Georgia Section On My Mind

JULY, 2004

Wow, June has been an incredibly busy month for us, what with the G-8 summit, a huge MARS exercise, multiple meetings, and Field Day. I've been too busy doing stuff to spend much time writing about the stuff we've been doing, if you know what I mean. But it's time to start pulling those thoughts together to get this July newsletter out to you guys. One thing I'd like to mention to you first, though, is about a really neat lady that Mike and I had the pleasure of meeting when we were on St. Simons for the G-8. She happened to be staying at the same hotel as we were, and was serving as one of the drivers for some of the French folks who were in town for the summit. We found out that she's the lady responsible for getting those popular BRAG events started here. Her name is DOT MOSS, and when she moved here from Iowa in the early 80's, bike rides were already a big event there. When she discovered that there was no such animal here in Georgia, she set about changing that. And did. At the very outset, one of the first things she did was to recruit amateur radio operators to provide communications, because she knew how important that was. So, if you participate in BRAG, either as a biker or as a ham, you have that terrific lady to thank for it. It was a real pleasure to meet her. OK, so adieu to the ado: let's get right to it. Here's what's been happening, and what's in store right around the corner.....

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

ATLANTA ARC HAMFEST-- June 5 - Boy, we sure hated to have to miss this one, but by all accounts, I hear that it was a good one, and they managed to muddle along just fine without us. CONGRATULATIONS to MIKE FAULKNER, K4AIS, the friendly voice of the Disaster Relief Net, for winning the grand prize, a Kenwood 480. Hope that each and every one of you who attended had a terrific time. We certainly plan to be there NEXT year! NORM SCHKLAR, WA4ZXV, has posted some pictures from this year's fest (and last year's) at http://tinyurl.com/ywdef

G-8 SUMMIT-- June 8th -10th --- WOW! What an experience! First, a little background: G-8 refers to the "group of eight" countries, (England, Italy, Spain, France, Canada, Japan, Russia and the U.S.) whose heads of state meet annually to discuss world finances and other topics of global importance. This year's summit also included two additional leaders, representing the European Union, as well as various other world leaders, who were invited for certain portions of the activities. Unfortunately, some G-8 summits in years past have been plagued by huge hordes of protesters, whose rampages caused millions of dollars' worth of damage to the host cities. Concern about the possibility of destructive protesters, coupled with the heightened threat of terrorism, and the fact that this summit presented such a prime target, led to an unprecedented level of security and preparedness for this year's summit on Georgia's Sea Island.

GA ARES was first "invited to the party" at the beginning of the year, when the Chatham county EMA contacted EC DAVID DELAMATER, K4DJD, to request that ARES members staff, around the clock, six locations in the Savannah area for the duration of the summit and related activities. In response to the concerns expressed by law enforcement agencies in Glynn county, (Brunswick) a brand new ARES group was formed there, led by EC CHARLIE CARROLL, WD5ECL, and his AEC CLAY SMITH, W04X. Metro Atlanta DEC STEVE REYNOLDS, W4CNG, whose job took him to the area frequently to do telecommunications prep work for the summit, aided in the ARES planning when he was down there, and then, back in the Atlanta area, he recruited a large team of volunteers who could deploy to Savannah during the G-8. At a May 18th meeting, GEMA officials announced that they wanted a team of hams (i.e. trained ARES members) to deploy to "ground zero" with their MCV. (Mobile Communications Vehicle) And so it came to pass that four of us, who'd originally planned to go to Savannah, ended up embarking on a most excellent adventure at St. Simons Island, instead: MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, SEC, JIM COTE, N4PJR, SE DEC, my better half, MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, DEC for Army MARS and trouble-shooter extraordinaire. And me.

OK, enough background stuff. Let me tell you a little bit about St. Simons. We were at the MACC, Multi-Agency Command Center, at McKinnon airport, under a very tight security situation. To enter the area, a special ID was required, and it was to be worn around the neck at all times. (And my Mike said that he was sniffed by that bomb-smelling dog so many times that he thought he was gonna have to give her a ring...) We had the VERY best of neighbors: the Secret Service, the FBI, GBI, NORCOM, all kinds of law enforcement, hazmat, and SWAT teams from all over the state, and military personnel from all branches, including some Pentagon Brass.

Antennas rose into the air just about everywhere you looked: arrays of satellite antennas, all kinds of wire antennas and verticals, and a host of masts of every ilk to support them. The most impressive display belonged to our next-door neighbors from Ft. Gordon. It was the National Guard's Battle Labs, with an awesome one hundred foot crank-up mast. Even though it was only raised to a height of eighty-some feet, it definitely won the spitting contest, hands down, and provided us with a very handy landmark in the process. Their three-tiered kevlar guy wires were state-of-the art impressive, too.

As you can probably well imagine, with all of the RF floating around the compound, the nifty Butternut vertical provided by Jim, which was mounted on top of the MCV, didn't get much use. Simply too much noise. The antennas that we used most for HF were a 100 foot dipole and a loop. Interestingly, even though the dipole was hung INSIDE of the loop, Mike and I could operate side-by-side, me on 3.975 MHz, using the loop, and Mike working on MARS frequencies in the 4 MHz range, using the dipole, with no discernible problems. To improve the effectiveness of the loop, a little snip-snip operation and some alligator clips created a small section that could be attached to form a closed loop for 80 M usage, or be unclipped, for operations on 40M.

Our mission there was two-fold: foremost was to be prepared to provide back-up communications in the event of... whatever. And believe me, all of the people and agencies around us were expecting... whatever. Our second job was to monitor various frequencies and gather intelligence on anything of a suspicious nature. To that end, Jim programmed all kinds of frequencies into multiple VHF radios. The marine frequencies were most entertaining; in particular, the Coast Guard. Mike was most amused by the way the Coast Guard designated their vessels as being manned by crews that were either "Non Lethal" or (ready for this?) "Less Than....... Non Lethal". (think about it!)

It would take pages to tell you about the "whole experience", but one of the highlights for me was when Mike & I had the experience of meeting, shaking the hand, and exchanging a few words with President Bush. (And NO, I didn't mention BPL!) Regardless of political bent, it was a humbling experience to meet the President of the United States up close and personal. (We just happened to be in the right place at the right time; unfortunately, Mike B and Jim were off-site at the time.)

There were many hams all over the state who were prepared to help our efforts. Notably, JOHNNY WINGERS, WX4R, EMA director in Bibb county, kept hams at the radio in his office around the clock, prepared to relay for us, if needed. Hams in Jesup (Wayne county) did a great job of providing relays between us and the folks in Savannah whenever needed. A lot of you were there, like clockwork, at our top-of-the-hour communications checks. As promised, local hams and hams who'd deployed from the metro area put in some loooong hours to keep those six sites in Savannah manned. After the summit had ended and things were returning to normal, the Brunswick Police Department put a quarter-page ad in the local newspaper to express thanks for the support and assistance received during the G-8 summit, in which they stated, "A very special thanks to the Glynn Co. Amateur Radio Emergency Services (Charlie Carroll)" So, all in all, I'd say that GA ARES did a top-notch fantastic job. Can't thank you all enough. And what's even more terrific is that GEMA was thrilled and offered profuse thanks. What was already an outstanding relationship between GEMA and ARES has become even stronger.

