August, 2009.

Greetings, All.

Boyohboy, this summer is really flying by, isn't it? Remember how we used to wish our lives away when we were kids? It seems like we were always stretching to reach some important milestone or event, always wishing the days to pass more quickly so we could get to a birthday or to the weekend, get to summer vacation, or get that first job, that first date, first driver's license, first car, graduation, marriage, children, etc. Now, we've become a lot more protective of our time, and try to hold onto it more tightly, and we silently (or sometimes not-so-silently) bemoan its supersonic flight. But ya know what? No matter how anxious we are for time to pass, or how hard we try to slow it down, those darned sands of time keep falling at the same steady rate. So all we can do is stop worrying so much about the passage of time, and enjoy each day as it comes. Squeeze every drop of juice out of it, whether we're twelve or a hundred and two.

Well, the sands have just about run out on my final term as section manager. But listen up: it's still trickling, and it ain't gone yet! Some of you have already asked me how I'm enjoying "retirement" from the responsibilities of the SM position. Well, I do intend to enjoy it, very much so, but for now, I'm still on the job, and will be, until October 1. Which means that next month will be the last issue of "GA Section on My Mind". (Ninety-two down, one to go!) So, if you have any input for that last newsletter, please send it this-a-way before the sands run out. It'd be my honor to share your news with the rest of GA for one last time.

OK, let's get on with it. For these last two newsletters, the one-liners will consist of some wonderful "life lessons", which were penned by 90-year-old REGINA BRETT, and graciously shared by PAT HAYNES, K4BEH.

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

CLUB NEWS

CHEROKEE ARS --- From club PIO JIM MILLSAP, WB4NWS: I wanted to pass along a follow up 2009 ARRL Field Day article in today's (7-29-09) Lakeside Ledger Newspaper in Cherokee County, Georgia. This additional Field Day publicity of our Cherokee Amateur Radio Society (CARS) and Cherokee County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CCARES) groups, is tremendous exposure to the public about our hobby, the capabilities and service Ham operators provide to our community. This article follows two other newspaper articles and CBS46 News broadcast during 2009 Field Day in Cherokee County. Cherokee County Commissioner JIM HUBBARD has supported both of our groups the last two Field Days. We greatly appreciate the support from Commissioner Hubbard and The Lakeside Ledger. It is great that this article appears over a month after Field Day is over, and thanks to all the members of both groups who made the 2009 ARRL Field Day such a success. (GREAT job!)

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARS --- It's a pleasure to announce this club's recent renewal as a Special Service Club, an elite designation reserved for the most excellent affiliated clubs in the country, and a designation which this club has proudly held since 1999. 

NORTH FULTON ARL --- This club will be holding simultaneous HamCram sessions, one for technician class, and the other for general, on Saturday, October 3rd. Full details, including registration information, can be found at http://www.nfarl.org/hamcram.html 

SOUTHEASTERN DX CLUB --- Congratulations to the following slate of recently-elected officers: President- BOB CARROLL, W2WG; VP- JIM CUMMINGS, KT4MM; Secretary- WES LAMBOLEY, W3WL; Treasurer- MIKE WEATHERS, ND4V; and Activities Chairman- GARY MCCONVILLE, WB4SQ. Best wishes for another outstanding year.

THOMASVILLE ARC --- After a month's vacation, TARC will be jumping back in the saddle again for August. We're coming off a successful Tech/General class, which saw a number of those licensees hard at work during Field Day. In particular, two young men, Zach, KJ4LOO (age 18) and Colby, KJ4GOK (age 14), burned the midnight oil and stayed hard at it all night in the quest for more contacts. Zach and Colby have also agreed to get a new youth group started for TARC, with the idea that it reach across to kids in other clubs in the area to make it a regional, rather than local, group. The ARES group will be involved in the 3rd annual Thomas County Preparedness Fair, to be held at Southwest Georgia Technical College (Building D) on Saturday, August 29th, from 10am to 2pm.. It will also be the second outing for the new club Comm Trailer. A number of the agencies we serve are also involved and the event is to better inform the local population about emergency preparedness. In particular from a club standpoint, we have a number of newer members who had the "radio bug" bite them at this event, and are now seated on OUR side of the table. Anyone interested in participating is welcome to come, club member or not, ham or not. (de MIKE BROWN, KE4FGF)

TRI-COUNTY ARC --- It was a genuine pleasure to join these folks at their July meeting in Braselton. A fairly new club, they just attained ARRL affiliation in May, and had 25 club members on the roster at that time. So it was quite a surprise to see such a hefty turn-out for this meeting, and to learn how steadily membership has been growing for the past couple of months. It'd be nice to think that all those people turned out just to see my better half MIKE, K4HBI, and me, and to be WOWed by our presentations.. (But just between you and me, I think it was actually the cake.) Sincere thanks to the club members for their warm hospitality, and for the lovely cake, which was decorated with these sweet words: "Susan, we'll miss you!" (awwww)

NOTE: PR-101 Course on CD-ROM ***NEW*** Developed by the ARRL Public Relations Committee

Who speaks for your club? Do they have any training in media work? Could they do better?

