Georgia Section On My Mind

November, 2005

Greetings, All. Happy Halloween. (deja BOO!) No bones about it, there's a real ghost of a chance that this will be a shorter newsletter than usual. (scary!)

Many thanks to all of you who sent comments on the Special Edition newsletter that y'all received recently. Some of you were surprised to see some of the problems laid out and dissected in there. But we don't learn nearly as much from the "warm fuzzy" stories as we do by hearing about the problems. If we ignore 'em, we can't fix 'em. Again, thanks to everyone who contributed to that newsletter.

Reminder: If any of you deployed to provide emergency communications after Rita or Wilma, you may be eligible to receive the per diem reimbursement through the Ham Aid program, just like for Katrina.

Special CONGRATULATIONS to the officers and members of the Silver Comet ARS, who were recently approved as our newest Special Service Club. These folks are a fairly new club, and they've set goals for themselves from the onset. And one by one, they've methodically achieved those goals. Good job!

Talking about the Silver Comet ARC, club member PATTY LOVELESS, KD4WUJ, is the spokesperson for this year's Toy Drive to benefit the kids who've lost so much in the hurricanes. So, a GA ham is playing a role: let's support her and this worthy cause. Want to help? There will be a collection site at the ARRL booth at the Lawrenceville Hamfest this coming weekend for your cash (or check) donations. If each of us would put even a dollar in there, it'd add up to a real nice donation to support this joint ARRL/ Salvation Army venture.

OK, let's get on with it, and see what's been going on, and what's coming up right around the corner. Watch out for the "ghoulies and ghosties and long leggity beasties and things that go bump in the night....." (insert fiendish laughter here)

This month's one-liners, appropriately enough, fall under the category of "signs that you're too old for trick or treating".

You may be too old for trick or treating if you get winded from knocking on the door.

OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

October 1 --- Simulated Emergency Test (SET)--- Even though the weekend of Oct 1-2 was designated as the "official" date for the nationwide SET, the window of opportunity remains open until the end of November, so if your group hasn't yet held its exercise, there's still time for you to do so. Preliminary reports indicate fairly good participation throughout Georgia this year, and all ECs are reminded to send in that report on your group's SET activities: to ARRL HQ, via snail mail or email to sewald@arrl.org, as well as to your DEC, to SEC JIM COTE, N4PJR at n4pjr@jesup.net and to ASEC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, at wa4dyd@arrl.net. One SET that took place in Georgia this year merits a special mention: largely planned by Gwinnett county's AEC for Training, JERRY PEREIRA, K4KBL, this exercise was ambitious, to say the least, and involved a multitude of agencies, including the CDC. The scenario was based on the premise that sarin gas was released at the UGA stadium during a football game. Clarke county and Oconee county ARES and RACES members participated, as did several members of the Dekalb county ARES group. Participants were dispatched to EOCs and to area hospitals and schools, and tactical traffic was plentiful, some originating from CDC. And NEIL JOHNSON, KC4LU, remained "above it all" during the exercise, operating an aeronautical mobile station, running both packet, as well as 2M/440 cross band, to facilitate the flow of traffic between Clarke, Oconee, and Gwinnett counties. This was a very realistic exercise, filled with a load of challenging details, and it certainly earned a positive reaction from all of the agencies involved. To top it all off, media coverage spawned a couple of terrific spots on that evening's TV news. NOTE: SET reports are due by January 31. (And don't forget those annual reports, too.)

October 8 --- Augusta Hamfest --- Another successful Hamfest this year, hosted by the ARC of Augusta. Preceded by several days of rain, the weather cooperated on the day of the fest by providing warm temperatures and overcast skies, but no liquid sunshine. Lots of gear changed hands out in the boneyard, and everyone seemed to enjoy the serious and not-so-serious socializing. The MARS meeting held onsite was productive and provided a perfect opportunity to present an ARRL Certificate of Appreciation to DONALD "ANDY" ANDERSON, K4PSW, in honor of his many years of dedication as a Volunteer Examiner. But alas, we couldn't convince the other members of his VE team to hang around for the rest of the meeting once the presentation had been made....(Our admin officer was practically drooling at the prospect of handing out a stack of new member applications.) Many thanks to the club for hosting another fun Hamfest, and of course, thanks to each of you who were able to attend. Looking forward to next year's fest. (But next year, we'll be sure to grab a hot dog BEFORE the MARS meeting...!)

