7.251 MHz. A friendly, welcoming group of folks. Especially great company while on the road.

Other GREAT nets:
SE 6M SSB Net: Sundays at 9 PM on 50.145 MHz
SE AM Net: Tuesdays at 7:30 PM on 3885 Khz (AM nets ALWAYS meet on Khz...)

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

**K1FP also scored 82 PSHR points in March (due to late reporting, he was not included in last month's listing)

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

**March QTC- 53 (late report, so not included last month)

WOW! HE DID IT AGAIN!!! CONGRATULATIONS to SID HUTCHINSON, WB4GGS, who earned yet another Brass Pounder Award. (He'll be able to paper an entire wall with all of his awards!)

"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

FIELD DAY BONUS POINTS: SENDING MESSAGE TO SECTION MANAGER

Once again, our terrific Section Traffic Manager, JIM HANNA, AF4NS, has made some arrangements for ways that your group can send a message to me to earn those easy 100 bonus points. He reports:

GSN CW net will be available at 7PM and 10PM ( regular net times ) to take SM FD traffic. AF4NS will monitor GSNs frequency (3593 kHz) from 7PM through 10:30PM FD Saturday to pick up CW traffic for SM also.

GTE will take traffic at net time 7:15 PM (3983 khz LSB) for fone traffic FD Saturday AF4NS will monitor 3983 kHz LSB FD Saturday during the period 7PM through 10:30 PM and take FD fone traffic for SM also.

GSSB will take traffic at net time 7:00 PM ( this is the new net time starting June 1) for fone traffic FD Saturday for SM. AF4NS will not monitor this frequency - due to monitoring GTE frequency at this time.

AF4NS will also monitor the tri-state repeater 145.35 mHz for fone traffic for SM

If everyone calls at the same time, I will be busy. Patience and cooperation will be required.

Best regards,
Jim AF4NS

PRIMATE: removing your spouse from in front of the TV.

SENDING THAT MESSAGE VIA PACKET

Like last year, we're offering you the added option of sending your Field Day message to me via packet. ARES has been encouraging the increased use and proficiency of digital modes, so this is a terrific way for those class F stations, and others, to take advantage of this opportunity to get some practice. All you SEDAN folks, please send your packet messages to: AF4FO at KG4QDK-1 via W4GR-7:LVL. The Sedan Network is on 145.77 MHz. There will be a BBS set up on the KG4QDK-1 node. KG4QDK is the call sign of the Gwinnett ARES organization, who will be hosting a class F station at the Gwinnett EOC, located at the Gwinnett Justice Administration Center in Lawrenceville. Messages routed in this manner will be confirmed to the sender and relayed to me. If you have any questions please contact ANDREA HARTLAGE, at kg4ium@arrl.net. Thank you to SCOTT HARTLAGE, KF4PWI, who suggested handling traffic digitally from the EOC last year, and who graciously agreed to do it again this year.

If you're interested in trying to send that message via packet, but aren't quite sure how to go about it, here's a log from a practice session to give you an idea of how it's done. Give it a try!! And many thanks to Scott and all of the rest of the Gwinnett ARES folks who've volunteered their expertise to accept these messages.

Log follows:

KAMterm: log opened on 23 Jun 2003 at 23:00:25
******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********

C LVL

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********

cmd:*** CONNECTED to LVL

******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********

C KG4QDK-1

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********

LVL:W4GR-7} Connected to KG4QDK-1
[KPC9612-6.0-HM$]
6059 BYTES AVAILABLE
THERE ARE 8 MESSAGES NUMBERED 1-8
Welcome to the KG4QDK-Gwinnett ARES mailbox for receiving Field Day messages for the GA Section Manager, Susan Swiderski (AF4FO
ENTER COMMAND: B,J,K,L,R,S, or Help >

******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********

S AF4FO

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********

6034 BYTES AVAILABLE
SUBJECT:

******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********

FD SM MSG

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********

ENTER MESSAGE 9--END WITH CTRL-Z OR /EX ON A SINGLE LINE

******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********

NR 1 R N4WW 19 COLUMBUS GA JUN 22
SUSAN SWIDERSKI AF4FO/SM
772 CAMELOT WAY NORCROSS, GA 30071
BT
FD 2002 STATION REPORT N4WW
COLUMBUS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB 24
OPERATORS LOCATION COLUMBUS GA 12
ARES MEMBERS X 73
BT
BURCH CAMERON W4WY FD CHAIRMAN AR
/EX

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********
MESSAGE SAVED
ENTER COMMAND: B,J,K,L,R,S, or Help >