One thing I'd like to comment on, however. After we got home, I heard from a few folks that they thought that things could've been "better", that the "exercise" could have provided more training, involved more activities, whatever. The bottom line is that THIS WAS NOT AN EXERCISE. After it was all over and the dust had settled, we, of course, had the knowledge that "nothing happened". Going into it, however, we didn't have that luxury. The people around us were NOT taking anything lightly. The helicopters coming in and out had some serious-looking armament on them. There was a battery of surface-to-air missiles on our compound. The military and law enforcement folks were no slackers when it came to sidearms, vests, etc. This was a serious event. It would've been terrific if we could have engaged the NTS and sent formal traffic and otherwise used the time for a knock-down drag-out fantastic SET. But the truth was, we didn't know what was going to happen from one moment to the next, and couldn't take the chance of getting involved in other than the mission at hand.

Lessons learned? Yup, there were a few. I learned that the Georgia State Patrol owns a nifty armored vehicle, like a mini-tank. Did you know that? Not to mention a sense of humor. On the battering ram was a bright yellow smiley face, and the words, "Have a nice day!" I learned that Jim Cote would rather sweep the Gobi Desert with a whisk broom than climb up on the roof of the MCV. But it didn't stop him from climbing up there anyway, when Mike Boatright asked him to do some antenna work. I learned that Mike Boatright can be a little grumpy when he has a sinus infection. But even so, feeling lousy didn't stop him from getting those reports ready for GEMA's sit rep every day, even if it meant working in an area that was so cold you could've hung meat. And I learned all over again that Mike Swiderski is the person I'd most like to have around when there's a problem that needs to be solved.

It was a little disconcerting to encounter a bit of that "They'll Do It Every Time" mentality of "blame the hams". When the satellite connection/ internet access kept crashing, there were mutters heard from a couple of IP techs that it was because of "those hams". We were vindicated when it was discovered that a couple of agencies had inadvertently brought in a time bomb virus on their laptops, but it was still unpleasant to encounter that sort of unfounded bias. On the other hand, it was very gratifying to know that it took the expertise and know-how of our hams to help some of our neighbors (i.e. the "pros") overcome technical difficulties and get their own communications systems operative. All-in-all, I think we did a really good job, with great support from hams all over GA, as well as contact with nets like South CARS and East CARS, that could've provided relays for us when the skip was long. Mike also established contact with all three branches of MARS, as well as with SHARES and multiple MARS BBS systems. There was no doubt that we had multiple avenues of communications established and would have been able to provide emergency communications for GEMA and anyone else who needed them. In retrospect, we probably could've done a better job of establishing reliable direct communications with the hams in Savannah, preferably through packet or some other digital mode, and we should've had the kinks worked out of it before the start of the summit. But it was an awesome experience, getting to know Jim Cote and Mike Boatright a little better, working alongside such agencies as the Secret Service, the FBI, the GBI.... And my own personal favorite.... "HBI".

Money will buy a mighty fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

FIELD DAY--- From what we saw on our various Field Day visits, it seemed that the Propagation Gods were smiling on us this year, so the points scored should be considerably higher than last year. Three of the sites we visited were new for us this year, and by covering fewer road miles than in the past couple of years, my better half didn't have to spend quite so many hours behind the wheel, and we were able to spend a little more time at each location.

Our first stop was in Paulding county, at Paulding Meadows Park, with Georgia's newest club, the Silver Comet ARC. These guys had a real nice location and set-up, with plenty of tree-provided shade and pavilions for protection against any liquid sunshine that decided to fall. There was also plenty of separation between the CW operations and the SSB station, to give EMORY GORDY, W4WRO, plenty of peace and quiet while he was pounding the brass. (With his musical background, I'll betcha his foot taps in time to his sending...) One thing these guys had that we didn't encounter anywhere else was a unique approach to an ATV demonstration, which involved a mini-cam mounted on a hard hat, shades of Dayton. Bet they had a lot of fun with that throughout the weekend! We had actually been invited to come out to visit with this fine bunch on Sunday, when club member PATTY LOVELESS, KD4WUJ, would be on-site for a bit of operating and some photo ops. It really would've been great to meet her, but we decided that since we were already planning to be in Paulding on Saturday, it'd be wise to stop in while we were there, just in case. Good thing, too. Because Morpheus was in no hurry to let loose our weary carcasses come Sunday morning. The spirits were willing, but the bodies were.... plum whupped.

Our number two Field Day stop took us to an honest-to-goodness farmer's field in Paulding county, where that high-scoring N4N group was gathered. These are the guys that I always call the "eclectic group", because they come from a variety of different clubs, or from no club at all, and yet, they manage to come together with one single-minded purpose: Field Day excellence. What started four years ago as a few guys getting together to "do their thing" for Field Day has grown to quite a well-planned and impressive set-up, with multiple towers and monobanders strategically placed, and a tent city of well-equipped operating positions. They came in tops in their class last year, and with a 9A operation this year, I expect they'll do well again. Could be that these guys may rank as "serious contesters" with a "take no prisoners" attitude, but it was also clearly evident that they were there to have fun, too. Really enjoyed visiting with them.

From there, it was on to Smyrna, to visit with the IBM ARC. This was Field Day on a smaller scale, with what looked to be about a 3A set-up with a GOTA station, all in a large pavilion in a public park. They had just gotten a Field Day message successfully sent off to me via packet when we arrived. A little girl who looked to be about nine or ten years old sat at the GOTA station, all wide-eyed, as she was patiently being coached on how to make a contact. Somehow, the over-all atmosphere here seemed to emanate a subtle difference. It was easy to imagine that these guys had many years' worth of Field Day experiences, and were thoroughly enjoying the relaxed fellowship of doing it again. They were making contacts, with a friendly competition going on between the SSB operators and the CW operators, but I had the distinct feeling that they wouldn't have minded if their scores never got submitted. They were enjoying the experience for the sake of the experience, and were looking forward to their Sunday morning pancake breakfast almost as much as they were enjoying the operating and the easy conversations. Sincere thanks to GUY SHIELDS, K4GBU, for the invitation. We felt right at home.

North Fulton ARL was at the Waller Park Extension in Roswell again this year, which is really a great location, and they were running 6A. Once again this year, they had an area dedicated to displays and hand-outs for visitors. What was new was a book put together by CLIFF SEGAR, KD4GT, that presented the most comprehensive and eye-catching PR work I've seen, providing a wealth of information about amateur radio in an easy-to-understand and very interesting format. Somebody somewhere may have somehow put something together that was half as good. But I sincerely doubt it. A real class act. These folks experienced a few technical difficulties, but they remained unflappable. Simply solved the problems and moved on. This club has always had a laid-back attitude, which carries over to Field Day. They always know that things will somehow come together. And somehow, they always do. So why worry about it....?

The Jay Sager Pavilion at Briscoe Park in Snellville was the base of operations for the Alford Memorial ARC, and it was already approaching nightfall when we pulled into the parking lot. Like being at a hamfest, we probably spent better than 40 minutes chatting with clusters of friends right there in the parking lot before we ever made our way in to see the operating positions. There were little hums of activity in the main pavilion, the hub, as well as in the outlying stations, the satellites, which were mostly set up in campers. (And with club member STEVE DIGGS, W4EPI, being there, one of the satellite stations really WAS a "satellite station".) A terrific operation, as always, and this year's was dedicated to long-time member GARY ADAMS, KS4JR, who recently became an SK. Everyone enjoyed the radios, the chatter, and the fun. But Gary was definitely missed.