October 15 --- Rome Hamfest --- The Al Brock Memorial Hamfest, sponsored by the NW GA ARC, was another fun little fest this year, with the addition of a couple of new commercial vendors, and a couple of unexpected surprises. (And no, we didn't stay in that alleged "Presidential Suite" this year... we had enough surprises and laughs from THAT place LAST year!) But, how about the occasional thundering boom of cannon fire to accent the good deals being made? Not exactly a common sound at any of the Hamfests we've attended before, but there was a Civil War encampment nearby that provided the unusual sound effects for us this year. And then there was the gentleman dressed in full Confederate officer's garb, strutting around through the Hamfest building; that certainly qualified as being a little outside of the ordinary, even at a Georgia Hamfest. This is always a friendly Hamfest, full of good old-fashioned hospitality, and complete with a bustling kitchen crew that served up a wide variety of goodies all day long. Some really gooooood desserts, too. (Just ask SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, whose mantra for the day was..."I think I'll have just One More Brownie....") This was another fun event with lots of wheelin' and dealin' going on and plenty of good fellowship to go around. Throw in the beautiful, relaxing location and that 100W smile of VIRGINIA BROCK, KF4NYH, and who could ask for anything more? A great laid-back way to enjoy the day among friends.

October 15 --- JOTA --- From the Coast Guard Station down on Tybee Island up through Albany, Cumming, Covington, Dacula, and more, Georgia hams took advantage of the opportunity to introduce Scouts to the joys of amateur radio. Thanks to everyone who participated, whether on a small scale in your own shack, or in an all-out organized event with other hams. Who knows how many of those Scouts will go on to get their licenses? This event has inspired many young people over the years, and thanks to your efforts, it will continue to do so into the future.

October 20 --- OHS/GEMA MOU --- There was an article in the newspaper recently about a couple who hiked clear across the country, from one coast to the other, How did they do it? One... step... at... a... time. Likewise, the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding with OHS/GEMA represented the culmination of a long journey, taken one step at a time, by many former and current ARES leaders and members. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this exciting milestone, and to all who attended the signing: SEC JIM COTE, N4PJR; ASEC STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD; OHS/GEMA DEC LOWRY ROUSE, KM4Z; PIO ROBIN KEMP, KD5QEL; and MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, our OOC and DEC for GA Army MARS. After Director MIKE SHERBERGER and I were finished signing the documents, Robin, who is doing us the honor of writing a PR piece on the event, asked me what the signing of this MOU meant. Well, we've been steadily working at building a good working relationship with GEMA and with our local EMAs over the years. Verbal agreements are OK, but what we had before was like a common law marriage. Now we have the marriage certificate. And I hope we have a long and happy marriage. You can see some pictures of this event, as well as a copy of the MOU itself at our www.gaares.org website.

You may be too old for trick or treating if you have to have another kid chew the candy for you.

CLUB NEWS

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- CONGRATULATIONS to these fine and recently railroaded..... I mean, re-elected.... officers: President- ROBERT TYLER, KF4BBR; VP- KARL PHILLIPS, K4GZZ; Treasurer- WES SCOFIELD, W4SCO; and Secretary- BOBBY MCGRAW, KG4RBL. Y'all must be doing something right! Here's to another successful year leading this great group of folks. Members were treated to an interesting program at the October meeting, presented by STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, about his experiences while deployed to provide emergency communications following Hurricane Katrina.

ATHENS ARC --- As the college football season winds down, these folks will be concluding another year of successfully providing communications for the Red Cross for these gala events. But they won't be idle: as always, they'll continue to provide communications for multiple events just about every weekend. Of particular note is something new that this club will be providing for the ham community, beginning the first of November. MAX HELLER, KG4GZX, will begin a CW course on their 147.375+ (PL 127.3) repeater at 7PM that evening, and it will be running every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evening for several weeks. So, here's your chance to learn the Code, or to improve your proficiency. Many thanks to Max, and to the club, for providing this valuable training. Even if the FCC eliminates Element One, CW will remain a valuable tool for amateur radio. (Didn't you see "Independence Day"? Code saved the world!)

