Georgia Section On My Mind

September, 2006

Greetings, All.

Who'd a thunk it? We all knew that our illustrious and industrious Southeastern Division Director, FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, is a man of many talents, but it seems that he may possess even more abilities than we ever suspected. At the beginning of the year, he sent out a Hamfest calendar to let us all know when these activities would be occurring this year. In it, he provided the date of October 14 as being the date for both the Augusta and the Rome Hamfests, but after a check with both of these groups, I was assured that they would NOT be held on the same weekend, that Augusta would be on the 14th and Rome would be on the following weekend. Well, since that time, there has been a change of date and location for the Rome Hamfest (AKA the Al Brock Memorial Hamfest, sponsored by the Northwest GA ARC) and it turns out that it will, indeed, be held on the 14th. Its new location will be at the Rome American Legion Post, at 5 Shorter Avenue. (So, Frank knew even before the club did!) Alas, since Mike and I haven't yet figured out how to be in two places at one time, we'll have to miss seeing all of the fine folks at the Rome Hamfest this year. I sincerely hope that both Hamfests are a huge success, in spite of the scheduling conflict. (and I'll never doubt you again, Frank!)

CONGRATULATIONS to the ARRL, which was recently awarded a prestigious international award called the "Golden Antenna", which is awarded for outstanding emergency life-saving services. And congratulations to YOU, because it was presented to the ARRL, as the representative for the hundreds of ham volunteers who pitched in and made a real difference after Hurricane Katrina last year. And there are many of you reading this right now who did just that. You can read about this award at http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2006/bad_bentheim.htm 

The SET is coming up, officially on the weekend of October 7-8, but your ARES group can participate any time between now and the end of November. Please DO. And PLEASE file your SET report (as well as your annual report) in a timely manner, BEFORE the posted deadline! You can send your reports directly to HQ to STEVE EWALD, WV1X, at sewald@arrl.org and please don't forget to send a copy of those reports to our SEC JIM COTE, N4PJR, at n4pjr@jesup.net, to our Deputy SEC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, at wa4dyd@arrl.net, and to keep another file for your own records. Some of our ECs have told me that they sent in reports to HQ in the past, but it was never reflected in the QST report. Sending a copy of your report to Stan will help us keep better track of those reports from the entire Section. (More info on the SET in the body of this newsletter.)

HELP WANTED: JODY CARTER is a teacher at LaFayette Middle School, in Northwest Georgia, and with fellow teacher BARRY EURE, KS4RT, is in the process of starting an amateur radio club at the school. This new Rambler Radio Club already has FORTY interested students, but these teachers need HELP from the local ham community. If there are any clubs or individual hams in that area who'd like to help "infect" these students with the amateur radio bug, please let me know, and I'll put you into contact with Jody.

And don't forget! Don't forget to get those nominations in for this year's Golden Piglet, the GA Section's Youth of the Year Award. This is a very good thing for our Section, but we can't do much if you guys and gals don't submit a nomination for that special young person that YOU know. We all know they're out there, all over the state, but we need YOUR help to enable us to give one of our young hams the recognition he or she deserves. See www.arrl-ga.org for instructions and that nominating form.

Just because BILL CHEREPY, WB4WTN, is our SGL, (State Government Liaison) that doesn't mean that he's one of those uptight staid kinda guys. That master of mirth, that purveyor of puns, is the source of this month's one-liners. (So, y'all can groan at HIM!) Thanks, Bill.

Members of an Eastern religion pay for their sins by beating themselves with small, triangular flags.
It is their way of doing pennants.

AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS

ELLIJAY Hamfest-August 12 --- Well, the Ellijay ARS dubbed this one as "the biggest little Hamfest in Georgia", and, by golly, they lived up to their claims. As we drove in early Saturday morning, DAVE MEADOWS, K4LDI, lamented, "We haven't had a drop of rain up here in five weeks!" As Murphy would have it, the rain was coming down pretty good while he was making that comment. But a little bit of rain didn't scare away the crowds. Not only did Georgia hams from all over the state show up, but there were quite a few attendees from Tennessee and Alabama, as well. And I didn't hear a single complaint from anyone about the liquid sunshine. Everybody knew how badly the rain was needed, so nobody let it dampen their spirits a bit. Since just about everything was under cover, anyway, what did it matter?