The PR-101 course is designed to give hams a quick course in public relations activities. It uses the skills of experts in various aspects of public relations to provide volunteer Public Information Officers with the basic skills and expectations that a PIO needs to know. PR-101 covers everything from the basic news release to Web sites and video work. The course is conveniently set-up for you to complete it on your own schedule. Upon completion it guides you to the Web for the final exam. Participants who successfully complete the exam will be directed to a special area where they can create, print and save a certificate of completion. http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=0133

'NOTHER NOTE: Here's a great site with all kinds of helpful resources to assist you in leading your club: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/recources-for%20clubs.html

When in doubt, just take the next small step.

HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR CLUB?

Tell me the truth. What do your club meetings look like? Are they humming with energy and buzzing with activity, or would it be more accurate to say that they're stifled by lethargy and crippled by inertia? Is your membership roster growing longer, or is it slowly dwindling away? Unfortunately, the sad truth is that far more ham clubs are faced with falling membership numbers than are faced with the "problem" of having to find a larger meeting place to accommodate the crowds. Not just in Georgia, but all over the country.

So, should you just give up? Simply concede defeat, sign the DNR papers, and accept it as inevitable that it's only a matter of time before your beloved ham club flat-lines? Or is there something you can do to possibly breathe new life into it? Possibly. A definite maybe. It can happen, but I won't lie to you. It takes work.

In 2006, the leaders of one of our clubs here in Georgia were getting desperate about what looked like the impending demise of their club, desperate enough to ask me to come to their September meeting to present some ideas on how to save the club. (No pressure, right?) Well, I gave 'em a handful of seedling ideas, but THEY planted, watered, and fertilized them, and made them grow; I gave them a dirty old basketball, and darned if they didn't take it out on the court and play like Michael Jordan. THEY did it. What the leaders of the North Fulton Amateur Radio League have accomplished is nothing short of miraculous. They have something like 260 members now, and their meetings are jam-packed full. Activities out the wazoo. Enthusiasm levels sky-high.

Hmmmm, might some of those common sense "secrets" that worked out so well for NFARL also work for YOUR club? Tell ya what, let's throw some of those ideas against the wall and see what sticks.

WHERE: Many clubs don't give much thought to where they hold their meetings, and don't think it makes much difference. I beg to differ. If your club is meeting at a restaurant every month, you may be inadvertently incorporating built-in limitations to your club's growth. Ooooh, I can see some heads out there shaking now. Sorry, guys. I understand that some of you have ALWAYS held your meetings in a restaurant, and you enjoy doing it that way, but I'll tell you why I think restaurant meetings tend to set a cap on your club's potential.

No matter how well restaurant owners/employees treat your club members, the fact remains that you are transient visitors in their space, in their place of business. There is zero sense of ownership or pride of place among club members who are essentially nothing more than paying interlopers sharing space with other paying customers. Meeting in a more private place, whether it be a church, library, EOC, or some other meeting facility, not only satisfies a certain psychological "this is our space" sense of belonging, but also allows much more latitude for a wide range of club activities and presentations. Club members who want to get together over dinner can still do that before going to the actual meeting place, but by holding the actual meeting somewhere other than in a restaurant, the meeting itself will be more focused on amateur radio, rather than on the socializing aspects of eating, general conversation, and fellowship. If you genuinely want more people to invest their valuable time in your meeting, you have to offer more than socialization. If you have eight club members, and the eight of you enjoy meeting for dinner once a month, and you don't have any interest whatsoever in changing the status quo, that's fine. But if you want your meetings to be more than a handful of friends getting together to break bread, you might consider a change of meeting place. (There's also the possibility that some people simply don't want to eat dinner in that meeting-place restaurant, for whatever reason, and would rather skip attending your meeting altogether than feel uncomfortable coming to that restaurant and skipping the food.) NOTE: NFARL always met at a restaurant, and were understandably dubious about changing that, but they gave it a try, and moved to an outside meeting place in October of 2006. Within months, they OUTGREW that meeting place.

WHAT: OK, so you already have a great meeting-place. But attendance is still doing a tailspin. Now what? Let's say you hold a meeting, and twenty-five people show up. What should happen at that meeting that will make those twenty-five people want to come back? What should happen that will make them tell their friends about you, that will eventually make your membership grow? The simplest way to put it is that your meeting has to be worth the investment of time. With all of the demands on our time, between family, work, friends, church, community, and other organizations, what will make people keep coming back is a sense of satisfaction that their time was well spent, because they learned something, felt a part of something, felt a connection to other people, shared a laugh or two, and in general, had an overall positive reaction to the whole experience.

Not all clubs have presentations at their meetings, but I'm a huge proponent of having some kind of a program at every single meeting. For me, it's the major purpose of the meeting. Yeah, I realize that sometimes, club business has to take place at meetings, but if the meeting is all blah-blah-blah-blah business, droned reports from every officer and committee chairman, and then... meeting adjourned... where's the incentive to return? We're hams. We like to talk. Enjoy a good discussion. Hopefully, we enjoy learning more about the many aspects of amateur radio. Lively programs fill those needs, and enthusiasm absolutely breeds enthusiasm. It's honest-to-goodness contagious. If club leaders and program presentations are enthusiastic, you'll be amazed at just how contagious it can be.