ATLANTA ARC --- Recent elections placed a slate of new officers at the helm of this club, which has been an ARRL affiliate since 1921. CONGRATULATIONS to President JACK BOLTON, WA4PNY; VP JIM FARMER, N4IBW; Secretary RENE CAMPBELL, KF4ZYN; and Treasurer CHARLES GOLSEN, W4CHG. Best wishes for an enjoyable and successful year in leading this fine club.

COLUMBIA COUNTY ARC --- These folks staged a fun and successful Special Event Station, W4O, at the Annual Oliver Hardy Festival, held in Harlem, GA. To see some of the pictures from this event, see the club's website at
http://www.ccarc.hamradioman.com/html/special_event.html Club secretary DEAN MAPLES, K4EQQ, wrote: "The old guys with derby hats that are too small for their heads, are the members of the CCARC that operated the event. We had two HF stations and a 2 meter station all running from a generator. Also, we had a reporter from the Columbia County Times, visit with us for about 30 minutes, as Stan Laurel (Dennis Moriarty) provided detailed information about Amateur Radio to the reporter - Dennis is also a ham. In addition, the official look-a-likes for Stand Laurel (he attends this event every year, travelling from Canton, OH) and his partner for Oliver Hardy, Dale Walter (also from Canton, OH), came by the CCARC club booth to "operate." We have pictures of them operating the HF stuff (not really). Most interesting of all, is that Stan Laurel (Dennis Moriarty) is also a long time ham, K8AGB. He has delivered a number of RFI and EMI talks at the Dayton Hamvention. We've inducted Dennis, K8AGB into the CCARC as an honorary member!!"

FAYETTE COUNTY ARC --- On October 10, a group of local dignitaries and the press met with club members and members of Fayette ARES at the Piedmont Fayette Hospital for the official "Ribbon Cutting" of the KK4GQ 146.685 repeater. Club president JOE DOMALESKI, KI4ASK, wrote: "Many thanks to a whole bunch of people, but particularly: KN4YZ, AG4ZR, W4SN, WI4R, KI4HRU, W4JB, WB4GWA, Captain Pete Nelms, Coweta-Fayette EMC, Piedmont Fayette Hospital staff, and a whole cast of others that worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event possible."

GA TECH ARC --- This group has scored a real coup, or at least they're scheduled to, and they didn't even have to try. (It helps when an astronaut is a GA Tech grad!) This club went to the head of the class, and is now on the schedule for a contact with the International Space Station in JANUARY, making them the Number One school contact in Georgia. How cool is that?

GWINNETT ARS --- KARLA LONG, that Special Lady from the Gwinnett EMA, gave an enthusiastic presentation about the county's CERT program. It's clear that for her, it's a real labor of love, and that the county is working hard to make this one of the best CERT programs in the country. Club members who've completed the course also sang its praises, and everyone was encouraged to sign up for an upcoming course.

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC --- Shhhh! Word has it that these folks will be giving away a Kenwood SAT HF/6M All Mode transceiver as the grand prize at their Hamfest next year. (feeling lucky?) And they'll be holding that Hamfest back at their old Jim Miller Park location in Marietta in the lovely month of March. Stay tuned for more info as the date draws closer. An interesting tidbit in the club's recent newsletter: "JOHN CHRISTIAN is one of the GA Tech students who participated in the Mars Desert Research in Utah. The students all decided to get their ham license, set up a balloon-elevated repeater for communications, and used APRS to track location of a small robotic rover." Sound interesting? Well, John will be presenting the program at the November 1 meeting. (7:30 in the W Clair Harris Textile Building, Room M100, at Southern Polytechnic State University. Talk-in 146.880 repeater)