Our fearless Director of Vice, SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, who had been released from the hospital just a scant couple of days earlier, proved himself to be a real trooper. Not only did he make it to the Hamfest, but he sported his Georgia Piglet tee shirt, along with a big half-smile, and did a fine job of helping me man the ARRL table. Recovering from his stroke will still take some time, but it's a pleasure to report that his sense of humor is as good as ever, and is serving him well.

The fine folks of the Ellijay ARS understand the notion that "if you feed them they will stay". And stay they did, to enjoy some lunch, and to hang around for the grand prize drawings. The Grand Prize winners were WILLIAM DOBBS, K4TSF, of Tennessee, who won the HT, and MARTHA HOUSTON, KB4RCQ, of Dallas, GA, who won the mobile rig. Congratulations to both of them.

Unfortunately, WILL PERKINS, W1ZRV, and his bride JUDY, KE7ERI, who are here in Atlanta from Washington state on TDY for FEMA, arrived at the Hamfest right about the time for the drawing. Uh-oh. We Georgia hams know that around here, that's usually the signal for everyone to go home, no matter what the flyers advertise as the end time. Evidently, that isn't the case in Washington. But all was not lost. At least, they said that they really enjoyed the ride to the Georgia mountains. (And they'll know to come earlier next time around.)

All in all, it was another fun outing. Many thanks to the members of the Ellijay ARS for all of their efforts in hosting this "biggest little Hamfest in Georgia". It gets better every year. And, as always, thanks to each of you who came out to support it with your attendance. Even in the rain.

AUGUST 21-26 --- STRONG ANGEL III --- Well, if ya can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all. Many thanks to the members of GA ARES who were well-prepared to support this activity, centered in San Diego, CA. Purportedly, the idea was to demonstrate the capability of amateur radio to provide communications in times of disasters. Well, you know what they say about "the best-laid plans of mice and men". Unfortunately, the plans on the left coast didn't turn out to be very "best-laid". 'Nuff said.

Fortunately, there are two exercises coming up this month in Georgia that WILL demonstrate the capabilities of amateur radio. One will be between DHS/GEMA and the CAP, and the other will be in support of the National Guard. The planning that is going into both of these exercises is very impressive, and I'll be looking forward to hearing the results of both of them.

Could Hitler's bunker be considered attacks shelter?

CLUB NEWS

ALBANY ARC --- Along with members of the AMERICUS ARC, these fine folks will be providing communications to support the Pecan City Peddlers "Nut Roll" bike ride coming up on September 16. Expected to draw upwards of 300 participants, this bike ride starts at Chehaw Park, and then follows a back roads path to Plains and Archery (Jimmy Carter's place) and back again to the starting point. The Albany club will be providing communications in Lee county, and the Americus club will handle communications in Sumter county. Coming up, from October 6-8, club members will once again provide support communications for the Special Olympics Georgia Fall Games, which was described in their newsletter as "the most enjoyable and rewarding event that we participate in each year".

ATLANTA ARC --- Elections were held recently, and congratulations go out to the following slate of officers: President- JIM FARMER, N4IBW; VP- GEORGE LANE, KI4DSO; Secretary- JACK BOLTON, WA4PNY; and (long-serving) Treasurer- CHARLES GOLSEN, W4CHG. Best wishes for a successful and enjoyable year leading the club. Coming up at the September 7 meeting, NEIL MAZUR, N2NM, and DAVID BUDWASH, both of whom work for WAGA-TV, will be presenting a program on HDTV. Club meetings are held at the Red Cross building on Monroe Drive, in Atlanta. http://www.w4doc.org/arc/

ATHENS ARC --- We all use it every day, but do we know how to use it safely? ED ROLLOR, N4ZRA, presented an "enlightening" program on Electrical Safety at the August meeting.

BILL GREMILLION MEMORIAL ARC --- Club members recently provided a technician class for Georgia Defense Force members, as well as for some local Boy Scouts.
Congratulations to all who were involved for a job well done. The Coweta County Fair is coming up on September 18-23, and club members, along with Coweta county ARES/RACES members, will once again have a presence this year. EMA Director EDDIE BALL, WB4QAU, will even provide a tent for them, right beside his Emergency Communications Van, where they will demonstrate the capabilities, and the fun, of amateur radio.