WHEN: Is a once-a-month meeting sufficient to generate genuine enthusiasm within your club? Maybe, but probably not. We may enjoy going to a monthly meeting, but in the end, it's just a meeting. It's what happens BETWEEN meetings that separates a "monthly meeting" from a successful club. It's what turns a club into a cohesive unit, forges a true sense of belonging, and turns fellow members into friends with a shared sense of pride in their club.

So, what can you do between meetings? Does your club have a repeater? How about holding some outside-the-box nets? Something above and beyond the usual "check-in and announcements" nets that most clubs hold. Something that's fun. It can be a technical net, designed to answer questions from hams old and new, to hold discussions, and share information. It can be an informal rag chew net, a youth net, a CW net, a YL net, or even a trivia net with annual awards. But the point is:  if you have a repeater, use it. Make a joyful noise. Let other hams in the area know that you're there, HEAR you having fun, and know that they're welcome to join you. Use your repeater to make announcements about the great program coming up at your next meeting, or about some scheduled club activity. And yep, activities matter. Building projects, teaching sessions, field trips, operating events and demos, maybe even a few special interest groups. Maybe your club includes a crackerjack contester, CW operator, QRP enthusiast, or antenna guru, just to name a few. Might there be others in the club with enough interest in any of those topics to merit separate meetings in pursuit of those specialized interests? You'll never know if you don't ask.

The thing is, the more activities your club members share, the more invested they'll be in the club. If a monthly meeting offers a single strand of interest to hold the group together, that single strand may be a little tenuous. But just imagine how connected your group can become with the addition of more and more common strands of interest to bind them together.

HOW: Those tips above should work fairly well in an area with a fair-sized ham population. If the hams are already there, all you have to do is convince them that they want to be a part of your club, because doggone it, your club is terrific. In addition to using your repeater to make a joyful noise and publicize your existence, how about regular blurbs in the local newspaper's calendar of events? Does your local library (or other location) have a community bulletin board? How about letting local schools and scout leaders know about your club? That'd be particularly helpful if you plan to hold licensing classes, which is a terrific way to "grow your own" club members. Maybe those who take one of your classes and pass an FCC exam could be offered a free year's membership in your club. But don't forget: offering classes is only a beginning. Getting people licensed is the easy part; getting them to be involved and become active members of the hobby is the real challenge. That's where mentoring comes in. If you support, welcome, and help the newly licensed hams in your area, they will, in turn, happily support your club. Affiliated clubs have access to a monthly list of new hams. I'd suggest that you take advantage of those lists, and reach out to those new hams in your area. Let them know that you're there, and that you'd love them to join you. One special added bonus benefit of welcoming the new hams into your club is that you'll find that many of them are absolutely bubbling with excitement and enthusiasm, which as mentioned earlier, is contagious. They are also often filled with fresh ideas, and willing to join committees and take positions of leadership within your club.

OK, that's enough babbling. I could go on and on, but I think you get the general idea. It isn't rocket science, but it does take some work to rocket your club's enthusiasm to the moon. But you can do it! NFARL sure has. To get an idea of some of the incredible things this club has done, browse through their website at www.nfarl.org.  I'm telling ya, I gave them a crummy set of paints, and they've painted the Sistine chapel. Remarkable.

Life is too short to waste hating anyone.

PLANNING A SCHOOL RADIO DEMONSTRATION

The hot summer days will be with us for quite some time, but for most of Georgia's students, the school doors will soon be opened wide, and summer vacation will be behind them. So maybe now is a good time to start thinking about visiting some of those local schools to introduce students to the joys of amateur radio.

The following article isn't new, but it is timely. Based on what I learned while attempting to set up a school demonstration here in Gwinnett county some years ago, I hope that some of these simple tips will spur your club into making a similar effort:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOTE: More info on that "voice over laser pointer" demo, as designed by my better half, MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, and mentioned in item #6, can be found at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/rwilliams309/Laser_Pointer_Voice_Transmitter.html

Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. You friends and family will. Stay in touch.

ARES NEWS

** HELP NEEDED

MIKE COREY, W5MPC, is compiling a new Storm Spotter Handbook for the ARRL, and this handbook is expected to cover such topics as the history of storm spotting, the SKYWARN program, storm spotter safety, equipment, training, software, types of severe weather, what to do before/during/after a spotter activation, and an appendix of useful material. Sounds pretty terrific, doesn't it? Well, some of you seasoned storm spotters out there may be able to help the author with this book. What he needs in particular are some original PHOTOGRAPHS of storm spotters in action, of severe weather or aftermath damage from severe weather, and ham station set-ups in NWS offices. Also needed are some FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS of severe weather experiences from storm spotters, regarding sighted and reported tornadoes, hail, damaging wind, flooding, etc. And finally, the author is interested in hearing from SkyWarn groups that successfully incorporate the use of some of the NEWER TECHNOLOGIES like D-Star, APRS, and Echolink. If you can help Mike with any of these items, please contact him at w5mpc@arrl.net asap. His deadline is October 1.

** GA ARES MEMBERS, MEET YOUR NEXT SEC, MIKE BROWN, KE4FGF

Hi Folks,

I'm writing this after a discussion with Susan, who agreed that an early "introduction" might be in order. A lot of you don't know me, and as I'll be your SEC in about 60 days, I figured you might want to get a glimpse of what you're in for.

