Georgia Section On My Mind

December, 2005

Greetings. Well, here we are again, Georgia, standing on the threshold of the last month of yet another year. Sometimes, it feels like somebody has pushed the "fast forward" button, doesn't it? It seems like the "end credits" on the year have started rolling before we even got a chance to get comfy with our bags of buttered popcorn... But it ain't over 'til it's over. Let's all try to make the most of this last month of the year, and to savor every delectable morsel of popcorn left in our bags and lick every drop of butter from our greasy fingertips... (Yes, Mike, I'll make you some popcorn!)

For some reason, the November mid-monthly summary didn't find its way to everyone's computer. Dunno why, but I know that it never made its way to our house, and I don't reckon that we were "singled out" for exclusion. Maybe it was an AOL thing. But anyhow, it you didn't get it, sorry about that. But since most of what was in there will be repeated and expanded upon in this newsletter, you didn't miss much. We just agitated a few less electrons this month.

Thank you to everyone who tucked some money into the donation box at the ARRL booth at the Lawrenceville Hamfest. Some loose change or a couple of dollars in your pocket might not buy much, but put it all together, and it came to one hundred and twenty dollars. So a check for that amount went to ARRL for this year's toy drive. Thank you all for helping the cause.

There's a longer list than usual of SKs at the end of this newsletter. One of them is MARTY HOLZMAN, WB4MOG. I only had the pleasure of meeting him once, but he was a delightful man, and a member of the Statesboro ARS. He has also been serving as one of our two DX card checkers in the state of Georgia. As SM, the job will now fall to me to select another DX checker, and I will likely turn to the SEDX Club for their recommendation as to which part of the state to draw from to find that replacement. While it would seem only "fair" to name someone else from south GA, the intent will be appoint someone who is located in an area that will best serve the needs of the DX-ers in the state. If any of you have any input on this decision, feel free to drop me a line.

OK, let's get on with it and see what's been happening, and what's coming up right around the corner...

Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

November 5-6 --- ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC Hamfest --- Wow. They did it again. This club, behind the leadership of longtime Hamfest chairman RANDY BASSETT, KR4NQ, pulled off yet another fantastic Hamfest. Though they have a knack of making everything appear effortless, it's a yearlong effort for them, fueled by a sincere desire to provide a top-notch experience for the vendors and for every single person with the good fortune to be in attendance. They aimed to please, and they scored another perfect bulls-eye. If you missed it this year, I sure hope you can make it next year. This is one you don't want to miss.

This marked the third year of special activities geared for the younger set, under the talented leadership of assistant SM for Youth, ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, and an amazing 42 young hams and young hams-to-be took part in some or all of the activities, from the Youth Lounge (and snacks!) and Special Event Station to the scavenger hunt and fox hunt to the Youth Forum to the special youth dinner on Saturday night. It was a pleasure to name our very first Golden Piglet (AKA GA Section Young Ham of the Year) CONNIE COTE, N4CAC, as well as to honor two very distinguished Honorable Mentions. (more details under the Piglets section)

All of the other forums were enjoyable, as well, though admittedly not quite as exuberant as the Youth Forum. At the MARS forum, which was attended mostly by Army MARS members, with a real good showing by Air Force this year, including GA AF Director WAYNE FLICKINGER, W9BKJ, and two Navy/ Marine members, it was a distinct pleasure to present a special GA Section Lifetime Achievement Award to DONALD "ANDY" ANDERSON, K4PSW, in honor of his many years of dedication and service to and through amateur radio. We are graced with many Section Notables throughout Georgia, but Andy is only the second person to receive the Lifetime Achievement designation, making it a very unique and special award. (The first one went to that long-serving (12 years!) SCM/SM and master of the airwaves, EDDY KOSOBUCKI, K4JNL.)

As always, the ARES forum was packed, SRO. One of the highlights was when AL SM GREG SARRATT, W4OZK, addressed the crowd about the amateur radio response following Hurricane Katrina. (Greg, a real unsung hero, coordinated the response from the staging area in Montgomery every single day of the entire activation.) The WinLink 2000 demonstration, provided by our Digital DEC JOHN KRAUS, KC4ZGQ, with the able assistance of TOM OLLEY, KG4VUB, and LARRY DODD, K4LED, drew a sizeable crowd, as well, showing an increased interest in this mode as a possible addition to our communications arsenal.

Many thanks to our special visitors from ARRL HQ, CHUCK SKOLAUT, KØBOG, and his delightful bride MARY, NØTIK. Not only did Chuck do a terrific job addressing the ARRL forum, but he and Mary spent a lot of time at the ARRL booth, helping to sign up an impressive number of new members. (Mary is a very gentle, but persuasive salesperson.) My better half MIKE, ("That's meee!") K4HBI, and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time seeing the sights with Chuck and Mary for the next couple of days after the fest, too. (even though Chuck showed me up but good, demonstrating his superior skill at skipping stones at the lake at Stone Mountain Park!)