COLUMBIA COUNTY ARC --- There have been some pretty terrific openings on six meters this summer, and lots of you have taken advantage of them to work some new grids, both stateside and DX. How about a new challenge for working the magic band? At the August meeting, club member ALAN JAMES, AG4ZE, did a presentation on operating 6M via meteor scatter. (The program was outta this world, I'll betcha!) Club members will once again be operating a Special Event Station, W4O, on October 7, in conjunction with the 18th annual Oliver Hardy Festival. The September meeting has been cancelled, and re-scheduled for October 3, while Stan Laurel look-alike DENNIS MORIARTY, K8AGB, and Oliver Hardy look-alike DALE WALTER will be in town for the festival and the meeting. They will both attend the meeting, where Dennis will be doing a presentation about TV and Electromagnetic Interference.

COLUMBUS ARC --- These folks will be holding a special event station on September 30, 2006 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the club (1956-2006). Callsign used will be W4CVY/50. Operating times will be approximately 1500Z to 2100Z (11:00AM to 5:00 PM ET). Approximate Frequencies will be: 7.250, 14.260, 21.360. A special certificate will be available. (de SUE GODWIN, W4SUE)

GWINNETT ARS --- ROBIN CUTSHAW, AA4RC, did a fine presentation on AMSAT at the August club meeting. (even if he DID try to pass himself off as "Emily") Honest, it wasn't staged, but when one of the club members asked about the costs involved in building and launching these satellites, and where the funds come from to support those efforts, it gave Robin the perfect "Well, since you asked" opportunity. (The club was very pleased to make a donation.) As if the AMSAT presentation weren't enough, club members also got the additional treat of hearing a little impromptu presentation by GEORGE PATSIOS, W4VMZ, about amateur radio in the early 30's. A great meeting!

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC --- The September "meeting" will actually be in the form of the annual picnic, to be held on September 9 at Dallas Landing Park in Acworth, the same locale as the club's Field Day activities for the past two years. In October, AL MILES, KG4VIB, will be doing a presentation on the use of amateur radio in maritime situations. He was prepared to do this presentation for the August meeting, but the Powers That Be had other ideas. As in, there was no power that evening. Hopefully, in October, there won't be an electrical storm, and there WILL be electricity.

LANIERLAND ARC --- The program at the August meeting was on PSK-31 and other digital modes of communications, presented by TERRY JONES, W4TL.

SE DX CLUB --- Members enjoyed their annual "fun in the sun" gathering at the home of K4TEA, KEN BYERS, and his bride TRISH, in July, and in August, elections were held to select their next group of fearless leaders. Congratulations to President- AL LUDWICK, N4ZZK; VP- JOHN TRAMONTANIS, N4TOL; Secretary- GEORGE NICHOLSON, N4GRN; Treasurer- HAL KENNEDY, N4GG; and Activities- GARY MCCONVILLE, WB4SQ. Hope you guys have a great year. And remember. You don't have to be a "big gun" DX-er to join this group. They welcome anyone with an interest in DX-ing, veterans and newbies alike, and they're always happy to share their "secrets" about ways to improve your station and how to make those big contacts.

THOMASVILLE ARC --- These friendly folks go out of their way to help fellow members whenever there's a need, and they are always there to encourage each other, and to help new people get into the hobby. Recently, they hosted a VE session, at which 8-year-old SARAH HUNT, of Tallahassee, was the only applicant. This was her third attempt, and she dearly wanted to get her license, just like her parents and big brother. She's been attending club meetings with her family for some time now, and she had the time of her life at this year's Field Day. It's a pleasure to report that her perseverance paid off, and the third time was the charm. She passed her test. That's certainly wonderful news, but what is really newsworthy is the way that these club members have encouraged her, accepted her, and celebrated her success. It's easy enough to say that we want to help young people get into the hobby. For these folks, it's more than just words.

Don't buy a fifth on the third for the Fourth because he who drives with a fifth on the Fourth
many never drive forth on the fifth.

ARES NEWS

***CAMDEN COUNTY ARES --- CHUCK COOPER, N4TIS, who has done a great job as EC, recently stepped down, and we want to thank him for all of his hard work and for all of the great progress that was made during his term of service. Stepping up to take the reins is new EC JOHN PLAYFORD, WD8LQT. Many thanks to him for his willingness to serve and to continue the good work there.

*** ROCKDALE COUNTY EC TIM ROSING, KC4ELV, reports that Rockdale county is home to a new Mobile Command Vehicle, which is now in the process of having a Very Nice amateur station installed. He says that this unit will be available for large scale emergency situations in the southeast, so he is in the process of programming a multitude of frequencies in there for various other ARES groups, especially those in the metro Atlanta area.

***DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS--- Good news from our DEC for Digital Communications, TOM OLLEY, KG4VUB:

For those interested in Digital Communications, we have set up a dedicated email reflector to discuss the use of various digital modes for EmComm in GA and to allow a place for members to discuss technical issues related to APRS, Winlink 2000, HSMM (WiFi), PSK31, and other digital modes. There is only a small percentage of ARES members that are involved in Digital Communications and it's very hard for those getting started to find help. Hopefully, this new reflector can provide that help and also provide a communications portal for coordinating Digital Communications throughout the state.

With Internet and email being the everyday norm, packet radio sort of got left behind. But even 1200 baud packet is still valuable in getting the message through in places where the Internet may be down. For those that don't already know, you CAN send and receive true email in the field using a laptop, TNC, and your mobile rig.

ECs, please encourage your Digital AECs to sign up on this list. If you currently have digital communications projects going on in your county I'm sure other county groups would love to know about them. I hope this email list can be used to share information about what software works best for a given situation, how to configure it, how to build the interface between your radio and computer, what hardware works and what doesn't.

The reflector is open to all ARES members that want to keep up with the latest info on Digital Communications in Georgia.

To sign up, go to http://gaares.org/mailman/listinfo/digi_gaares.org

Thanks and 73,
Tom KG4VUB
DEC Digital Communications


*** GREAT NEWS from ARRL HQ!! This comes to us from KAY CRAIGIE, N3KN, the Chairman of the National Emergency Response Planning Committee. She writes:

The ad hoc National Emergency Response Planning Committee (NERPC) isn't due to report to the Board until next January. However, with the anniversaries of Katrina and 9/11 approaching, ARRL members having a serious interest in em comm are wondering about whether or not the ARRL is better prepared now than we were a year ago to cope with mega-disasters like Katrina. A major issue members are curious about is the ARRL's rapid response capability in Katrina-type disasters where our traditional decentralized ARES approach doesn't work satisfactorily to meet the needs of national-level served agencies.

Thanks to funding from a Corporation for National and Community Service grant, ARRL is making significant progress towards a national volunteer database of experienced and trained emergency communications volunteers who will available for rapid deployment in case of major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. The principles underlying the system were developed by the National Emergency Response Planning Committee for the project managers at ARRL Headquarters.

This system will allow prompt alerting and deployment of qualified operators to disaster areas outside their home ARRL Sections. It will enable the League to respond quickly to requests from national-level served agencies such as the American Red Cross for large numbers of qualified operators without the delay and confusion that has sometimes occurred in the past.

One way to populate the database would be simply to seek volunteers directly from the Amateur Radio community at large. However, the NERPC -- made up of present and past ARRL Section Field Organization leadership officials -- concluded that it is best to work with and through the Field Organization to identify Amateur Radio emergency communicators who are trained, equipped, prepared, and willing to deploy outside their home Sections in case of major disasters.

This database will not replace any databases or other methods used at the section level.

At this time the system is not yet ready to "go live." Before that happens, Section officials will be briefed on what they need to know in order to facilitate cooperation of emergency communicators in their Sections with this exciting new national-level response capability.

"Please stand by."

73 - Kay Craigie, N3KN
Chairman, National Emergency Response Planning Committee

***SET (SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST) 2006

It's time for all of you ARES groups to start doing some serious planning for this year's SET, if you haven't already done so. Although the "officially" scheduled SET weekend is October 7-8, your exercise can actually be held anytime between September 1 and November 30, so you can schedule it to meet your group's needs. Reports are due by no later than January 31, 2007. Like last year, please also send a copy of your report to our Deputy SEC, STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD. (wa4dyd@arrl.net) The following comes from STEVE EWALD, WV1X:

ARRL 2006 Simulated Emergency Test

October 7 - 8

The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test is a nationwide exercise in emergency communications, conducted by ARRL Section, District and local Emergency Coordinators, and by Net Managers. Both Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the National Traffic System (NTS) are involved. The SET weekend gives communicators the opportunity to focus on the emergency-communications capability within your community while interacting with NTS nets. The main SET weekend to focus on this year is October 7 -8, 2006.

During September, the ARRL will once again be among many organizations and agencies across the country taking part in National Preparedness Month. "The Ready Campaign," produced by the Ad Council in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is aimed at making citizen preparedness "a priority for every city, every neighborhood and every home" in the United States. The ARRL encourages you to consider this year's Simulated Emergency Test and all preparations as well as post exercise evaluations as a demonstration of both your readiness and Amateur Radio's readiness.
Be an active participant in the SET and join the nation in National Preparedness Month.