Gwinnett ARES scored a big coup this year when they were granted permission to operate from the Incident Command Center at the new Fire and Emergency Services HQ, in addition to the second year of operations from the EOC at the Justice and Administration Building. We visited the new location, where things were still going strong. Multiple stations were set up: one, inside of the ICC itself; and others outside, both al fresca, as well as inside of the group's emergency communications trailer. EC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, and some of the Gwinnett ARES members have done an amazing job stripping the trailer and re-building it again. There's more work to be done, but it already looks pretty doggone good, and even has air conditioning. When we arrived, ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, was inside of the trailer, racking up the contacts like a pro, while her younger sister LAURA, wearing a tee shirt proclaiming "Amateur Radio Operator in Training", was eagerly awaiting her turn at the mike. I heard later that Laura ended up making the most distant contact of all those made, to a new Zealand station. Something tells me that she won't be "in training" too long....

Our final stop before heading home was with GARS, at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. Even at midnight, there was still a welcoming hum of activity. Since this is the only Field Day site where we've spent the entire 24 hours plus in years past, it was like coming home. These folks have already seen us dragging our derrieres around at 4 AM, with bags under our eyes and shall we say "less-than-fresh" appearances, so we were prepared to totally unwind here. Stations were set up in both pavilions, as well as under a couple of large canopies. This year's activities had a certain international flavor, because club members WALTER BRYANT, WB4PQQ, and his bride BEVERLY, K4AYQ, had brought along their Russian ham pal VLAD POSTNIKOV, UA3BS, to experience an American Field Day. Vlad is a well-seasoned contester, and he kept the 20M CW station smoking all weekend, racking up nearly 500 contacts single-handedly. On the rare occasion that he could be persuaded to take a break, he only did so if someone else would take over to hold his frequency. Now, THAT's dedication! A number of folks made their first contacts at this field day; notably, quite a few were at 40M CW, under the able guidance of RON LANGSTON, WE5O. One fairly new ham told me that he'd come to the GARS field day just to see what it was all about, and with the intention of staying for maybe an hour. To his surprise, he ended up staying for twelve hours, and had a fabulous time.

Y'know, that's what it's all about. Yeah, I know, Field Day is certainly a means to test our field capabilities and to hone our skills, etc. But it also provides an unparalleled opportunity for long-time friends to share fellowship and create new memories, and for them to provide guidance to new hams and visitors. To make them come for an hour, and end up staying for twelve. After all, time really does fly when you're having fun. And that Field Day fun is what keeps us coming back, year after year, and what inspires visitors to take a closer look at this hobby of ours, and to maybe return next year with a license of their own.

We had a terrific time. Hope you all did, too.

The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.

CLUB NEWS

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC--- Club members will be providing their communications skills to this year's Stone Mountain fourth of July parade (actually to be held on the third) again this year, and this year's parade will have a particularly poignant meaning for them. It will be dedicated to long-time member and recent silent key, GARY ADAMS, KS4JR. Congresswoman DENISE MAJETTE will also be having a flag flown over the Capitol on the fourth in honor of Gary, and that flag will then be presented to his family.

GWINNETT ARS--- An appeal to the county commissioners resulted in the issuance of an Amateur Radio Appreciation Proclamation, which named June 20-27 as Amateur Appreciation Week. You can read the text of this proclamation at http://www.gars.org/sharedborder/ARAppreciation.pdf 

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC--- Since these folks cleared a little more money at this year's Hamfest than usual, they agreed that they'd make good use of it by making an additional donation to a worthwhile amateur radio cause. They already sponsor an annual scholarship through the ARRL, and what they've added to it this year is a generous donation to the ARRL's Big Project. Kudos to this club and its members for using their money to make a difference.

LAGRANGE ARC--- Together with members of Troup county ARES, these folks provided communications for two bike rides in the month of May. The West Point Lake Coalition "Tour de Lake" was held on the 15th, and the Hydrangea festival's "Tour de Lagrange" was held on the 29th. For each race, hams staffed ten rest stops, as well as provided an NCS and relay station. Because of a lot of last-minute changes, the second race required a bit more adaptability on the part of our hams, and they were definitely up to the task. Their help was much appreciated, and they've already been asked to provide communications again next year.

QCWA--- At the August 7th meeting of Peach State Chapter 49, to be held at noon at the Fire Mountain Grill, near the intersection of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross, BILL HUSTED, KQ4YA, noted columnist for the "Atlanta Journal & Constitution", will be entertaining members and visitors alike by providing the afternoon's program. Bill is better known to his readers as the "Technobuddy", and besides his words of wisdom and humor on technical issues and innovations, particularly computer-related issues, he traditionally writes an annual salute to amateur radio, as well, which has endeared him to his fellow hams. Bill has a great sense of humor and is always sure to please. He doesn't usually do club programs, so this is a special favor, and a special treat. (He told me that he can hardly wait to hear what he's gonna say!) So mark it on your calendar NOW and plan to join us. Should be a lot of fun.

STATESBORO ARS--- The annual Jim Kruse bike ride was held in May. STARS President Stan Yarber, W4HXW, filed this report.

Our club provided communications for the Jim Kruse bike ride. The bike ride consisted of several routes, a 25 mile ride, a 50 mile ride, a 65 mile ride, and a 100 mile ride. Jim Kruse lived in Statesboro and was one of the founders of the Southern Cyclist Bicycle Club. Money from sponsors, donations, registrations, selling T shirts and socks is contributed to the Silver Lining Club. The Silver Lining Club is an organization of volunteers and a paid director, to provide care for Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases one day a week, thereby, providing relief for their 24 hour per day care taker, usually a family member. The contribution this year is expected to be about $2,000.00.

Russ Trio KA4ZPV coordinated and managed our club's participation. Ed Sprole- KI4CPN, Dan Thornton-KI4DWU, Christy Cleveland-KG4YUD, Matt Cleveland-KG4YSA, and Stan Yarber-W4HXW worked under Russ's directions. There were six rest stops known as SAG (Support and Gear). The SAG locations were staffed by volunteers of the Silver Lining Club. The STARS objective was to have someone stationed at each of the SAG locations and several hams patrolling the route. We were unable to do that, but Russ assisted by ED and Dan traveled the route observing the riders and keeping track of their progress. Lin Roberts of the Southern Cyclist bicycle club and the Silver Lining Club expressed their appreciation for our service. It gave the cyclists, especially those who do not ride such long rides regularly, peace of mind that if they break down, assistance would come.

Need to CHANGE TRUSTEE for your club's callsign? Go to http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/605ins.html#club  to download the proper form. Then send it to ARRL HQ. This is a FREE service.

Inside of every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.

FIELD DAY MISCILLANEA

++The Ellijay Amateur Radio Society's annual Field Day operation took place at Camp Mountaintown, West of the City of Ellijay. We had two stations set up using 100% emergency battery power and a portable generator for recharging the batteries. We put up two wire antennas supported by the trees surrounding the camp grounds. Our call sign for this year's operation was K4SWU, call sign of our Executive Director, Sam Underhill. During the 24-hour operating period, EARS members logged 463 contacts with other Field Day stations located throughout the United States and Canada: 164 CW and 299 phone, covering 45 states, 5 Canadian Provinces and 3 stations in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our farthest contact was in the Canadian Province of British Columbia located just to the north of the State of Washington. Members and their wives and friends joined us for an old fashioned cook out on Saturday evening, with hamburgers and hot dogs with all the trimmings, and lots of home made brownies, and cookies for our dessert.