So, a little history first... I've been the Club President of Thomasville ARC for almost 15 years now. Our bylaws don't stipulate any term limits on officers, and my group has been happy enough with my efforts to keep me in place for a lot longer than I'd have ever expected.

I started my "ARES life" as an EC, for both Thomas and Grady counties. It was a start-up situation from the ground up, as there was no pre-existing ARES group in either county. I moved from that position to NWS-DEC for the Tallahassee office about 8 months later, and juggled all three positions for about a year. Last November, after Gene, W4AYK was tapped to be the new SEC, I was approached about taking his position as SWGA DEC, and after finding 3 willing "victims" for my other positions, I accepted.

As you know, much to our chagrin, Susan has decided 8 years as SM was enough, so Gene has moved up once again to take her place. Knowing the sort of leader Gene is, I was the first one to sign off on his nomination form. This happened at a club meeting where Sandy, W4RU, presented TARC a certificate for becoming Georgia's newest Special Service Club. After the meeting, both Gene and Sandy approached me about taking on the SEC position if Gene went in...so...literally, here we are.

I'm sure most of you are wondering what stance I take regarding group leadership. Let me say right off that when I approach anything ARES related, I look at it from the viewpoint of an EC, because in my estimation, the local EC is the most important "cog in the machine." And, as a "Coordinator", either District or Section level, I won't know what the most important needs of a specific county are nearly as well as the EC and his group does. One of my county ECs once told me that they faced a problem and one of the members had suggested that he "ask Mike...he's your Boss." Well, while I am pretty proactive about helping out, I'd never consider myself the Boss. Bosses sit back in an office and tell you what to do. If you're watching a river flooding your area, you may find me standing beside you in my waders saying "do you know the water is knee deep here?"

Simply put...if you're going to lead, it's hard to do if you're not down front...and that thought fits SECs and DECs and ECs..Etc.,etc...

I'm also big on keeping everyone informed about what's going on. While none of my current ECs have blocked me from their email box, they can tell you that they hear from me frequently...if there's something that you need to know, I'm going to get it in front of you as soon as I can.

My main concern is that after reading the monthly reports, we have some pretty good groups going, but we're all a little short on those groups interacting with one another. I'm guilty of that too. In my time as DEC, I've been busy getting my own house in order, but have not looked to the east at the SE District and said "Hey!...how's it going?"

Now, I'm not saying that we're like the "Hatfields and the McCoys," but if you've read any of the stuff Susan has said about me here in the Section news over the years, you already know I'm big on friendship and mutual aid without regard to county or state lines. And in that order! If you're not friends beforehand, you'll make really poor allies later.

So, that's a little bit about me. I look forward to hearing back from you about what you have going on. If you want to email me, I'm at ke4fgf@arrl..net  Or, as I tell my present ECs, use the "Comments" section of your monthly EC or DEC report to sound off about  "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" parts of you situation  Rest assured, I'm watching and reading...

I wanted to get this out of the way this month, because I'll have a follow-up next month about the coming state SET, which will take place 2 days after I take office. That's not enough time for me to get anything out to you, or more importantly, you to get your concerns to me, and I'd really like for this initial effort to be both educational and meaningful to everyone involved in GAARES. If you have concerns now, let me know. If you're curious about what I told my own ECs about the SET, have a look at the SET announcement on www.arrl-ga.org You'll see my letter to the SWGA District leading it off.

 In closing, remember that I'm here to help you make your ARES organization what YOU want it to be. When we all begin working together as a TEAM, we will become the "ARRL Section to Watch."  I'm ready to roll....how about YOU??

73, Mike, KE4FGF

** NEW EC APPOINTMENT: A recent move to Carrollton prompted JOHN PLAYFORD, WD8LQT, to resign from his position as Camden county EC, where he has done a fantastic job, but I'm pleased to announce that GEORGE BAGGS, WA4GWB, the new Camden county EC, will be continuing to build on the great work that John started. Sincere thanks to both of these fine gentlemen.

It's okay to get angry with God. He can take it.

ARES REPORT DE ASEC TOM FULLET, KE4QCM

Total number of ARES members:  825               

Change since last month:  +35 

# of DECs/ECs reporting this month:  54   

# of ARES nets active: 208

# with NTS liaison:   0   

# of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 229

Person hours: 3867

# of public service events this month: 21                

Person hours:  1076

# of emergency operations this month:  15                

Person hours:  90

Total number of ARES operations this month: 265               

Total Person hours: 5033

DECs REPORTING:

            Central-NM4W; GA Public Broadcasting-WB4QDX; Metro Atlanta-N4SEG; NWS/Peachtree City-KD4YDC; Northwest-KD4EKZ; Public Health/Augusta-AI4RV; Salvation Army-WA4UJC; Southwest-KE4FGF

ECs REPORTING:

•  Central: Baldwin-KG4EPI; Bibb-KS4GH; Bleckley-WN8UNO; Houston-KI4QFF; Pulaski-N4TUA; Washington-K4GK