NEWTON COUNTY RC --- These folks participated in JOTA at the Burt Adams Boy Scout Reservation. They set up HF and VHF communications and were able to work several states. AEC CHARLES DAVIS, WA4UJC, reported: "The bad part was that there were so many time consuming events scheduled for the boys which prevented many of them from coming by the radio tables. Those who did get to talk on the radio had a blast! At the JOTA site were, EC CARL WULFESTIEG,AG4LS - AEC TOM MADIGAN, K4TDM -AEC JIM MARSTON,K4DOI - and myself. Two of our members worked the event from their home to provide 2 meter communication, they were, BOB CARTER, W4NNN and JAY RHOADS, KD4QOV. We now have a web site for the Newton County Radio Club and one for the Newton County ARES/Skywarn. If you will go to www.ncrcga.org you will find our club site and then click on the link which will take you to the Newton County ARES site. I am very proud of both of them. We are also looking into installing our own 2 meter and 440 repeaters."

QCWA CHAPTER 49 --- Tell people that the club program is going to have something to do with "estate planning", and you're likely to have people fidgeting in their seats. But this program was about the kind of planning that all hams should think about: what's gonna happen to all of your "cool ham stuff"? Many of you have been involved in the sad process of helping a family of an SK make those decisions, but some families may not even know another ham that they can count on to help them. Would your family have any idea what your stuff is or what to do with it? DICK BAXTER, K5TF, talked about a program that the SE DX Club is in the process of developing to address these matters, where a ham would provide an inventory of his gear and what he'd like to have done with it when he's gone, and then give that information to the club to handle for his family. The family wouldn't be obligated to anything, but it could be a real relief for them to know that your wishes are being carried out by someone who knows an amplifier from a transceiver. Might this be something that your club could establish? More info will be coming in the future about the SE DX Club's program as it develops.

SILVER COMET ARS --- These folks are getting ready for another great new year. Club president and PIO LEE MCDANIEL, WB4QOJ, reports: "The club has just been awarded the ARRL Special Service Club status. This will be a huge impact on the amateur community in the Paulding County area. We are looking forward to being even more of an impact in the community in 2006 as we have been in 2005. What is happening around the USA weather wise, we have the opportunity to be on the forefront on getting our county ready through ARES and working even closer with government agencies. Also, the November 1st meeting the club will vote on officers for the 2006 term. In November we are planing a Special Events station connecting the ARRL Toy Drive, with Silver Comet ARS member and ARRL Toy Drive chairperson PATTY LOVELESS, KD4WUJ. We challenge other Georgia clubs to set up drop points to help gather much needed new toys for this GREAT TOY DRIVE to help give children affected by Katrina and Rita a better Holiday Season."

THOMASVILLE ARC --- Here it comes! The club's annual fish fry, that is. (Catfish and mullet and more, oh my!) Coming up in Pavo on November 12, this is one of the club's fun gatherings, and my better half and I are looking forward to joining them again this year. (You should SEE the neat gizmo they have for making hush puppies!)

You may be too old for trick or treating if you ask for high fiber candy only.

ARES NEWS

The STATEWIDE ARES MEETING has been set for January 28, at the Public Service Training facility in Forsyth. (same location as the past several years) As always, that's also where we'll be naming the GA ARES Ham of the Year. So, it is time NOW to submit your nomination for this award. Go to www.gaares.org for details on the nomination process and on this important meeting. Well, actually meetings.... because all DECs are asked to meet at 10:30 AM, with the general meeting slated for 1 PM.

LAWRENCEVILLE Hamfest ARES MEETING ---In addition to the ARES meeting that is scheduled at the Hamfest (Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, on Sugarloaf Parkway) on Saturday, November 5, at 11 AM, there will be ANOTHER special meeting for ARES leaders, members and others who are interested: JOHN KRAUS, KC4ZGQ, our Digital DEC, will be doing a !!!live!!! demonstration of WinLink 2000 at 2PM. All are encouraged to attend. Does this mode have a place in your ARES bag of tricks? Should it? Come to the demonstration and see for yourself what WinLink 2000 has to offer.