++ Jasper Radio Club had a lot of fun and earned a decent score, operating class 1A again this year. We set up in our usual spot, the bandstand pavilion in Lee Newton Park near downtown Jasper. The park's layout is ideal with a cleared field that is about 275 on each side at the north end of the park. There is a much larger cleared area on the south end of the park but no 75 foot-tall trees to put lines in for antenna supports! This years RF arsenal consisted of the 1000 foot loop and a modification to the 175 dipole this year. It was two parasitic radiators placed adjacent to it but not connected to it. One tuned to forty meters and one tuned to twenty meters. They were separated by a PVC pipe at each end. It seemed to work well and seemed to broaden the resonance some, allowing wide excursions of frequency without the need to retune. It is called an open sleeve antenna. The transmitting equipment was the Ten-Tec Paragon and Jupiter. We made 363 CW contacts and 188 SSB contacts, operating on 40, 20 and 15 meter SSB and 80, 40 and 20 CW. All bands were good on Saturday but only 40 and 20 during Sunday daylight hours. We had a demo station showing APRS and digital modes for the visitors and all of us. It was assembled by Barrett Thompson, KE4R, who came up from south of Atlanta to operate CW with us and to introduce his thirteen year old son, Kent, to Field Day. Kent seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself and he was a big asset on the laptop computer logging QSO's for us. I thought that I bring a lot of batteries to FD but Barrett doubled the amount I bring! I think we had enough battery power to keep Jasper powered all weekend!

++ PHIL NEIDLINGER, KA4KOE, sent me an interesting series of pictures from the Coastal ARC/ Savannah ARC Field Day festivities this year. They involved a hefty garbage bag and a cylinder of helium, going up, up, and away. The first shot shows the cylinder being encased in the bag, and subsequent shots show it becoming smaller and smaller to the eye, as it soars ever higher. I asked what it was used for... y'know, for APRS? for ATV?? to raise an antenna...??? I loved the response. He said it was done for "pure devilment". Y'know, I expect nothing less of this group. I suspect that these folks really know how to have FUN.

++ When we think of Field Day, we usually think of the gatherings of our local clubs, or of a more casual set-up in the back yard or local park. AL "SPARKY" MENGES, KF4NXL, sent me an account of a slightly different slant on Field Day, which was held in an Old Soldiers Home. Thought you might enjoy it, too:

Greetings:

As I type this message, we're smack dab in the middle of the annual field day sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, a fun way to test the emergency preparedness of ham radio operators throughout Canada and the United States of America, including its territories. At the moment, I'm on a break from the radio shack, trying to unwind. I've been awake all night long, logging calls, so I'm feeling really hyperactive, and compelled to write. It's been loads of fun (?) - - - well, it was SORT of fun, but it was actually "W - O - R - K" (ugh!).

Anyway, I sure am learning a lot, such as how to attune my ear to understand all that confused noise coming out of the radio, and actually be able to record the information. Our annual field day exercise is designed to test the abilities of amateur radio operators, popularly known as "hams", to be able to operate radios under all sorts of adverse conditions, with a contest to see who can complete the highest number of successful radio contacts within a twenty-four hour period. Our club here at the Ol' Soldiers' Home has only recently been established, and many of our operators are newly licensed and inexperienced, so we're just seeing what we can accomplish this year.

But, NEXT year - - - ?

Hopefully, by the time the next contest rolls around, we'll have our rooftop antennas properly mounted, so we can achieve optimal performance standards. We hope to acquire some sort of auxiliary power source, such as batteries, a generator, or solar panels, in order to be able to operate during a disaster WITHOUT relying on commercial electric power. We also need to get a telephone line and a computer line installed, because our goal is to become a member of the Military Affiliate Radio System (M.A.R.S.), so that we can help other United States soldiers in distant climes the way we were helped when we were young and serving on the far side of the globe. We also want to participate in local organized Amateur Radio Disaster Services.

Field Day is also an opportunity for the public to visit with us and learn about what we do. Thanks to generous logistical support from the Soldiers' Home administration, there are cookies and chips and cold drinks available for our guests, along with plenty of assorted literature from the American Radio Relay League and the Federal Communications Commission.

Amateur radio operators are America's FIRST emergency responders!

Last night, we logged well over a hundred contacts with other radio operators, from Oregon to Florida, and from Manitoba to the Virgin Islands. We even conversed with a fellow in Russia, and we listened in on a radio conversation between Australia and New Zealand.

There was one VERY important breaking news development!

During the wee hours, the International Space Station passed overhead, and we wanted to communicate with them, as special ham radio frequencies are set aside just for that. But, alas, what we heard on our radio was - - - Bzzzzrrrpzeedweeplzzzzvtzgloopbledrffftbzzzwwpp Oh, horrors! The problem had become obvious. The International Space Station had been seized by extra-terrestrials, and those yucky weird creatures from another world were using the International Space Station's radio to try and communicate their terrifying ultimatums! I wonder if President Bush has been notified and if NORAD will scramble its forces? What else can we do?

A couple of days ago, our club's vice president asked me if I'd serve as secretary-treasurer. Of course, I'm only too happy to FINALLY be in a position where I can collect bribes and embezzle funds! It's about time, huh?

About a week ago, I used the Internet to order me a black baseball cap with my FCC call letters in gold. It should be here in another week or two. One of our members was wearing a tee shirt with crossed lightning bolts and the words, "AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS". Man, that's neat!

He told me I can pick one up at the next Hamfest we go to, which will probably be next month in nearby Baltimore, Maryland. At the last Hamfest we went to, at the county fairgrounds in Manassas, Virginia, all of our club's members were able to purchase used hand-held two-meter transceivers.

Now, club members can communicate with each other as we move about, or we can monitor the Soldiers' Home security channel, or use the radios to make telephone calls, with the help of local repeaters, such as those of the Green Mountain Repeater Association. Yep, our little club is clicking along, and we're already starting new training classes for brand new operators, and for advancing present operators to a higher license.

If any of you would like to become ham radio operators, it's really easy. You no longer need to learn Morse Code, and the written test is only thirty-five questions, most of which you can probably guess your way through. Look, folks, I ain't all that smart, and some folks might even accuse me of being downright dumb! So, if I can pass that test, ANYBODY can pass it. Spread the word, and come join with us! If something like Hurricane Isabel happens again in Washington, D.C., we'll be ready to do our part!

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee KB3KWS
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

"Sola Virtus Nobilitat"

NOTE: It was later learned that they did indeed make contact with the ISS during Field Day. Also, John trained with the Signal Corps at Ft. Gordon in 1968. (maybe you know him??)

FIELD DAY MESSAGES: Thus far, FD messages have been received from Athens ARC, Forsyth ARES, Jasper ARC, Milledgeville ARC, North Fulton ARL, ARC of Augusta, Chickamauga, Alford Memorial ARC, Macon ARC, Columbus ARC, Kennehoochee ARC, Cherokee Capital ARC, Oconee ARC, Buckhead Contest Club, and Silver Comer ARC. I've been told that packet messages were also received from IBM ARC and from Gwinnett ARES, and that an N4N message is floating around our there waiting to be delivered. So, that's pretty doggone good, y'all. An easy 200 points for all of you!