******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********

L

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********
MSG# ST SIZE TO FROM DATE SUBJECT
9 PN 260 AF4FO KF4PWI 06/23/03 22:01:18 FD SM MSG
8 PN 139 WB4QDX KF4PWI 06/23/03 21:33:34 Looks Great!
5 PY 143 KG4QDK KF4PWI 06/22/03 07:33:48 Test Message
ENTER COMMAND: B,J,K,L,R,S, or Help >

******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********

R 9

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********

MSG#9 06/23/03 22:01:18 FROM KF4PWI TO AF4FO
SUBJECT: FD SM MSG
PATH: KG4QDK

NR 1 R N4WW 19 COLUMBUS GA JUN 22
SUSAN SWIDERSKI AF4FO/SM
772 CAMELOT WAY NORCROSS, GA 30071
BT
FD 2002 STATION REPORT N4WW
COLUMBUS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB 24
OPERATORS LOCATION COLUMBUS GA 12
ARES MEMBERS X 73
BT
BURCH CAMERON W4WY FD CHAIRMAN AR

ENTER COMMAND: B,J,K,L,R,S, or Help >

******** And thus did KF4PWI speak ********
B

******* And thus did speak (REMOTE STATION) ********
*** DISCONNECTED

KAMterm: log closed on 23 Jun 2003 at 23:06:38

SUDAFED: brought litigation against a government official.

DON'T FORGET! EFFECTIVE JUNE FIRST...

The FCC has REDEFINED what constitutes an Amateur Radio operator to reflect the advent of the Universal Licensing System (ULS) electronic licensee database. Under the revised Section 97.3(a)(1) an amateur operator is defined as "a person named in an amateur operator/primary license station grant on the ULS consolidated licensee database to be the control operator of an amateur station." The former rule defined an amateur operator as "a person holding a written authorization to be the control operator of an amateur station."

What does that mean? It means you MUST register for an FRN, if you haven't already done so. Go to http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/ without delay. Avoid the hassles LATER by taking care of it NOW. Your time has run out. No more putting it off!

If you're already registered, and have your FCC Registration Number, but just can't remember what your blooming password is, you can check on it (or even change it, if you'd like) by going to https://esupport.fcc.gov/password.htm You will need to supply both your FRN and your password when renewing your license online.

ECLIPSE: what an English barber does.

A BIT OF HUMOR

If you're planning to upgrade to general class, don't forget that the question pool will be changing on July first. In the meantime, here's a humorous look at the General Class license, provided by ELLIOTT KANTER, W4PGI, who got it from a Handi-Hams weekly newsletter:

BERNADETTE: the act of torching a mortgage.

AMATEUR RADIO & ATHLETICS: PART ONE

STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, served as the Communications Coordinator for the Special Olympics GA on the weekend of May 21st- 23rd, and once again, amateur radio operators shone in their capacity to support this heartwarming event. Steve was very appreciative of each and every one who volunteered, and said that the organization's leaders gave glowing reports of the help provide by the amateur radio community. Steve, good guy that he is, has already agreed to head up the efforts again next year.

AMATEUR RADIO & ATHLETICS: PART TWO

A communications communicator is needed for this year's Georgia Games, to be held from July 8th- 18th. Most venues are in Cobb county, but there are some in Clayton county, Atlanta, Gainesville, and Norcross, as well. DAVID ZISKIND, KE4QLH, has filled this position for the past several years, and he has graciously offered to assist this year's coordinator. The Georgia Games, instituted in 1990, is for amateur athletes from Georgia and surrounding states, and is a legacy of the 1996 Olympics. Hams have been providing vital communications for these folks, and they have become dependent on those communications. Sometimes, ham radio has provided the ONLY means of communication for them at a competition site. David says that the games have scaled down a bit, and he believes it'd be an excellent training ground for someone interested in trying their hand at coordinating an event. And with his assistance and guidance, it's a guaranteed success. So PLEASE, if you'd be interested in filling this coordination position, get in touch with David ASAP at ke4qlh@arrl.net  Thank you.

AMATEUR RADIO & ATHLETICS: PART THREE

This story comes to us from JOE DOMALESKI, KI4ASK, and tells about his experience going BIKE MOBILE DURING THE 2004 ASSAULT ON MT. MITCHELL:

On Saturday, May 22d I got to combine two of my favorite hobbies - cycling and amateur radio. You see, May 22d was the annual Assault on Mt. Mitchell bike ride. This is no ordinary bike ride - it's a 100 mile climb from Spartanburg, SC to the top of Mt. Mitchell, NC. At an elevation of 6,684 feet above sea level, Mt. Mitchell is the tallest mountain in the eastern U.S. The Assault, as the bike ride is called, features over 11,000 feet of cumulative climbing!