Information about National Preparedness Month and how individuals, families and businesses can prepare for emergency situations may be found at www.ready.gov.

Purpose of SET

1. To find out the strengths and weaknesses of ARES and NTS, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and other groups in providing emergency communications.
2. To provide a public demonstration--to served agencies such as Red Cross, Civil Preparedness, and through the news media--of the value to the public that Amateur Radio provides, particularly in time of need.
3. To help radio amateurs gain experience in communications using standard procedures and a variety of modes under simulated-emergency conditions.

Format

The scoring format reflects broad objectives and encourages use of digital modes for handling high-volume traffic and point-to-point Welfare reports out of the affected simulated- disaster area. Participants will find SET an opportunity to strengthen the VHF-HF link at the local level, thereby ensuring that ARES and NTS are working in concert. The SET will give all levels of NTS the chance to handle exercise-related traffic. The guidelines also recognize tactical traffic on behalf of served agencies.
Test messages should carry the word "TEST" before the precedence; that is, "Test Priority" on phone and "TEST P" on cw. The text of such messages should also begin with the words "TEST MESSAGE." ARES units and other groups are free to conduct their emergency exercises anytime between September 1 and November 30 if an alternative date is preferred. The activity period should not exceed 48 hours. The ARRL Web Page is a resource available to you as you prepare for the upcoming test. Check the ARRL Field Organization Page on the ARRL Web Site, http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/ for electronic versions of the SET reporting forms, traffic handling information, and several other items related to public service and emergency communications. You may e-mail your SET summaries to ARRL Headquarters via sewald@arrl.org. (Electronic â€" text file - copies of these forms are included in this message.) If you print them out and mail them to ARRL via the postal service, the address is: ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494.

Preparation is Important

Steps for the Emergency Coordinator

1. Sign up all available amateurs in the area under your jurisdiction and work them into your SET plans.

2. Call a meeting of all ARES members and prospective members to briefly outline (provide no details!) SET activities, and give general instructions. Do not divulge the exact time or nature of the test to them at this time. This should come as a surprise. Take this opportunity to register new ARES members and get up-to-date information on others. Hold an on-the-air meeting if it's not possible to meet in person.
ARES Registration forms can be found at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/#fsd-98

3. Contact served agencies and explain the intent and overall purpose of the SET. Offer to send test messages to other branches of their agencies, and invite officials to your ARES meetings and SET operating sites.

4. Contact officials of any adjacent communities having no active amateurs and offer to provide representation in amateur networks for them as well.

5. Arrange publicity in consultation with an ARRL Public Information Officer in local newspapers and radio/TV stations by preparing an announcement and/or inviting the press to observe your group's SET operation. More information on Public Relations and Amateur Radio can be found here: http://www.arrl.org/pio/.

6. Set up liaison with one or more NTS local/section nets (if you don't already have liaison) so you will have an outlet for all messages out of the local area.

7. Formulate your plans around a simulated disaster. Possible "plots" include: a flood, a serious fire, an ice storm, a missing person, a serious accident (automobile, bus, aircraft, for examples), a broken gas line, and so forth. Elaborate on the situation by developing a scenario, but please be realistic.

During the SET

1. Announce the emergency situation. Activate the emergency net. Dispatch mobiles to served agencies.

2. Have designated stations originate messages on behalf of served agencies. Test messages may be sent simulating requests for supplies. Simulated emergency messages (just like real emergency messages) should be signed by an authorized official.

3. Emphasize tactical communications for served agencies.

4. As warranted by traffic loads, have liaison stations on hand to receive traffic on the local net and relay to your section net. You should also be sure that there is a representative on each session of the section net to receive traffic going to the local area.

5. Operate at least one session (or substantial segment of a session) of the local net on emergency-only basis. Or, if a repeater is on emergency power, allow only emergency-powered stations to operate through the repeater for a certain time period.

After the SET

An important post-SET activity is a critique session to discuss the test results. All ARES (and RACES) members should be invited to the meeting to review good points and weaknesses apparent in the drill. Emphasize ways to improve procedures, techniques, and coordination with all groups involved. Report your group's effort using the appropriate forms and include any photos, clippings and other items of interest.

The Role of NTS

The main function of the National Traffic System in an emergency situation is to tie together all of the various local activities and to provide a means by which all traffic destined outside of a local area, section or region can be systematically relayed to the addressee.