Living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.

ARES NEWS

CLAYTON COUNTY ARES--- Our Radio System is up and operating in the New Clayton County EMS /Police Building at 911 McDonough Ave. in Jonesboro. Our first real test in operation was to talk to K8G from the site. Our 145.170 Repeater has been having receiver problems but a new receiver has brought it back to normal again thanks to our Tech Team. Field day will be held in the old EMS building next to the New. this will be our auxiliary Radio operations room during an emergency. Posted on our news site: CARES Library Sizzlin' Summer-- Clayton County Library System, Riverdale Branch (420 Valley Hill Rd.) held its Sizzlin' Summer Safety Program from 9 AM - 1 PM on June 10,2004. It is an annual fun safety day with programs on personal, water, and fire safety for children of all ages. CARES - Clayton Amateur Radio Emergency Services -was there with the Communication Bus introducing to around 180 kids and teachers about Amateur Radio and Technology safety. All had a good time. Special thanks going to our volunteers that made the program a success. A Very special thanks to John Dalton, KE4ODC (EOC Deputy Director) - Herb Brewer, WA4HJB (AEC Clayton County) - Big John Tilghman, KG4PVS - "Riverdale" Bob Jarrell, KE4KXQ - and Roy Baker, WB4WQE.

COFFEE COUNTY ARES--- The Douglas Area Amateur Radio Club and the Coffee County ARES Group hosted a basic Skywarn class on June 9. Al Sandrik of the Jacksonville National Weather Service Office taught the informative class. Local EMA was invited to join the class, which helps prepare the county to become Storm Ready.

GLYNN COUNTY ARES--- Here follows parts of an AFTER ACTION report filed by CHARLIE CARROLL, WD5ECL, regarding G-8: The Glynn county ARES was officially established on 4/27/04, consisting of 12 ham operators in the Brunswick area. Thanks to the involvement of the now retired Chief of the Brunswick Police Dept and also one of the Police Dept Captains, ham gear was obtained for emergency purposes and about 6 licensed hams were engaged in the Police Dept COP program. The ham program was continued by the present interim Chief of Police, who requested the ARES group to assist in emergencies as needed. Therefore the ARES group was formed just prior to the G-8 conference and now consists of 23 members. No training drills or meetings were held except for a Sunday night 2030 hours net.

American Red Cross
Contact was made with the Red Cross in this area which also covers 7 surrounding counties. The Red Cross asked if we would be able to install New Ham gear, which they would purchase, into a used ambulance for communication purposes. This project was accepted and Art Manning, AG4DD, an ex-Voice of America Station Manager took on the job of installing this equipment working 6 hours a day for 5 days or a total of 30 hours. The work included separate power supplies from the power supply of the ambulance which could also be operated by a portable generator. This unit was not used during the G-8 conference.

Southeast Georgia Regional Medical Center
Prior to the G-8 conference meetings were held with the Chief of Security at the center. Thru the "grape vine" we had heard that there was ham equipment available at the center about 10 years ago. Some antenna towers were in place, power supply and other minor items were found but a transceiver was not located. Also found was space in the communication area where antenna outlets had been installed when the new section of the center was built and in addition we found old vertical antenna on the highest part of the new section on the elevator tower of the new section to the hospital. A new pulsar vertical was installed by ARES members and then 2 meters and packet was set up in the ham operator's desk. Garry Hurley, KD4NUD with his assistant operators Clark B. Manor, KG4JZU and Terry Hughes, KG4KIT manned the station from June 5 thru June 10, 2004. Due to contractors installing new equipment in room where the ham gear was installed. Some down time was caused due to the contractors needing the area to work in. And ham operations were stopped until the area was clear of contractors.

Brunswick Police Department
A station was set up in the old communications room which is now a restricted records room. There had been installed antenna outlets for using the Icom IC-766 on HF and the Icom IC-706 MKIIG transceivers. In addition a packet station was installed and a scanner and BPD portable hand held radio were used. Plans had been made to equip station at the present city hall but when checking out the system problems were found on the 40 meter end. On the tower on the roof .A new part wasn't received until a day or so before the G-8 and we scrapped the plan for using the site. Another site of operation that was requested thru the BPD fell through because the FBI did not want us operating there. Also one Georgia State Health Dept. unit requested our services, however due to the employees not being able to make a decision the project was not carried out.

The stations at the BPD and the Medical Center did not transmit or receive any ARES official traffic during the G-8 conference. In addition to the above two sites there were two stations on standby and monitoring traffic. Clifton Gorden KG4WGX, a captain of a tugboat docked near the BPD and Clay Smith WO4X on Jekyll Island, a volunteer with the Jekyll Island Fire Dept. Finally John Underwood, KI4DQH on St Simons Island near the entrance to Sea Island where the G-8 conference was being held.

On June 10, 2004 Betty, WD5ECK and Charlie, WD5ECL were within 2 blocks of the BPD to resume station operation when they were stopped due to a bomb scare at the station which had been evacuated. Nothing was found and operation was resumed at 0820 hours.

On June 11, 2004 at 1200 hours the Brunswick Police Dept. Chief of Police invited all ARES operators that were present during G-8 operations to Noon luncheon at the police headquarters and presented certificates in "Recognition of Outstanding Dedication." In addition the Chief of Police placed a large ad in the Brunswick News listing all the suppliers of food and services to the BPD. Most notable at the bottom of the ad---"A very special thanks to the Glynn Co. Amateur Radio Emergency Services" (Charlie Carroll)

Total G-8 hours involved --- 209 hours

Remarks
1. Thanks must go to Jeff Cole N4XGI for the use of his 145.330 repeater on top of the Sidney Lanier bridge(over 400' high)
2. This ARES group of 23 hams of which half are no code techs are being offered classes to upgrade to General or above. Plans are underway to help them along the way. Room at the BPD Lanier substation can be used for this training. A starting date has not been set.
3. Thru the efforts of KD4NUD packet operations plan to cover more of Southeast Georgia coast have been underway.
4. One point to remember is that there should be closer communications as to what is being done or planned from one ARES group to another. Each group should keep adjoining groups what is happening next door. Communications between groups is a must.
5. The Glynn Co. ARES group did not have any information that areas operating the GEMA stations on St. Simons were in operation which caused some confusion in the Brunswick City area. This is a matter of poor communications which should be corrected in the future.
6.I feel that the G-8 conference was well conducted by the Glynn Co. ARES group and would like to thank everyone involved in the operation.
7. Special thanks to Interim Chief of Police, Brunswick, Ga.
8. Special thanks to Larry Ellison Chief of Security. Southeast Georgia Regional Medical Center.
9. Special thanks to Sgt. Kevin Jones, BPD Public Affairs Officer. KG4WTG
Finally it was heard... One Sgt. BPD stated he was hungry. One of the BPD Captains, told him to go into the records room. THERE WERE 4 HAMS IN THERE. WD5ECL, KD4NUD, N4PJR and K04WX This same Sgt. was told later on. That there was a Ham in the Records room eating a Ham Sandwich.
At the Police Station there was free food of all kinds 24 hours a day. YOU can`t get to Sea Island or St. Simons Island, by road, unless you go through BRUNSWICK
73`s
Charlie Carroll WD5ECL
Brunswick, GA
Emergency Coordinator