FIRST TOWER AGREEMENT SIGNED!! JOHN DAVIS, WB4QDX, our DEC for GPB, was excited, and rightly so, to report that the first official agreement has been signed, sealed and delivered, thus providing one of those fine GPB tower sites for the usage by one of our ARES groups. John wrote: "Thanks to the work of JOE WOODY, WG4JOE, and BILL NESMITH, K4WDN, of the Americus Amateur Radio Association, and EC GEORGE YOUNG, KE4VPD, AARA will operate a new 147.360 repeater on the WACS-TV tower in Dawson, GA. Georgia Public Broadcasting and MARK FEHLIG, WA6NGC, Director of Engineering, has made certain GPB facilities available for amateur radio use under the direction of Georgia ARES. The new repeater is the first agreement of many to be completed over the next few years. Through close cooperation of GPB and ARES, these facilities will improve amateur radio emergency communications throughout Georgia." And let us also add THANKS to John for helping to make this happen.

DAWSON/LUMPKIN SET --- LUMPKIN county EC DAVE BURROWS, W9JWT, reported that the joint SET held between Dawson and Lumpkin counties was a success. He reported that the Dawson EOC was manned by MAC WATERS,KJ4P, their RACES RO, and Dave operated from the Lumpkin EOC. He said, "We began operations on the Dahlonega repeater (146.835), then shifted back and forth to simplex (FM, 146.550) and the repeater. I think we were all amazed at the simplex coverage across the two counties. EOC's were manned at about 8:30 AM and the net was called at 9:00 AM. We had 13 operators between the two counties. The drill was terminated at about 10:30 AM."

MACON COUNTY ARES --- EC MAX MILLER, N4IFO, recently became a Silent Key. He will be sorely missed by fellow ARES members, members of the Americus ARC, and by all who knew him.

METRO ATLANTA DISTRICT --- CONGRATULATIONS to new DEC STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, and to his successor as EC for Dekalb county, BARRY KANNE, W4TGA. Many thanks to both of them for taking on these new positions, and for their willingness to serve. (Don't forget the monthly net on the first Sunday of each month at 4PM on the 146.820 repeater. (Thank you to the Atlanta ARC for the use of their repeater.)

NEWTON COUNTY ARES --- EC CARL WULFESTIEG, AG4LS, was proud to announce the recent signing of an MOU with the county. He wrote, "In the latter part of last year, an MOU was submitted to the Newton County EMA for approval. It was approved by the legal section and the Newton County Board of Commissioners recently. TRAY POLK, Director of the Newton County EMA and I, as EC for Newton County ARES/Skywarn, signed the MOU on October 24, 2005." He also added that the "Newton County EMA has determined that all volunteers who assist them will be required to obtain a certificate of completion of IS-700, National Incident Management System (NIMS). We are in the process of ensuring that all amateurs registered with Newton County ARES/Skywarn comply with this requirement. Later, a similar requirement will be in place for IS-100, Incident Command System (ICS)."

NORTHWEST DISTRICT --- I am sorry to report that FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN, has stepped down as DEC. He has served ARES well, both as DEC, and in his former role as EC of Gordon county. Also stepping down is DALE EVERETT, KG4YQW, who has served as EC in Gordon county for the past year. Many thanks to both of them for their service. Hate to see them go.

WARE COUNTY ARES --- These folks held a drill on Saturday Sept. 17, 2005 along with the Ware County EMA, which consisted of a Haz Mat Spill in downtown Waycross, which caused communication to go down throughout the city for two and a half hours. The Ware County ARES opened an emergency net at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 12:41 p.m. Simulated shelters were opened in Ware, and Pierce Counties. The net was run out of the Ware County Emergency Management Agency's mobile command post, which was staged at Lowe's in Waycross.

WAYNE COUNTY SET --- DEC GREG TILLMAN, N4VAD, provided this report on the successful SET held in Wayne county: "The Wayne Emergency Management Agency Amateur Radio Club in Jesup conducted a simulated derailment of an amtrack train. Multiple injuries were transported to local hospital for treatment, and there was a need for shelter for 150 passengers that were displaced.

At 1015 local time, a net call was made on the club repeater for ARES members available to deploy to multiple sites ie shelters, eoc, hospital, ema office, local police dept/ sheriffs office. There were 14 immediate check-ins, with 11 available for immediate deployment. All were given a staging area, and the assignments were given for each post. Upon arrival to their post, each unit was to use local simplex operations only, so that communications could be tested from low power point to point, power and multiple units ie HT, mobiles, bases, until the effective amount of power and source was needed to maintain positive communications and documented, to know what it would take to establish the needs of the agencies and or club.