•  East Central: Columbia-WE4GW; Richmond-AH6IW

• Metro Atlanta: Clayton-AJ4GT; Dekalb-W4TGA; Fayette-AG4ZR; Gwinnett-WB4QDX; Newton-WA4UJC; North Fulton-W4UOC; Paulding-K4DMF; Rockdale-KC4ELV; South Fulton-K5NRP

• Northeast: Barrow-K4JSR; Clarke-N4ZRA; Hall-AA4BA; Stephens-KU4ES; Towns-W4VFZ

• Northwest: Carroll-N4IF; Floyd-KD4EKZ; Gilmer-KC4GH; Gordon-AF4DN; Haralson-KD4YDA; Polk-KD4EKZ; Whitfield-AI4ZV

• Southwest: Baker-K4GCR; Brooks-WD4ERM; Colquitt-K4BEE; Dougherty-N4GPJ; Echols-AJ4RW; Grady-KI4RGD; Lee-W5VRV; Lowndes-AL7NS; Macon-KI4BEO; Mitchell-N1QJ; Seminole-K4TPD; Thomas-N4KXl; Turner-W4GHW; Worth-K1KBA

• Southeast: Camden-WD8LQT; Chatham-K4GTM

• West Central: Troup-K3IMC

DEC COMMENTS:

• Central-NM4W:  We have recently linked the Central GA Div VHF Net to the Intertie Repeater System to add 6 other repeaters to this net.

• GA Public Broadcasting-WB4QDX: Activation of KJ4KLF 2m D-STAR repeater at GPB site on Ft. Mountain/Chatsworth, GA

• Metro Atlanta-N4SEG: The June Metro NET was hosted by the Metro District DEC. There were 24 check-ins and the net lasted for 39 minutes. Each check-in's time was recorded in the activities section of the State ARES Database.

• NWS/Peachtree City-KD4YDC:  Sorry I missed May's report. I'm including May's events here for June, because I don't think they'll skew anything: 2 events, 3 people, 18 hrs. For June, one event, 2 people, 2 hrs. MISC: 1 person, 5 hrs, revising repeater linkcodes and repeater work. David Homan - KG4PZI

• Public Health/Augusta-AI4RV: It was a light month for our ARES group. The CCARC had a blast on Field Day! We decided we should do it more often than once a year. Planning for misc. activities.

• Salvation Army-WA4UJC:  Please remember the 20 meter net on 14.265 at 11am eastern Mon. thru Sat. Also 7.262 at 11am on Sat.

• Southwest-KE4FGF: I met with the ECs from Lowndes, Echols and Brooks counties, and the county Emergency Managers from Lowndes and Brooks on the 17th, to get everyone on the same page regarding providing emergency communications in those counties. The meeting went well, and it's now in the hands of the ECs to keep the ball rolling. I received information on a number of Field Day sites, and look forward to seeing the reports on what happened this past weekend in the EC monthly reports. The Grady county EC has added another AEC to help keep watch in the southern part of that county, and also intends to have a meeting with his

•  

EC COMMENTS 

* Central

• Baldwin-KG4EPI:  I would like to thank K4GK and W4OY for being net control for two weeks while work prevented by from giving the net. Thanks, guys.

• Bibb-KS4GH: This miscellaneous activity was the ARRL Field Day Event held by WX4EMA and 11 ARES members from that group.

• Bleckley-WN8UNO: Last check in to the ARES Local VHF Net were 43

• Houston-KI4QFF:  We Have Started a weekly net, and growing by the day. We host the monthly Central Ares Meeting with over 20 every month.

• Pulaski-N4TUA:  Signed up a new Pulaski County ARES member. Please welcome IVEY AUSTIN, KJ4LAJ. Our local net is now linked into The Cherry Blossom Intertie. This linking covers most of Central Georgia. Please check in on Monday nights at 7pm if you would like.

* Metro Atlanta:

• Clayton-AJ4GT: Field Day training hours are wrong on data base - should be 24 Man Hours. We Set up Field Day operations in the penthouse of the Henry County Medical Center Hospital. Has access to the North wing roof. Operated four stations. Three Skywarn activations. Introduction training with the Clayton county K9 unit.

• Fayette-AG4ZR: Misc activities pertain to various AEC activities including 911, local EMA/LE/Fire, and functions/meeting related to ARES, emergency or training.

• Gwinnett-WB4QDX: Two SKYWARN Nets, participation in Dacula Memorial Day Parade, Field Day

• Newton-WA4UJC: We are still working on installing a radio in 911. We have the antenna installed at 140 ft. on the tower. We are looking for a repeater pair for the repeater.

• North Fulton-W4UOC: Public Service Event: Sandy Springs Cycle Challenge from May 2009 (failed to report in May) - 13 radio operators at 76 hours. Training: Monthly Meeting = 15 radio operators X 2 hours = 30 hours plus W4UOC Tom handled the MMST meeting and the SE Weather Nets for 8 additional hours. Total = 38 hours.

• South Fulton-K5NRP:  Officially signed MOU With Piedmont Hospital. Shared Field day with Atlanta Radio Club and the Georgia Tech ARC.