Normal NTS routing should be followed. A valid exception is the handling of emergency traffic that should be routed as rapidly and efficiently as possible, bypassing various levels of nets when delivery can be expedited. Another exception is when one station is loaded down with traffic for one region or section. At the discretion of the Net Control Station (NCS), the station may be directed to bypass a normal channel and go directly to a lower (or higher) echelon net.

The interface between NTS and ARES lies in the liaison function between local nets and other NTS nets, particularly at the section level. Responsibility for representation of the local network on the section net lies with the local net manager who may or may not be the EC. Although we usually think of ARES members being the representatives in section nets, it is equally valid to expect NTS personnel to act as liaison to local nets.
At least one net session or substantial segment of a session should be conducted on emergency power. Plan a surprise session or two. Advise the NCS just before net time. If NCS is unable to operate on emergency power, then someone else must be net control. Only stations operating on emergency power may report in during this time.

Summary

One of the first steps on the way to a successful SET is to try to get as many people as possible involved and especially new hams. In a real emergency, we find amateurs with all sorts of varied interests coming out of the woodwork. Let's get them involved in SET so they will know more about how emergency communications should be handled. Promote SET on nets and repeaters, and sign up new, enthusiastic radio amateurs. Many of those offering to help will be inexperienced in public-service activities. It's up to you to explain what's going on to them, and provide them with useful roles. They may like it so much that they become a permanent fixture in your ARES or NTS group. For a review of last year's nationwide Simulated Emergency Test, read the article in July, 2006, QST. The SET announcement is also in September QST.

*** "Given ham radio's dependency on emergency communications as our reason to exist in the US, it would be suicidal to assume that what we have always been able to do -- at the speed we have always been able to do it -- will be just fine to maintain our relevance into the indefinite future." KAY CRAIGIE, K3KN

We should have cake on our birthday and fudge on our age.

HELPFUL INFORMATION ON BPL

The following information comes from ED HARE, W1RFI, the ARRL Laboratory Manager, who has done such a fantastic job of helping BPL teams all over the country with their struggles to combat interference problems caused by BPL.

Hams who are involved in BPL locally typically set up BPL teams.
Guidance on doing that is at: http://p1k.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/guidance.html

If BPL is coming to your area, it is a good idea to do some measurements of your existing noise levels. See:
http://p1k.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/measurements.html Follow the links for the FSM software on http://www.vk1od.net

If you have interference from BPL, it is important to report it. I have outlined how to best do that at:
http://p1k.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/complaints.html
I have made some recent changes to that file, so even old timers may want to refresh their memory if they have interference that needs to be reported. In the minds of this industry, interference that is not reported doesn't exist, so please do get reports of actual interference checked out and reported.

I have put information about BPL in many cities at:
http://p1k.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/ex2.html.
Click your state, then click your city on the list. Please, if you can fill in any information or correct any errors, send me the information. You can cut and paste and correct, or just tell me what needs to be fixed. Send directly to W1RFI@arrl.org.

Last, but not least, if you know of others who are involved in local BPL issues, have them send me an email and ask to be put on the list.

Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Laboratory Manager

I told the psychiatrist that I kept dreaming I was afraid to part with my friend the gondolier.
He said that I had a bye poler disorder.

ARES REPORT DE DSEC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD

The following is reported for July 2006:

Membership: 1,268 Change since last month: 50

Total Net Sessions: 119
Drills, Tests, Training Sessions: 116 Man-hours: 1,184
Public Service Events: 11 Man-hours: 206
Emergency Operations: 3 Man-hours: 41
Misc. Events: 33 Man-hours: 261

Total Events: 163 Total Man-hours: 1,692

Reporting by District:

West Central 100.0%
Metro Atlanta 81.8%
Northwest 46.2%
Northeast 33.3%
Central 23.8%
Southeast 17.9%
Southwest 14.3%
East Central 14.3%

Total Reporting 25.2%

The following jurisdictions reported for July: Bibb, Camden, Carroll, Charlton, Cherokee, Clarke/Madison, Clayton/Hentry, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Dodge, Douglas/Paulding, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton-North, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Houston, Jones, Lee, Morgan, Muscogee, Newton, Polk, Pulaski, Rockdale, Thomas, Toombs, Towns, Walton, Washington, Wayne, and Worth.

Vampire: Hemo-goblin

NET REPORT DE JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS

Traffic handled (QTC):

*****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
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

*** You've all heard about VUCC, right? But how's about VECC??? CONGRATULATIONS to SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, for receiving a beautiful certificate from the ARRL in recognition of his having served at more than ONE HUNDRED VE sessions.