NDMS EXERCISE--- The Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) group of the ARC of Augusta was asked to help with communications for the annual National Medical Disaster Services exercise on May 13 at Bush airfield. The area hospitals are required to hold at least one exercise per year, and this exercise was a part of a larger exercise conducted by the Army all over the southeastern U.S. Participants included GA DMAT-4, the US Army from Forts Gordon and Jackson, the American Red Cross, Richmond county Emergency Management Agency, Richmond county Sheriff's Office, and other local officials. Local students participated as mock victims, along with soldiers from Ft. Jackson. The exercise went well, and the Amateur Radio Operators were hailed as being a crucial element of the successful response. Henry, KN4AV, would like to individually note all of the Amateur Radio Operators who helped out: Al-KI4DPR; Andy-K4PSW; Bill-N4UZQ; Chuck-W4MEW; Don-KE4TTA; Doug-KE4JSJ; Jeff-KG4SSV; Jim-K4FMB; John- W4KNS; Rich-K1EKF; and Tom- KF4ITM. (This info came from the club's beautifully new formatted newsletter, "The Splatter", and was written by Henry, KN4AV, DEC)

CONGRATULATIONS to JIM COTE, N4PJR, DEC of our Southeastern district, for the outstanding job he's been doing. Besides continuing as DEC, he has gained the additional position as Assistant SEC for South GA. (I can just imagine him muttering something about how "no good deed shall go unpunished....") I know he'll continue to do a terrific job of providing leadership to the ever-growing ARES organization in the southern part of our state. Thanks, Jim.

CONGRATULATIONS, also, to all of the ARES groups that were listed in the July issue of QST, acknowledging their participation in last year's SET: Gwinnett, Dekalb, Coweta, Spalding, and Wayne counties, to be exact. However, I heard from Clayton county EC, ROY BAKER, WB4WQE, that he had also submitted a report detailing his county's participation. But no mention in QST. Are there any others who also submitted reports that weren't included? If so, Please let me know. (so I can do a little fussing on your behalf)

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

ARES REPORT FROM MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, SEC

Section Emergency Coordinators Report for May, 2004
1-Jurisdictions Reporting-63
2-Total # of ARES Members-1000
3-Change since last month-19
4-Total Net Sessions-246
5-Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month-129.5
6-Man hours-853.09
7-Number of public service events this month-35
8-Man hours-858.7
9-Number of emergency operations this month-13
10-Man hours-450.05
11-Total number of ARES operations this month-400.5
12-Man hours-3103.84

Section EC Notes
NWS 3 Severe Thunderstorm Watch and 1 Tornado Watch events
ARES assisted Public Health District 10 in evaluating emergency communications from a Strategic National Stockpile Dispensing site
Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games 2004
MSTD Drill at HAAF (NDMS)
Setup GEMA MCV for support of G8 at FSOC St. Simons
GEMA FSOC G8 Full-up drill

Counties/Jurisdictions Reporting
NORTHWEST-Bartow: KG4SRX,EC; Carroll: K4DEY,EC; Catoosa: W4LAW,EC; Chattoga: W4LAW,EC; Coweta: N4HIC,AEC; Dade: W4LAW,EC; Floyd: WB4FGM,EC; Gilmer: W4YNE,EC;
Gordon: WQ4T,EC; Haralson: KD4YDA,EC: Murray: KG4RSU,EC; Pickens: K4BEH,EC; Walker: W4LAW,EC; Whitfield: KV4ED,EC

NORTHEAST--- Banks: KG4PPQ,EC; Clarke: N4ZRA,EC; Hall: KT4VP,AEC; Heard: KE4OBM,EC; Madison: N4ZRA,EC; Oglethorpe: N4ZRA,EC;

METRO ATLANTA--- Cherokee: WA6IKS,EC; Clayton: WB4WQE,EC; Cobb: WK4E,AEC;
Dekalb: N4SEG,EC; Fayette: AG4ZR,AEC; Gwinnett: WA4DYD,EC; Newton: AG4LS,EC;
North Fulton: KF4MDV,AEC; Paulding: W4JFL,EC; Rockdale: KC4ELV,EC; South Fulton: W4ZT,EC

CENTRAL-Houston: WB4EEL,EC; Morgan: K2MGL,EC; Peach: AA4JF,EC; Spalding: KU4TP,EC

EAST CENTRAL-Jefferson: KR4JI,EC; Richmond: KN4AV,EC

SOUTHWEST--Baker: K4GCR,EC; Calhoun: W4KEF,EC; Dougherty: N4GPJ,EC; Lee: KB4OMV,EC; Mitchell: K4TWG,EC; Randolph: W4KEF,EC; Sumter: KE4VPD,EC

SOUTHEAST-Bacon: KJ4WX,EC; Brantley: KE4WXD,EC; Bryan: W4KTN,EC; Bulloch: KF4MLT,EC; Camden: N4TIS,EC; Charlton: WB4GPR,EC; Chatham: K4DJD,EC;
Coffee: KD4QFH,EC; Dodge: KG4WQZ,EC; Effingham: AF4VH,EC; Evans: W4HYU,EC; Glynn: WD5ECL,EC; Telfair: WA4EHO,EC; Wayne: N4RRO,AEC

DECs--Southwest,K4PHE; Southeast,N4PJR; Digital Communications,KC4ZGQ; and
GEMA: KF4VBR,ADEC; NWS: KG4PZI,ADEC

Comments
Northwest, Catoosa, EC, W4LAW - Doug Woodruff
This report covers Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, and Walker Counties. NO CHANGES. Sorry to be a day late but we had a 150 mile bicycle event Saturday and Sunday which was hectic!

Northwest, Pickens, EC, K4BEH - Pat Haynes
I contacted our EOC/911 director to see if the renovations at our EOC had been finished to allow us to set up our HF/VHF/UHF stations to assure that the antennas and equipment were all functional. He said the work will not be complete until next month. I will follow up then. Our monthly club/ARES meeting will be this Thursday, June 10th. We will be planning our Field Day operation. We always approach FD as a preparedness exercise as well as a fun weekend. I hope the G-8 is uneventful. 73, Pat

Southeast, Chatham, EC, K4DJD - David Delamater
Can't begin to estimate the total man hours for this month. SO many people have assisted with getting things in line for the G8. The total is probably even higher than I have listed. Many thanks to those who have helped...

Metro Atlanta, South Fulton, EC, W4ZT - Tony King
SFARES provided communications for the Tour de Cure bicycle event sponsored by the American Diabetes Assoc. in South Fulton.

National Weather Service, ADEC, KG4PZI - David Homan
Six people participated in 3 Severe Thunderstorm Watch and 1 Tornado Watch events at the National Weather Service Office in Peachtree City, GA.

Northwest Gordon, EC, WQ4T - James Howard
Started basic training in emergency communications for local ARES members

Metro Atlanta, Cherokee, EC, WA6IKS - Darragh McCluer
Met with EMA director to plan for 3Q and 4Q activities with CERT team and ham equip for mobile command post.

Southeast, Evans, EC, W4HYU - J
Public Service Event was helping with a two day Rodeo. Day two involved a heart attack by the organizer.