* Northeast:

• Barrow-K4JSR: Other than a successful Field Day, the largest training and drill operation was the N.E. Ga. Public Health Service's Anthrax/Terrorists Drill on June 11th. Barrow County and Athens/Clarke County held a cooperative effort on HF and VHF that provided communications for the drill. Our clients were EMA, Police, Sheriff's Office, Fire Department, Red Cross, GA PHS, and the three Hospitals in Barrow and Clarke County. There was one period during the drill that Barrow ARES provided all communications for the client agencies to demonstrate our capabilities. This included Barrow County EOC, EMA, 911, Fire, Winder PD and Barrow Sheriff's Office as well as Red Cross, and ther three hospitals. Thirteen Hams from Barrow and Clarke participated. Thanks to the following for a job well done: K9CRB; N4DQ; KB4JEH; W1TF; KC8VSH; N4DRK; KJ4CZE AND K4JSR in Barrow. In Clarke we had KJ4EX; KE4JLL; N4CUA; AF4TQ and WA5DYD.

• Towns-W4VFZ: Misc. activities include temporary relocation of main base station, and issuance of updated photo I.D. badges.

* Northwest:

• Floyd-KD4EKZ: Work at repeater site with Georgia Forestry. 96 Field Day Man hours included in miscellaneous hours.

• Gilmer-KC4GH: Field Day Training/ Operations - 4 operators for 24 hours Ft.. Mountain DSTAR Repeater installation/ test

• Gordon-AF4DN: Gordon Co. ARES participate in Field Day on June 27.

* Southeast:

• Chatham-K4GTM: Weekly Savannah Area Simplex net Thursdays at 2030 on 146.520. Keep up with Savannah Area happenings at www.k4gtm.blogspot.com.

* Southwest:

• Baker-K4GCR: Did Field day by myself at the Albany Group. Seems not many interested in operating these days.

• Brooks-WD4ERM: Attended two hour meeting in Valdosta with ARES representatives from Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes and Echols Counties. Took tour of Lowndes 911 Center. Participated in 2009 ARRL Field Day exercise. Advised South Georgia ARC members of the need for more ARES members and activity.

• Dougherty-N4GPJ: Field Day brought out ca. 15 people for ca 8 hours and 5 stayed an additional 16 hours.

• Echols-AJ4RW: Met with the EMA of Lowdnes County Georgia to discuss initial involvement of ECARES / LARES in working with Lowndes EMA. Field Day event was a success and had lots of fun. Practiced emergency communications, met new amateurs and met 2 amateurs from Echols County. Strengthened friendships and met many wonderful people.

• Grady-KI4RGD: June is the start of hurricane season. Grady County ARES volunteers are ready to help if needed. We have appointed WALT HENDRICKS, KI4TFL, as a Grady County ARES AEC and we have also confirmed that NIRMAL SINGH, KE4URL, as an AEC. Nirmal was the existing AEC prior to DEWEY RYKARD's appointment as Grady County ARES EC. Field Day was held on June 27-28 at the Thomasville EOC. Preparations began early Saturday with antenna and radio set-up. Dewey Rykard, KI4RGD, the Grady County ARES EC operated the GOTA station and assisted visitors with making several contacts. Several Grady County ARES members attended field day and worked with other amateur radio operators and ARES members from other counties. It was a lot of fun and a good learning experience.

• Lee-W5VRV: 20 hours shown above was Field Day activities

• Mitchell-N1QJ:  Two of my members attended Field Day in Thomasville. There were approximately 70 people present at supper. Thursday night nets have been a problem, as the primary repeater is having some problems, and the net moves to a repeater I have problems with.

• Seminole/K4TPD: No activity on the local level in Seminole Co. I was able to upgrade my Amateur Radio License from Technician Class to General Class after passing the exam during Field Day.

• Thomas-N4KXl: We had a great Field Day. This was due to a lot of hard work on a few folks part. Our Communications Trailer was put to use for the first time. This should give us or I should say those who used it a good idea of what to expect in case we have to pull it out and use it. Still working on the air, but other than that it is looking good. Thanks to Stewart Jackson who gave a presentation on severe weather at field day. Great work and great food as always. So thank to Wynona, Buddy, And Carolyn for A job well done. It is my hope and this is not related to ARES, well maybe it will be in the future, but we have many new folks with new tickets and that's due in a large part to Mike Brown, KE4FGF and Ivan Cook who taught Tech & General Classes. Hopefully we will increase in number of volunteers for our ARES program in the near future. It looks good to me. We in Thomasville & Thomas County are very fortunate for great leadership!....N4KXL

• Turner-W4GHW:  FD was a success with a total of 19 people attending, 11 hams and 8 visitors.

• Worth-K1KBA: We had twenty people to attend the Field Day event held at Camp Osborne Boy Scout camp in Worth County. Of that group, there were about eight operators that operated the four radio stations that were put on the air. This group of operators provided about 85 man hours of radio time. The group made over 180 contacts with Dave, KK4PQ and Kevin, KI4NDK hauling in the vast majority of these contacts as they operated thru the night. GREAT JOB, guys!! It was a hot weekend but we had fun. Thanks to Bob, K4PHE for the cooking and Art, N4WOY for setting up the Communications trailer.

* West Central:

• Troup-K3IMC: West Point Lake Triathlon

When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

OFFICIAL OBSERVER SUMMARY

Here are some excerpts from this month's OO Summary, from ARRL Field & Regulatory Correspondent and all-around good guy CHUCK SKOLAUT, KA0BOG:

This month's statistics reveal a total of 692 Official Observers.  During the month of June we received 10 recommendations for hams to begin the process to become OOs. One amateur from Maryland successfully passed the exam and joined our group.