*** JIM STAFFORD, W4QO, has been a "section notable" for many years and for many reasons. But now, he's also a "section quotable", too. A tag line from one of his recent emails read: "QRP: when you care enough to send the very least". (Dontcha just love it?)

Ski jump: A soar spot

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

*** The ARRL Foundation recently announced the list of scholarship winners, and one of them is from Georgia. CONGRATULATIONS go out to DAVID DZIMIANSKI, KG4BWM, of Nicholson, for being named the recipient of the Charles Clarke Cordle Memorial Scholarship, in the amount of one thousand dollars.

*** You've seen it mentioned here before, but it's time to put in another good word for Crew 73. This is a co-ed group of youngsters, aged 14 to 21, who do a bunch of super high adventure type activities, and who also have an interest in amateur radio. Organized through the BSA, and sponsored by the Gwinnett ARS, this fine group has been blessed with a superlative bunch of youths and caring, capable leadership. The young people who have been members since the Crew's inception have grown into upstanding fine adults. That's the problem. Not that they've grown into fine adults, but that they've grown beyond the age limit to continue as a member. Some have chosen to remain as adult leaders, and that's great, but they need some more young people in order to continue the program. Check out the info on the www.gars.org website. If you live in the greater metro Atlanta area, especially in Gwinnett county, consider joining, if you fall into the Piglet designation. Or maybe you know someone that you can tell about it? This is a top-notch group. Let's do what we can to see that it continues to thrive.

*** Don't forget!! Don't forget to send in those Georgia Section Youth of the Year Award nominations!!!! See www.arrl-ga.org for information and to download the nominating forms. Like last year, this award will be presented at the Alford Memorial ARC Hamfest, the first weekend in November. It was a great success last year. Let's make it even better this year. (But we need YOUR help!)

*** CONGRATULATIONS to SARAH HUNT, a very determined and enthusiastic 8-year-old for recently passing her technician test. Her new hard-earned callsign is KI4QYQ. (Anybody know where her parents can find her a pink radio??)

If the farmer's daughter dumps her boyfriend, does she send him a John Deere letter?

THIS 'N' THAT

*** ROBIN CUTSHAW, AA4RC, has finished with the installation of the state's (as far as we know) FIRST D-Star repeater. It is located on the top of Stone Mountain. As soon as I have the full information on the frequencies, I'll let y'all know.

*** Did you know that SSTV is now operative on the Space Station?? Check out this site for the latest story. http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/08/17/2213.aspx

*** Have you figured that you were doomed to remain "out of the loop" as far as WinLink goes, because you use a MAC? Here's some good news. There's a program called "Virtual PC", and once you install it on your MAC, you can install and run Airmail. And it's FREE!
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx?pid=virtualpc

*** Still waiting for the FCC to drop Morse code requirements so you can upgrade your license? Well, don't hold your breath! Still nothing definitive on when that may occur. In the meantime, why not take fifteen to thirty minutes a day, and prepare to pass element one?

OTIS MURPHY, W4OY, has just the way for you to do that. He writes: There is a free code learning program that will make the task very easy. Download and install "Just Learn Morse Code" from this site: http://justlearnmorsecode.com/.

To use the program, click on SOURCE and highlight "Text file." Click on the right arrow at the upper left part of the screen. This will open access to the file attached above. Select the lesson and open. Click on the left arrow again; things will begin, and away you go.

The speed is set for 5 wpm with 18 wpm character speed. The VE test characters are sent at 15 wpm. Recommend using 18 wpm because you will feel more comfortable at 15 wpm during the test. Before test, try increasing the 5 wpm to about 7 or 9 wpm.

An additional suggestion from Otis: Spend as much time as needed on a lesson before going to the next one. Also, once the code has been mastered, practice more of the tests on http://www.aa9pw.com/radio/morse.html.

Me: YOU CAN DO IT!

*** Also from OTIS MURPHY, W4OY, these sites where you or someone you know can study online (for FREE) the material to take their written exams. NOTE: the tech course is still based on the old tech class info. Otis writes:

Have them look at http://www.hamradioinstructor.com/guides.html and download Radio Teacher Project Technician Test Self Study Guide . The materials appears to be a generic version of the Now You Are Talking format and are directed toward those questions in the Technician test pool.