Airmail was used to send traffic to WX4GMA and KC4ZGQ due to poor band conditions and could not hear anything on 80-40 meters.

The test was completed at 1120 hrs local time. We did find some weakness areas that can be corrected and made better to accomplish a true emergency. Now the test is to maintain that power and capability for 3 to 5 days.

WX4JES stood down at 1130 hrs local time.

FEMA TRAINING --- As the move is made towards standardized training to facilitate the interaction between amateur radio communicators and government agencies, most of you should have already heard about ICS (Incident Command System) and NIMS (National Incident Management System). The writing on the wall says that this is training that ALL of our ARES members need to have. Both courses are offered by FEMA, and they are both FREE. If you browse the FEMA Independent Study Program at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/ you may find other courses that you'd like to take, as well. Go for it! (There's no such thing as "too much training"!) You can find the course on ICS at http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is100.asp and the NIMS course at
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp Once you complete these courses and pass the test, you will receive email notification of your successful completion. Be sure to send your EC a copy of this email notification so he can have it for his records.

TOM KOCOUREK, N4FWD, after reading the Special Edition newsletter about the post-Katrina response, suggested another item that he thinks everyone should consider adding to their "ready kit". He wrote, "Add a battery operated atomic clock to the call-out bag. These time devices are synchronized to the Naval Observatory signal and always maintain the time, day, day of the week, month, and year. Some even come with a temperature sensor."

++As reported in the latest ARRL bulletin, The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has made significant portions of the 2005 edition of its Handbook on Emergency Telecommunications available for free download in English, French or Spanish. The ITU says the Handbook is designed to serve as a close companion to those involved in providing and using telecommunications for disaster mitigation and relief. Details are on the ITU Web site
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/emergencytelecoms/publications.html

++Here's a site to find a helpful Marine Corps manual on expedient field antennas, including those for working satellites. https://www.doctrine.usmc.mil/signpubs/r3403c.pdf

You may be too old for trick or treating if, when someone drops a piece of candy in your bag,
you lose your balance and fall over.

ARES REPORT DE STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, ASEC

Here are the ARES statistics for September as of 6 Sep at 0920. There was a very slight improvement in reporting percentage overall but a significant drop in the East Central District. One group reported for the first time since I began keeping the statistics and accounts for 16 of the 30 increase in membership. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita brought a significant increases in emergency operations with Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief reporting 1,256 man-hours of Amateur Radio related activity, Gwinnett County 769 man-hours and Dougherty County 650 man-hours. Five other counties exceeded one hundred man-hours of activity in support of Katrina and Rita.

Membership: 1,203 Change since last month: 30

Total Net Sessions: 105
Drills, Tests, Training Sessions: 118 Man-hours: 966.5
Public Service Events: 12 Man-hours: 436
Emergency Operations: 12 Man-hours: 3,545
Misc. Events: 38 Man-hours: 270

Total Events: 180 Total Man-hours: 5,217.5

Reporting by District:

West Central 100.0%
Metro Atlanta 70.0%
Southeast 39.3%
Northeast 33.3%
Northwest 30.8%
Southwest 26.3%
Central 5.3%
East Central 0.0%

Non-District DECs 43.8%

Total Reporting 32.0%

You are definitely too old for trick or treating if people say, "Great Keith Richards mask!"
and you aren't wearing a mask.

NET REPORT DE JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

NOTE: a GTN/GSN breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 5, preceding the Lawrenceville Hamfest. BILL CARTER, KG4FXG, has reserved space for the breakfast at the Golden Corral, 2155 Riverside Parkway. 7- 8:30 AM

"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

+++ He's back at it! PHIL NEIDLINGER, KA4KOE, that is. He's written yet another "Dead Electrical Dudes" article (#19) and you can find it at http://www.eham.net/articles/12197 This one is on LEV THEREMIN, and about an unusual invention that added a whole new aspect to the sounds of music.