Northeast, Oglethorpe, EC, N4ZRA - Edward A. Rollor III
Training has focused on Formal Message Handling. A meeting on May 29 was held to plan for Field Day. This will be Oglethorpe County's first Field Day.

Northeast, Madison, EC, N4ZRA - Edward A. Rollor III
Training focused on Formal Message Handling.

Northeast, Clarke, EC, N4ZRA - Edward A. Rollor III
Training Nets focused on Formal Message Handling. ARES members assisted Public Health District 10 in evaluating emergency communications from a Strategic National Stockpile Dispensing site.

Southeast District, DEC, N4PJR - Jim Cote
Jim Cote (35) &Mike Boatright (55) hours supporting GEMA on SSI

East Central, Jefferson, EC, KR4JI - Louie Handberry, Jr.
NCS on GTN 7 nights Advanced CW Traffic Training

Metro Atlanta Rockdale, EC, KC4ELV - Tim Rosing
Includes 26hrs of net participation. Note revised hrs line#11 from 226hrs in Bio-Lab report to actual 254hrs

Metro Atlanta, Dekalb, EC, N4SEG - Steve Garrison
The public service events were the Snellville Days Parade and the Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games 2004. Separate reports for these two events are being sent to Mike and Steve. The emergency operation was in support of Rockdale County's BioLab event. A separate report is also being sent to Mike and Steve.

Southeast Camden, EC, N4TIS - C Cooper
Additional check in on Crown District ARES net x2 and Tri County ARES net x3, HF net via VHF x1.

Metro Atlanta Gwinnett, EC, WA4DYD - Stan Edwards
Weekly training net 5/3 - 21 checkins, 23 minutes; 5/10 - 26 checkins, 35 minutes; 5/17 - 15 checkins, 23 minutes; 5/24 - 15 checkins, 33 minutes; 5/31 - 19 checkins, 33 minutes. Gwinnett ARES Planning Committee meeting 5/20 - 6 attendees for 1 hours. Plans were reviewed for continued work on the communications trailer. Gwinnett County EOC Steering Committee meeting 5/20 - Cancelled due to activity related to the G8 Summit. Gwinnett ARES general meeting 5/25 - 23 participants, 2 hours. Training was received from the Red Cross on the new Disaster Assessment process. Training was conducted by Fred and Pat Runkle. A total of 7 individuals participated in providing 131 man-hours of work this month in refurbishing the communications trailer. A draft support plan has been developed for the East Metro Health District in coordination with the EC's of Newton and Rockdale Counties. The plan was submitted to a representative of the health district for comment. Work on the communications trailer continues. The inside is now insulated and walls started. Conduit for power and the power panel is in place, ready for wiring. It is about 50% complete in the rebuilding process. Materials are on hand to complete the basic configuration. Additional funds will be required to complete all desired construction and will have to await the next fund raiser in August. Work also continues on the packet client with the initial release of the AGW Packet Engine-capable version.

Georgia Emergency Management Agency, ADEC, KF4VBR - Robert Tyler
Meeting at GEMA 4 hrs x 3 operators = 12 hrs Drill on Monday 24th 4hrs x 4 operators = 16 hrs. Meeting on 30th 2 hrs x 13 operators = 26 hrs. Prep for Meetings, KG4FXG & KF4VBR = 4hrs. Drill for Special Olympics and time spent at SO = 7 hrs.

Central, Morgan, EC, K2MGL - Charles K. Roswell
Includes Piedmont ARES Comm VAN at Rutledge, GA Fair Sunday Net operations.

Southwest, Randolph, EC, W4KEF - Ken Fields
Bob Smith went over to Randolph Co. and met with Max Pittman the Country EM Director and talked to him about ARES. The meeting went very well.

Northwest, Murray, EC, KG4RSU - Cecil Clements
Skywarn activation May 31 @ 3:00am due to severe weather-one report to WX4PTC made, monitored emergency services, Skywarn net (the WX4PTC operation on 220)and local net-three(3) ARES participants in my county. Held training nets, which included traffic handling and simplex exercises. I am currently participating in the EC002 communications course which just started.

Northwest, Carroll, EC, K4DEY - Alan Rundall
West GA ARES supplied backup communications for a drill on Monday, May 24. The drill was planned and sponsored by the Carroll Co. EMA and involved the 2 hospitals, police fire and sheriff departments, along with support from the Ca. State patrol, the cities of Carrollton and Villa Rica and GEMA. Six ARES responded and were actively involved with the Incident Command post, the emergency shelter set up by the Red Cross and helped coordinate the flow of information to the 2 hospital Emergency Rooms. The ARES members were KB4GHI, KE4ZAC, KF4ANV, W4ASA, N4CHC and K4DEY, EC for Carroll Co.

Southwest, Dougherty, EC, N4GPJ - Arthur Shipley
Conducted an "On the spot" role call in conjunction with terrorism drill being conducted my local Marine Base.

Southeast, Effingham, EC, AF4VH - Val Ashcraft
Just for the record I want to make my opinion known about the use of 60 meters for ARES. It is just plain stupid. I don't know anyone that has the capability to utilize 60 M and would guess there are a very small minority of them across the entire state. Have you ever polled anyone to see if they can operate of 60M. This is plain stupid and impractical. Why not publish a 20 Meter center frequency where almost everyone can operate 24HRS per day. OVER

Northwest, Floyd, EC, WB4FGM - Ed Byars
I would like to give my people a certificate of membership and membership card. How do I get these items?

Northeast, Heard, EC, KE4OBM - Glenn Alford
With a big county north of Heard and a big county to the south of Heard. Most Ham go with one of the big ones. (With Repeaters) As is Heard county does not have a repeater for call up NETs. And at last count Heard has 16 Ham and of this only 9 active. I don't see any change in this for a long time, so make yourself 10 or 20 copies of this report and turn one in if you don't hear from me! Stop bugging me about a report that not changing. I'll keep this Volunteer job as long you want me in it, if not, Please, let me know you plans. Have a nice Day...73

Southeast, Bryan, EC, W4KTN - Kayton Smith
Attended MSTD Drill at HAAF base. Radio tests were inconclusive due to delays at Bush Field. Test was scheduled to begin around 10:00AM, but by 1:00PM, plane was still delayed. Stood by, until released by on-site director.

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

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 kc (AM nets ALWAYS meet on kcs...)

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

*****YUP! HE DID IT AGAIN!!! CONGRATULATIONS to SID HUTCHINSON, WB4GGS, who earned yet another Brass Pounder Award. (He'll be able to paper ALL of his walls 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

BACK TO BASICS

Some great news for all of our AM enthusiasts:

W1AW NOW SPORTS VINTAGE AMATEUR STATION

At least one corner of Maxim Memorial Station W1AW has taken on a "retro" look with the installation of a vintage AM-capable station--thanks to the generosity of entertainer Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, and audio pro Bob Heil, K9EID. The gear, which arrived June 18, consists of a National NC-303 receiver and Johnson Viking Valiant transmitter, along with a customized Heil microphone and other accessories. Neither Walsh nor Heil were able to be on hand for the installation.

The gear, which dates from the late 1950s, began its journey in Studio City, California. It changed hands at Dayton Hamvention and then made a stop at the radio repair and restoration shop of Larry Yaw, W9AMR, who spiffed up and rigorously tested the units. Yaw, Jeff Wynegar, KA9TOC, and Jeff Benedict, AA9JC, then accompanied the vintage station on a nonstop drive from South Bend to Newington for the delivery.