For those who are studying for the General and Extra licenses, take a look at the guides on this page: http://telemetry.nmsu.edu/~shoran/radio.html. This one is not as thorough as the one above but does give short explanations.

It is interesting to note that the materials go beyond memorizing the question/answer format. If one uses the materials effectively, combined with practice tests, passing should be a breeze.

*** Looking for some helpful ideas on preventing that dreadful power line noise that's been plaguing you? Check out http://www.powerline.com 

*** We haven't had much rain this summer, but when we have had it, it's been accompanied by some pretty spectacular displays of lightning. Great to watch, but not so great when it decides to get a little too up-close and personal. Unfortunately, there have been quite a few reports of hams losing gear to lightning strikes this year. There's lots of information out there on how to best protect your station from lightning, but now there's even a Yahoo group on the subject that you can join. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LightningProtection 

*** How about ANOTHER Yahoo group?? DAVID WORD, N4DYR, has started a group that is focused on DXing on 6 M and above. You can join it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/6_Meters_and_Up/.
He says, "Equipment, antennas, beacons, band openings, propagation theory and propagation modes are just some of the topics I'd like to see us discuss."

*** All of you lovers of the classic rigs might enjoy this website: http://www.funwithtubes.net

Rampaging robot charged with battery.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SEPTEMBER is National Preparedness Month. According to the Department of Homeland Security website www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/. "The goal of National Preparedness Month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action." A PRIME time for your club to set up an amateur radio demonstration in your area. www.ready.gov

SEPTEMBER 2-3 --- SHELBY Hamfest (the "granddaddy of 'em all")

SEPTEMBER 9 --- PRATER'S MILL tailgating swapfest, off highway 2 in Dalton. Sponsored by the Dalton ARC, this one is FREE, and lots of fun. (but come EARLY!)

SEPTEMBER 9-10 --- ARRL VHF QSO party. 1800Z September 9- 0300Z September 11. www.arrl.org/contests for more info.

SEPTEMBER 15-18 --- "Get Your Feet Wet" CW contest. (WAIT! This could be JUST what you're looking for!) This is designed especially for people who've never gotten the nerve to do much in the way of CW operating, with a focus on sending slowly and clearly, and sending the exchange in proper order. Exchange: Callsign/N (for newcomers) or Callsign/E (for experienced), RST, Name, QTH, FISTS number or power level, and the last two digits of the year you were licensed. 2 points for working someone out of your category, and one for working someone from the same category. Multipliers: those stations who were licensed between 2000-2005. Stations may be worked once on each band, but multiplier counts only once. Logs and score summary go to NANCY KOTT, WZ8C, at P.O. Box 47, Hadley, MI 48440. See http://www.fists.org for more info.

SEPTEMBER 16 --- Paulding ARC's 16th annual Hamfest, 8AM until 4PM, at Paulding Meadows Park about 2 miles north of the Paulding County Courthouse on Highway 61. (Dallas, GA) Talk in will be on the 146.895+/77Hz tone and the 224.700 repeaters. VE testing. www.pauldingarc.com

SEPTEMBER 16 --- Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day

SEPTEMBER 16-17 --- QCWA Fall QSO party. 1800Z Sept 16- 1800Z Sept 17 www.Qcwa.org/2006-qso-party-rules.htm

SEPTEMBER 24-25 --- Classic Exchange, from 1300Z September 24 until 0700 September 25. (AM & SSB) Where it's an advantage to rotate multiple rigs on the air, and the older, the better. Suggested frequencies: 1.885, 3.870. 7.280, 14.270, 21.370, 28.390, 50.125, 144.200 www.qsl.asti.com/CX

SEPTEMBER 30--- The Columbus ARC will be holding a Special Event Station, W4CVY/50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their club. 7.250, 14.260, 21.360. CERTIFICATE.

OCTOBER 7 --- Special Event Station, W4O, sponsored by the Columbia County ARC, for the 18th annual Oliver Hardy Festival

OCTOBER 7-8 --- SET

OCTOBER 14 --- Augusta Hamfest

OCTOBER 14 --- Rome Hamfest

OCTOBER 21-22 --- JOTA

NOVEMBER 4-5 --- Lawrenceville Hamfest

Why a man would want a wife is a big mystery to some people.
Why a man would want two wives is a bigamystery.

SILENT KEYS

JOE BACON K4QMI
CHARLES CASWELL KB4GV
HUGH "BUBBA" MAY KE4CJM
JAMES "LEROY" ROBERTS KR4FN

Heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all 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.

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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