Having supported several cycling events with Fayette County ARES, I decided to find out who was supporting The Assault and offer my service as an amateur radio operator. I made contact with the Spartanburg Amateur Radio Club (SPARC and talked to Lester KF4EQC and Mike KI4AWC who allowed me to carry my HT and be part of the net during the ride. Lester was in charge of the net and Mike was a member of the event organizational team. On the SPARC Friday night net, Lester welcomed me to the area and said that he'd see me at the top of the mountain the next day.

The ride started on Saturday morning at 6:30am in downtown Spartanburg. As soon as the ride started I checked into the net to inform them the event had begun. We used the famous WA4BVW Mt. Mitchell repeater(145.190-, no PL), the highest 2m repeater in the eastern U.S. I was able to work the repeater the entire 100 mile course with only 1 watt! My radio was a Kenwood F6 with a lapel microphone and ear bud speaker.

As the ride progressed, I called in with position reports. I was also able to call in for help during several accidents that occurred. Operating bike mobile during this event allowed me to provide real-time reports that the rest stop operators were not able to provide from their vantage points. Being bike mobile also provided another important thing - it served as positive public relations about amateur radio. During the ride fellow cyclists would ask me about my radio and the funny looking antenna sticking out the back. When they figured out I had access to important information, soon I had an entourage following me asking me about weather conditions on top of the mountain, who was leading, what was going on ahead, etc.

During the event, I was happy to hear a friend from home, Darryl N4OME, who pointed his beam at Mt. Mitchell and talked to me from Newnan, GA all the way up to North Carolina! Thanks for checking into the net and saying "hi", Darryl. Cell phones did not provide coverage over the course route, but once again amateur radio got through! After climbing all of those hills and making face to-face QSO's with amateurs at the rest stops, I finally met Lester KF4EQC at the top of Mt. Mitchell that afternoon...success at last and what a view! It doesn't happen often up there, but on this particular day we were blessed with clear skies and a wonderful view from the mountain top.

Here is a link to some pictures that I took with my camera during the event...

http://www.joedom.com/joedom.com/assault2004/default.htm

If you ever want a bike mobile station in support of your cycling event,
Tnx es 73 de Joe

ARBITRATOR: a cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's

THIS 'N'THAT

+ Looking for some info on BPL? See http://www.gobpl.com for a wealth of information. True to form, this technology isn't going away quietly. If you haven't written to President Bush and our legislators yet, it isn't too late to voice your concerns.

+ While you're writing, have you contacted your legislators regarding the Spectrum Protection Act? To those who wrote to JOHNNY ISAKSON, a great big thank you. He recently signed on as a co-sponsor to HR-713, bringing the total number of sponsors over the 100 mark. He joins CHARLIE NORWOOD as the second Georgia legislator in support of this bill. Your letters CAN make a difference!!

+ HR-1478, The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act (on CC&Rs) has 35 sponsors now.

+ Spectrum Protection Act: is HR-713 in the House and S-537 in the Senate. You can write your legislators online at http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and at http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm If you would, please send a copy of your letter to the ARRL at specbill03@arrl.org

+ Please send a copy of your letters regarding HR-1478 to the ARRL at ccr-bill@arrl.org

+THANK YOU!

+ Think the changes in license restructuring is gonna do the hobby in? See what our man Riley has to say: "If anything is the downfall of Amateur Radio, it will probably be the microphone. You have to focus on your image.... what you sound like.... all the time." RILEY HOLLINGSWORTH

RELIEF: what trees do in the spring.

SECTION NOTABLES

I thought he was gonna stop at ten, but lucky for us, PHIL NEIDLINGER, KA4KOE, has written installment number eleven in his ongoing D.E.D. (Dead Electrical Dudes) series for eham. The latest is on Joseph Henry, and you can read it at http://www.eham.net/articles/8277

JIMMIE LEE, AE4DT, was thrilled when he recently completed his task of working all states by making a contact with a station in Alaska. And he did the HARD way.... Via QRP. Way to go!

Congratulations to DONALD "ANDY" ANDERSON, K4PSW, president of the Augusta area chapter of QCWA Chapter 100, who hit the 25 year milestone for membership in Army MARS.

Congratulations, also, to LARRY PRICE, W4RA, who was elected to another term as president of the IARU. (International Amateur Radio Union) Larry has been serving in this prestigious post since 1999, and was also the President of our ARRL from 1984 until 1992.

RUBBERNECK: what you do to relax your wife.