Here are some of the situations OOs assisted with in June.

•  OO activities seemed to have been lighter this month probably due to more people gone on vacations.

• We continue to receive complaints about activities on or near 14275 especially the language used.

•  Reports were received this past weekend of hearing a station identifying as K1MAN airing sessions of NewsLine and other information programs.  The FCC is aware of the transmissions.

•  With more openings occurring on 10 meters we are getting more reports of unlicensed operation on the band.  We are looking for specific information from OOs to be able to forward on to the FCC regarding this.

•  We have received several reports from West Virginia and Michigan regarding unlicensed hunters using 2 meter simplex frequencies, information has been forwarded to the FCC.

•  OOs in New York and New Jersey are following up on reports of inter-repeater interference.

•  Several reports of boot-legged calls were received and information was passed on the FCC in case they received complaints.

•  A report of a "numbers station" (Spanish speaking) on 30 meters was received and was forwarded on to the FCC, another report was of 5 letter code groups there.

•  OOs in California are investigating a case of a continuous carrier on a two meter frequency.

• Documentation was collected by Eastern Pennsylvanian OOs regarding language being used on a local 10 meter net and was forwarded to the FCC for their consideration.

•  Several questions were received regarding felons holding licenses, the FCC has stated that these cases are handled on a case by case manner and if anyone has a complaint, they can contact them at FCCHAM@fcc.gov with specific information.

•  A repeater coordination conflict is being investigated by California OOs, information has been passed on to the FCC.

•  We continue to receive a number of reports of uncertified "CB" type equipment being offered for sale on eBay and other sites on the internet and also at the major truck stops across the nation.

No new official actions were added to the FCC listing during the month of June, however several matters were handled off the record.

http://www.fcc..gov/eb/AmateurActions/Welcome.html  

 It is important for all amateurs to abide by their band privileges, our DXCC department does consider OO reports regarding out of band privileges by operators and continual infractions are forwarded on to the FCC. Also we have been receiving a number of reports of Technician class licensees on the HF bands.

Make peace with your past so it won't screw up your present.

NET REPORT DE STM CHARLES PENNINGTON, K4GK

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

NOTE: GA State Net website updated:  www.qsl.net/gsn/   

'NOTHER NOTE: Don't forget the South CARS net, which meets every day from 8 AM until 10 AM and again from noon until 2PM, on 7.251 MHz. A friendly, welcoming group of folks. Especially great company while on the road. I understand that a Trader's Net meets on this same frequency on Wednesday mornings at 10 AM.

Other GREAT nets:

QCWA: Saturdays at 9AM on 3.8575 MHz

SE 6M SSB Net: Sundays at 9 PM on 50.145 MHz

GARS 6M net: Wednesdays at 9PM 53.110/52.110

SE AM Net: Tuesdays at 7:30 PM on 3885 kc (AM nets ALWAYS meet on kcs...)

Hole in the Wall Net: Wednesdays at 9 PM on 50.135 MHz

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

SECTION NOTABLES

** CONGRATULATIONS to JOHN STANLEY, K4ERO, who was selected by the ARRL Board of Directors to receive the prestigious DOUG DEMAW, W1FB, Technical Excellence Award. John, of Rising Fawn, wrote the two-part article "The Beauty of Spectrum Analysis", which appeared in the June and July, 2008, issues of QST.

** CONGRATULATIONS, also, to CHARLES PENNINGTON, K4GK, who was chosen by the GA Single Sideband Association, as its 2009 GA Amateur Radio Operator of the Year.

** Our own LARRY PRICE, W4RA, who served as ARRL president from 1984-1992, and then as IARU president from 1999-2009, continues to rack up the honors, as well he should. As reported last month, Larry received an official ITU Certificate of Appreciation at the IARU meeting in Geneva, and most recently, he was doubly honored at the humongous Friedrichshafen, Germany Ham Radio 2009 convention. IARU VP OLE GARPESTAD, LA2RR, who served as President of the Norwegian Radio Relay League (NRRL) from 2000-2002, presented Larry with the NRRL's highest award: Knight of the Order of the Golden Key. This award was given in recognition of Larry's many years of service to the IARU, the ARRL, and Amateur Radio in general. An additional honor was bestowed upon Larry when IARU President TIM ELLAM, VE6SH, conferred upon him the title of IARU President Emeritus. CONGRATULATIONS, Larry. (or should I say "Sir" Larry?)

Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

THIS 'N' THAT

** At this website, DIANA ENG, KC2UHB, presents very simple how-to instructions on making satellite contacts:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/catching_satellites_on_ham_radio.html

** For a serious case of shack envy, you've got to check this one out on QRZ.  Matter of fact, this is more like a ham "palace". BILL LAAKKONEN, KC4KM, gave me a heads up on this one: check W9EVT, GEORGE ULM, on QRZ. WOW!!