The idea for the station arose during an early March visit to ARRL by Walsh and Heil. Following the delivery and installation, W9AMR, KA9TOC and AA9JC came back the next day to make some W1AW/90 contacts on 75 and 40 before heading back to Indiana.

The W1AW vintage/AM station is available for visitors to use.

See some GREAT PICTURES at http://brucehowes.com/am_returns_to_w1aw.htm

When I'm feeling down, I like to whistle.
It makes the neighbor's dog that barks all the time run to the end of his chain and gag himself.

SECTION NOTABLES

And you thought that MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX, was just a pretty face. And our SEC. And editor of the "QRP Quarterly" Magazine. Looks like he's a celebrity, too, Check this out: (Way to go, Mike!) http://www.diynet.com/diy/hb_diypeople/article/0,2033,DIY_13875_2277976,00.html

CONGRATULATIONS to CURTIS ROBB, NT5E, of Newnan, who was named a "Top Vet" by Veteran's Advantage, Inc. in recognition of his contributions in technological advancements for Delta Airlines.

Members of the Cherokee ARES group were immortalized in an AJC online feature story written by KATHY WAGSTAFF, entitled, "Amateur Radio Can Be a Vital Link". There's a great picture of EC DARRAGH MCCLUER, WA6IKS, and TOM OLLEY, KG4VUB, as well as lots of good quotes from KEN DEAN, K4RWG. Great PR for these guys and for amateur radio in general.

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

CONGRATULATIONS to ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, whose design was selected to appear on the GARS 2004 Field Day tee shirts. A friendly competition among members to create a design for a yearly Field Day tee shirt has become a club tradition, and our wunderkind won by a landslide.

Anyone who has a beloved pet knows that they aren't REALLY "kids", but they sure feel like it (and act like it!) at times. So let's celebrate with BOB GOOD, K4BG, and his bride JOY, K4VHC, over the fact that their beloved Sheltie "Goodie" was named Top Dog, ranked number one by the United Kennel Club. Goodie's "official" name is "Misty Mt. Let Good Times Begin", and the next goal? Grand Champion. Good luck!

There's a new youth net, the .275 Youth Group, slated to kick off on Saturday night, July 10th, at 9 PM local on 7.275 (give or take 10 kHz)

North American Youth Net: Mondays and Fridays 2300-2330Z on 14.329 MHz

Have you read Andrea's latest online youth column? See it at http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2004/06/23/1/

The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.

TECH TIPS

PHIL NEIDLINGER, KA4KOE, that prolific writer of Dead Electrical Dude articles has penned a helpful piece on how to "Varmint Proof Your Antenna". Do you have a problem with critters teething on your coax? Then, this is definitely the article for you: http://www.eham.net/articles/8561

This tip comes to us from LARRY OSBORNE, WT4XX, and as he says, it's "WORTH A SHOT --- SEEMS TO BE A GOOD IDEA."

Here's a computer trick today that's very important and ingenious in its simplicity. As you may know, when/if a worm virus gets into your computer it heads straight for your email address book and sends itself to everyone in there, thus infecting all your friends and associates. This trick won't keep the virus from getting into your computer, but it will stop it from using your address book to spread further, and it will alert you to the fact that the worm attacked your system. Here's what you do: first, open your address book and click on "new contact" just as you would do if you were adding a new friend to your list of email addresses. In the window where you would type your friend's first name, type in !000 (that's an exclamation mark followed by 3 zeros). In the window below where it prompts you to enter the new email address, type in "WormAlert," which of course, isn't a real email address. Then complete everything by clicking add, enter, ok, etc. Now, here's what you've done and why it works: the "name" !000 will be placed at the top of your address book as entry #1. This will be where the worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. But when it tries to send itself to !000, it will be undeliverable because of the phony email address you entered (WormAlert). If the first attempt fails (which it will because of the phony address), the worm goes no further and your contacts will not be infected. Here's the second great advantage of this method: if an email cannot be delivered, you will be notified of this in your Inbox almost immediately. Hence, if you ever get an email telling you that an email addressed to WormAlert could not be delivered, you know right away that you have the worm virus in your system. You can then take steps to get rid of it!

I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

UPCOMING EVENTS

JULY 4--- Peachtree Road Race, Atlanta. This year's race will incorporate, for the first time ever, participation from soldiers serving in Iraq, where the sister course has been carefully measured for the proper distance. A "touch of home" for our men and women overseas. To help with radio communications, contact DAVID ZISKIND, ke4qlh@arrl.net

JULY 8-18--- GA Summer Games. Volunteers are still needed for multiple venues in Cobb, Clayton, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Hall counties. Contact DAVID ZISKIND, at ke4qlh@arrl.net

JULY 10--- 8AM- 2PM-Lanierland ARC tailgating Hamfest, at Johnson High School, in Gainesville, just off I-985 at exit 16

JULY 10--- 9PM- FIRST .275 Youth Net, on (or near) 7.275 MHz

JULY 14-17--- OMIK Convention, at the Airport Holiday Inn. The OMIK (derived from the original member states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky) Amateur Radio Association, Inc, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is the largest majority Black amateur radio association in the country, with members in most of the states, the Caribbean, and in scattered overseas locations. Here's the current line-up of presentations: Friday, July 16: 9AM- Antenna Innovations, by RON LANGSTON, WE5O; 10 AM- ARRL Overview and BPL, by HENRY LEGGETTE, WD4Q; 11AM- General comments by SUSAN SWIDERSKI, AF4FO & Getting Along on the Bands by MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI. Saturday, July 17: 9:30AM- Restoring Boat Anchors, by DENNIS MILLS, NT4U; 10:30- HF Remoting From Italy, by VINCE GAMBINO, WB4QJO. For more info, contact FRANK SMITH, k1ub@arrl.net 

JULY 17-18- Museum Ship Weekend. See http://www.qsl.net/ww2dd/event.html

JULY 20--- PRIMARY: Don't forget to vote!!! "Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." PERICLES (430 B.C.)

JULY 24--- SE DX Club BBQ, at Lake Lanier See http://www,sedxc.org/ 

JULY 25--- 1700-2100Z Flight of the Bumblebees. Low power (max 5W)/portable competition, in which participants walk, bike or boat to their site and sign /BB after their calls. Freqs: 7.040, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060 For more information, see www.arsqrp.com/ars/pages/bumblebees/bb_rules.html

AUGUST 7--- Peach State Chapter 49 QCWA meeting, at Fire Mountain Grill, near the corner of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Jimmy Carter Boulevard. NOON. Come meet BILL HUSTED, KD4YA, our "Technobuddy"

AUGUST 14--- Ellijay ARS Hamfest 7AM- 2PM Tail gating and indoor locations

"Talk is cheap, except when Congress does it. Government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other." RONALD REAGAN

(But VOTE anyway!) ME

SILENT KEYS

THIRD FREEMAN, NC4G
DONALD HEMENWAY, W3SQP

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

I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet
when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Well, folks, that's about it for now. Hope you all have a very safe and enjoyable fourth. Oh yeah, if you've been thinking about applying for a vanity callsign, better go for it pretty soon. Word has it that the price will be going up from $16.30 to $20.80 later this year. And y'know, four and a half bucks is four and a half bucks. 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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