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

Congratulations to two of our young hams: IAN FRITZSCHE, KF4AON, and ANNA TYLER, KG4ATH, both of whom were recently announced as recipients of ARRL scholarships. Ian is a member of the Thomasville ARC, and Anna is the daughter of proud papa ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, and a member of the Alford Memorial ARC.

Our assistant SM for Youth, and Youth Editor for the ARRL, ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, got the royal treatment at the Dayton Hamfest, where she was recognized by many, and had the opportunity to speak briefly at the Youth Forum.

Another KID'S DAY is coming up, on June 19, 1800 to 2400 Z, a great opportunity for our young people to get on the air and have fun. Exchange: name, age, location, and favorite color. Afterwards, go to www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kids-day-survey.html to answer a few questions and make your own comments, and then you can download a certificate of participation in the event.

How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark
to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

TECH TIPS

This interesting tidbit comes to us from ELLIOTT KANTER, W4PGI. He wrote:

I came across this multipurpose FREE software package recently from a notice in SPRAT magazine and decided to check it out using a Google search. The following is but one review of the program which apparently puts virtually everything you could want and imagine in a single package. I have downloaded the program, it's rather large (6 MB) and an .EXE file. You might find it of interest for rig control and digital modes. This is a cut and paste review from eHam.net and is one of many reviews singing its praises.

"Ham Radio Deluxe is an excellent rig control program that is updated monthly to include new rigs and new features. The user interface is powerful, simple, and intuitive, and the author continually pushes the envelope to find more things to control (some of which can't even be done from the radio itself!). So far, I've used it with a K2, TS850, TS790, and Omni V.9.

But that isn't all. The companion PSK31 software is even better. There's the scrolling panoramic view running laterally across the screen that allows you to click on a signal and copy it. If you want to transmit on that frequency, simply click on transmit and start typing. There are many memories, so you don't have to type a lot if you don't want to get personal. And there's automatic logging of PSK qso's!

But the best part of PSK31 is a vertically oriented "Browser View" of the band that can display (AND COPY!) up to 20 PSK signals simultaneously, with one line devoted to each!

Again, rig interface is painless -- PSK31 can use Ham Radio Deluxe to tell the radio to transmit, so all you need are audio inputs and outputs! A test with my audio spectrum analyzer showed that the PSK31 signal it generates on my IBM T22 has VERY low distortion if you're careful to stay about 6 dB below clip. Other sound cards may be less wonderful.

The third program in the suite, Mapper, displays a world map in either flat or as a polar view (with beam headings) centered on your QTH! But that's only the beginning -- you can zoom in anywhere on the flat map and see maidenhead grids! The map background still needs work to show as much detail as one would like, but Mapper is a very nice bonus.

Finally, Ham Radio Deluxe has a software "bridge" that allows it to interoperate with the very nice (also free!) DXLab suite of logging software. So Ham Radio Deluxe and PSK31 can control your rig, feeding information to DXLab for logging, finding beam headings, etc.

Don't expect much support -- the author is too busy writing (excellent) code. And don't expect bugs -- I've yet to find one. Now, if Simon would only put hooks in for WriteLog!"

I'll echo the admonition of the guy who turned me on to Ham Radio Deluxe last fall -- "download this baby quick, before the author figures out he should be charging for it!" 73, Elliott

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 5--- Atlanta ARC Hamfest, at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. DENNIS MOTSCHENBACHER, K7BV, Marketing Manager for the ARRL and fearless adventurer and DX-peditioner, will be addressing the ARRL forum, and will present findings from a recent survey conducted by the League. Hamfest organizers are planning a great event for your pleasure. If possible, please attend: "Support your local hamfest". I hate to miss this one, but stop by the ARRL booth and say hi to SE Director FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, and Director of Vice, SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU. (And hey! Bring a friend and have him sign up as a member, while you're there! Gotta keep those guys busy!)

June 12-14 --- VHF QSO Party 1800Z June 12 to 0300Z June 14 See: http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2004/june-vhf.html for details

June 19 --- Kid's Day --- 1800Z to 2400Z http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html

June 20 --- Happy Father's Day!!

June 26-27 --- FIELD DAY!!!

SELFISH: what the owner of a seafood store does.

SILENT KEYS

GARY ADAMS, KS4JR
RONALD STAMPS, KM4FD
JOHN WOOD, WB4FET

Sincere condolences to the families and friends of these three fine men. They will be sorely missed.

Well, folks, that's about it for now. Hope you all have a terrific Field Day, and if you would, send a picture or two from your event for posting on our website. You can send it to me or directly to our webmaster, ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, at robert@nativegeorgian.com 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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