** Six meters has been hot, hot, hot lately, with reported openings into both Europe and Hawaii. When the magic band is open, you can use just about any antenna to make contacts, but if you're interested in optimizing your 6 M capabilities by putting up the most effective 6M antenna, here's the site for you. It compares a number of popular 6M antennas, and lets you decide which would best meet your needs. (and pocketbook)
http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/6mAntennaComparisonTableByVE7BQH.txt

** Is your feed line maybe adversely affecting the directionality of your antenna? Is your noise floor too high? Common mode chokes may help solve both problems for you, but didja know? There are ways to install chokes.... and there are more effective ways to install them. Check it out at http://wiki.contesting.com/index.php/Common_mode_chokes

** Looking for a simple pin-out reference to help you with wiring connectors, cables and adapters? This is the place: http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php/Main_Page

** MATT GARLAND, AJ4NT, recently posted the following info on the NFARL reflector about a website you may find to be of some interest. He wrote: I recently discovered a website that generates a line-of-sight coverage map given (lat, long, elevation) coordinates. I've generated the panorama for the 145.47 machine; follow the link below, and click on the map button titled "visibility cloak". It will also generate an elevation profile between two positions; click on the map to set the second position, then choose "Show profile". http://www.heywhatsthat.com/?view=T80F2EN4

** This URL, shared by BOB CARROLL, W2WG, on the NFARL reflector, provides excellent information about VHF propagation:  www.vhfdx.net 

** Antenna tuners work okay at the radio, but how about if you install the tuner at the antenna itself? Even better, right? Here's some info from DANIEL ZIMMERMAN, N3OX, about how he installed his tuner at the antenna, and remote controls it from the comfort of his shack. (If you check out the site, you'll find some other interesting projects, as well.)  http://www.n3ox.net/projects/servo/

** Here is an interesting site, posted on the SEDXC reflector by GUY SHIELDS, W4GBU, that will show you all antenna and towers around your location. http://www.antennasearch.com/

** Alabama's Shelby County ARC VE team has put together an excellent self-study resource page that is well worth exploring by other VE teams and hams interested in upgrading. Called the W4SHL Online Learning Library, there's a mix of multi-media educational resources that can be of benefit to persons studying for any level amateur radio test. http://www.w4shl.com/VE_Team/vehome.html 

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

UPCOMING EVENTS

AUGUST 1 --- 1200Z-2359Z. European HF contest. SSB, CW. For more info, please see   www.lea.hamradio.si/~scc/euhfc.html      

AUGUST 1-2 --- North American QSO Party (CW) 1800Z Aug 1- 0600Z Aug 2. 160M-10M. See www.ncjweb.com  for more info

AUGUST 1-2 --- Ten-Ten International Phone QSO Party 0001Z Aug 1- 2359Z Aug 2. www.ten-ten.org 

AUGUST 1-2 --- ARRL UHF (222+) Contest. 1800Z-1800Z. All mode. Please see www.arrl.org/contest

AUGUST 1-9 --- Lighthouses/Lightships on the Air Week. All Modes. There seems to be more and more lighthouses on the air every year. How many can YOU work??  ialhp.org   

AUGUST 7-10 --- You may not be ready to count the Braves out for the season just yet, but I'll bet you're getting a little itchy for football season to start. How about a contact with the Football Hall of Fame to tide you over? 1200Z-2359Z each day.  Canton ARC Special Event Station W8AL. 28.365, 21.365, 14.265, 7.265. CERTIFICATE. www.w8al.org

AUGUST 8--- ELLIJAY HAMFEST --- "The Biggest Little Hamfest in Georgia"- Ellijay Lions Club, 1729 S. Main St (old Hwy 5 South) SETUP Friday evening from 5-9 PM and at 6 AM Saturday. General admission at 7 AM. Admission five dollars. Tailgating and covered pavilion sites available. Hope to see you there! Talk-in 145.170(-)PL 100  http://www.ngamtn.com/w4hhh/fest.html 

AUGUST 15-16 --- HUNTSVILLE, AL HAMFEST. 9AM-5PM Saturday, 9AM-3PM Sunday. Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St.  www.hamfest.org

AUGUST 15-16 --- North American QSO Party (SSB) 1800Z Aug 15- 0600Z Aug 16. 160-10M. www.ncjweb.com 

And just so you can mark these fun events on your calendar a little early:

SEPTEMBER 5-6 --- SHELBY HAMFEST. We haven't been since the fest moved to its new location in Dallas, NC, but from all reports, this fest is still DEFINITELY worth the trip.  http://www.shelbyhamfest.com/

SEPTEMBER 12 --- PRATER'S MILL HAMFEST. Sponsored by the Dalton ARC, this one is always a tailgater's delight, and if you're planning to go, plan on getting there EARLY. "Officially" starts at 7AM, but last time we were there, the wheeling and dealing started well before the sun woke up. FREE

SEPTEMBER 19 --- PAULDING ARC HAMFEST. Dallas, GA. At the Paulding Meadows Park, 8AM- 4PM.

Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

SILENT KEYS

TERRELL AYRES W4GKE

ROBERT CARTER W4IRL

BOB HUDSON W4HR

WILLARD STRAIN KG4PEA

ERNEST ZINGLEMAN KS4Q

Heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of these fine men.

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

No trees were killed in the sending of this message.
Alas, some terribly inconvenienced electrons got a wee bit fed up and ran amok. Terrible, just terrible.