+++ LYNN BIANCO, KN4YZ, will be addressing the Fall Training Conference of the Georgia Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) on November 9, at the request of the Fayette county 911 director. Lynn says that there will be several items on the agenda related to weather, and on how to handle emergency situation, such as the loss of communications. Boy, talk about a made-to-order opportunity! As one of the assistant DECs at the Peachtree City NWS, Lynn is well-prepared to do a power point presentation on Fayette county ARES and their strong support of the NWS. Thanks, Lynn, for being such a great spokesman for amateur radio.

+++ In the mid-monthly summary, JOHN LANEY, K4BAI, was mentioned as a five star ham, for his fifty years of membership in the ARRL. Well, I'll see those five stars and raise it another, for JACK MCCLAIN, AE4Q, who has reached a milestone SIXTY years as a member. Congratulations, Jack. (Do I hear seventy....?)

You may be too old for trick or treating if, when the door opens, you yell,
"Trick or......" and can't remember the rest.

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

NOAH JAFFE, KI4LIQ, did a "google" on his callsign, and was pleasantly surprised to see his name included in last month's newsletter. He wrote, "I have another "piglet" that you can mention in the next newsletter. His name is JONATHAN GOPEL, KI4LYH. He is in my lunch class in school, so when I got back to school in eighth grade from the summer, I told him about my call sign, and pushed him the rest of the way to get his license. I feel he deserves to be in the newsletter, like I did. Additional info for a story is in his bio from www.qrz.com: Jonathan got interested in radio when he took the Radio Merit Badge at Boy Scout summer camp. His instructor was TOM MADIGAN, K4TDM, and he found the subject appealing. He is pretty good with technology and enjoys building things. What really pushed him to get his license, though, was his friend Noah, KI4LIQ. He is currently working on learning Morse Code to get his General License." So, a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Jonathan. (As well as to Tom and Noah for providing the impetus) NOTE: Noah attended the recent VE session at GA Tech, and is now a General class licensee. So, congratulations to you, again, Noah. (I reckon that'll provide another little incentive to Jonathan to upgrade his license, too!) Both of these young men are fine additions to the amateur radio fraternity.

PHILLIP MILLERD, KG4ZHD, is a fifteen year old who earned his ticket about two weeks after his thirteenth birthday. He is an Eagle Scout, who teaches other Scouts in the Albany area to help them earn their Radio Merit Badge. One thing that makes him stand out in the crowd is that he was one of the amateur radio operators who deployed to MS after Hurricane Katrina to provide emergency communications. His proud grandfather, SID BISHOP, KB4QKZ, wrote, "He went to Gulf Port with his Albany LDS Church group the "first weekend" after Katrina hit. He was one of the only Ham Radio support people in the area for the Church. The local people asked him to stay for the next week to provide communications, which he did. He has also gone back additional weekends, continuing to serve the people in the area." I am pleased to announce that Phillip will be the keynote speaker at the Youth Forum at the Lawrenceville Hamfest next weekend. (Saturday, at noon) The ability to provide valuable public service knows no age limit, and Phillip is proof of that. Come hear what he has to say about his experiences.

ANDREA HARTLAGE,KG4IUM, our terrific assistant SM for youth, brings us the following information about the youth activities planned for the Hamfest:

Youth Lounge

For the third year in a row, the Alford Memorial Radio Club Hamfest & Computer Expo will host a youth lounge, which is basically a place for young hams and hams-to-be to hang out and get to know other youth. It will be open both days and filled with activities for all ages, including snacks, a W4Y special event station, youth fox hunt, youth scavenger hunt (with prizes), youth calling frequencies, and more! It's perfect for young hams and for youth wanting to know more about Amateur Radio. And, it's open both days, all day, so bring your kids, your grandkids, your neighbor's kids, and yourself. See you there!

Youth Forum: 12:00 PM on Saturday in the Main Forum Room

The third annual Alford Memorial Radio Club Hamfest Youth Forum will be in the main forum room at 12:00 PM on Saturday. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to find out about youth involvement in Amateur Radio. This year's keynote speaker is Philip Millerd, KG4ZHD. An Eagle Scout and a Cobb county ARES member, Phillip recently spent ten days in Mississippi, providing communications for Hurricane Katrina Relief. His presentation about his experience in Mississippi is sure to be most interesting!

Also at this year's forum, the Georgia Young Ham of the Year Award winner will be announced, and the winner will receive his or her award.

Another highlight of this year's youth forum is door prizes! There are tons of awesome prizes being given away, but you must be present to win! So, if you want to know what's going on in the youth world of Amateur Radio and meet youth from all over Georgia, the Youth Forum is the place to do it. Everyone is welcome: all ages, licensed or not, young or young-at-heart!

Youth Dinner

We're starting a new tradition this year, with the Alford Memorial Radio Club Hamfest Youth Dinner. The location is to be announced, but the dinner will take place on Saturday at 5:30 PM. All youth and parents are welcome; however, there will be a separate youth only table in the same room as the adult tables!

Youth Calling Frequencies

Once again, the youth calling frequencies, in case you can't find other youth at the Hamfest, are Family Radio Service (FRS) channel one for those who aren't licensed yet, and 147.555 simplex for those who have a license.


GA SECTION YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR --- I'd like to offer special thanks to the sponsors of this year's event, who are providing the prizes for our worthy recipient: the Alford Memorial ARC; HRO; Kenwood; and MFJ. Thanks, also, to our wonderful panel of judges: SUE GODWIN, W4SUE; ROBIN KEMP, KD5QEL; BOB SMITH, K4PHE; LEE MCDANIEL, WB4QOJ; AL MENGES, KF4NXL; SID BISHOP, KB4QKZ; and BRIAN MILESHOSKY, N5ZGT.

* ARRL Foundation scholarship application window open: The application period for ARRL Foundation scholarships will remain open until February 1, 2006. The Foundation has announced the addition of the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) scholarship to the list of those available. This award will provide $1000 to a student attending a junior/community college, college, university or trade school in the US. Preference goes to students showing interest and activity in DXing, but there is no limitation on the field of study. The ARRL Foundation is offering this scholarship for the first time this year, and the initial award will be made in spring 2006. The NCDXF award brings the total number of ARRL scholarships to 41. Following its evaluation of all applications, the ARRL Foundation scholarship committee will announce the 2006-2007 school year ARRL Foundation scholarship recipients next spring. Information on all ARRL scholarships is available on the League Web site http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html

You're definitely too old for trick or treating if people tell you that your stockings are bagging,
and you aren't wearing any.

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOVEMBER 5-6 --- ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC Hamfest --- aka the "Lawrenceville Hamfest". Whatever you call it, this is one you won't want to miss. To be held at the Gwinnett county fairgrounds, on Sugarloaf Parkway. Scheduled forums on Saturday include a tri-Service MARS meeting at 10AM, ARES meeting at 11AM, Youth Forum at noon, ARRL forum, with featured speaker CHUCK SCOLAUT, K0BOG, at 1PM, and a special WinLink 2000 demonstration at 2PM, conducted by our Digital DEC JOHN KRAUS, KC4ZGQ. ALWAYS a great event. For more info, see www.totr-radio.org (And you can still pre-order your tickets online for a $2 savings)

NOVEMBER 5-7 --- 2100Z Nov 5- 0300Z Nov 7- November Sweepstakes (CW)

NOVEMBER 11 --- Veteran's Day "Freedom is not free" Many thanks to all of our veterans.

NOVEMBER 17 --- 0245Z--- W1AW Frequency Measuring Test (see pp 54-5 in Nov QST for details)

NOVEMBER 19-20 --- November Sweepstakes (SSB)

NOVEMBER 24 --- HAPPY THANKSGIVING

NOVEMBER 26-27 --- CQ WW DX (CW)

DECEMBER 3 --- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta parade. (7AM- 11:30AM) TIM ROSING, KC4ELV, is once again heading up the communications for this event, and is looking for volunteers to help with the assembling and monitoring of the parade. If you can help, please contact him at kc4elv@etoii.com

DECEMBER 3-4 --- Skywarn Recognition Day (5PM- 5PM)

You may be too old for trick or treating if you're the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker.

SILENT KEYS

KEN BOYD, KK4LL
MAX MILLER, N4IFO

Sincere condolences to the families and friends of both of these fine men.

OK, 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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