All in all, this was a great Hamfest, with the ARRL booth well-staffed all weekend by the SKOLAUTs, SE Division Director FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, Director of Vice SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, and a whole herd of other SE Division notables, including SMs SHERRI BROWER, W4STB, (SFL) and GREG SARRATT, W4OZK.(AL) Made it easy for me to go AWOL to attend all of the forums, but I never did get to make it out to walk around the boneyard, doggone it. Maybe next year. And I sure hope to see YOU there next year. Like I said, this is one Hamfest that you don't want to miss.

Life may not be the party we'd planned for, but while we're here, we might as well dance.

CLUB NEWS

MANY THANKS for all of the invitations to attend your club Christmas parties this year; we really appreciate it. Too bad we can't be with all of you, but we sure do wish all of you a terrific celebration and a whole Holiday Season filled with joy.


ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- Last year, instead of holding a token gift swap among members at its annual Christmas party, the club elected to "adopt" a needy family and do all they could to make that family's wishes come true. It was such a success that the club will be doing the same for a family of eight this year, proving once again that these folks have hearts of gold, and that it really IS more blessed to give than to receive.

COLUMBUS ARC --- Happy anniversary to this group for celebrating its 50th year as a chartered club. They've also been an ARRL affiliated club since March 9, 1956.

DALTON ARC --- Kudos to club members for collecting and sending a whopping 108 toys to Memphis, in support of this year's ARRL/ Salvation Army Toy Drive.

NORTH GA ARC --- The club's Special Event Station, in conjunction with Dahlonega's Gold Rush Days, on October 15-16, took an unexpected turn on the 16th and became a little more "special" than they'd bargained for, when club members were asked to participate in a Search and Rescue effort for a man who'd gone missing from his campsite the day before. Participating in a Special Event is always a lot of fun, but taking part in the search efforts definitely took precedence. And there was a happy ending: the gentleman was found about sunset on Sunday evening.

TALLAHASSEE ARS --- OK, so this club isn't in Georgia, but it's close enough that there is a lot of interaction between this club and Georgia hams, and quite a few folks from Tallahassee also enjoy membership in the Thomasville ARC. BOBBY COOPER, N4KXL, treasurer of the Thomasville club, kindly sent me a copy of TARS' most recent newsletter, in which there was a little write-up on the Thomasville club's famous fish fry. It was a real nice write-up, and it was great to see the group picture of the Thomasville club's terrific war veterans in there, too, but there was also another article in there that I wanted to tell you about, written by BRETT WELLMAN, KG4KLR. This year will mark the fourth year that Brett will be visiting a local pediatric ward to provide the kids with the experience of talking to Santa through the magic of amateur radio. It was a very heartwarming account, and served as a reminder that there are so many ways that we can use amateur radio to bring joy into other people's lives. He also provided a URL for a site that offers suggestions on some of the ways that we can do just that. It's http://www.hobbiesforhealing.com/ Why not check it out and see if there's something in there that your club might take on as a project in the upcoming year? Brett wrote, "This has some good ideas of ways to use the hobby to inspire others, not necessarily to become a ham, but to enjoy life and find a new meaning, inspiration, or reasons to smile. Healing Hobby, Holiday Hams, Kids Club, Recovery Radio, and Senior Signals are some of the fantastic ideas explained on the website." (THANK YOU, BOBBY!)

THOMASVILLE ARC --- Well, this was the third year in a row that Mike and I made the trip to south GA to join these fine folks for their annual fish fry meeting. I'd kinda kidded them last year about us being "honorary members", and doggone if they didn't turn around and make us "official members" this year. Club president MIKE BROWN, KE4FGF, caught us completely off-guard when he whipped out a couple of sharp-looking club hats, beautifully embroidered with our callsigns, and presented them to us. Tell ya what, it's an honor to be an "official member" of this fine club.... even if we DO only make it to one meeting a year. During the meeting, a special "Recognition Award", a golden microphone trophy, was bestowed upon LAWRENCE MCCUTHIN, KC4LYC, and in the presentation, this is how club president Mike described Lawrence: "He's always there when you need him. Always first to volunteer his equipment for a Field Day Station. Stays there at the radio all night to get as many contacts in for FD as he can. Visits sick and shut-in club members. First in line to volunteer when we re-built the VE Team. Has never missed a test session, even if he had to drive in from somewhere overnight. Handles monthly Net Control duty assignments at least twice a year. A military Vet who served his country during wartime." Congratulations, Lawrence. You sound like the kind of club member we all would like to be.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

ARES NEWS

---> Have you marked it on your calendar yet?? The 2006 Statewide ARES meeting, that is, which will be held on January 28, at the Public Service Training facility in Forsyth. This is always a worthwhile meeting and ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend. See www.gaares.org for details and directions.

---> Some new appointments to announce:

*ARES-MAT DEC --- SCOTT ROYLE, KK4Z, has served as the Southeastern Communications Coordinator for the Latter Days Saints Church for the past several years, successfully organizing and deploying teams of trained amateur radio operators into many affected areas following a multitude of hurricanes. I'm pleased to report that he will be sharing the benefit of his expertise with GA ARES as our new DEC for ARES-MAT. The establishment of prepared deployable teams throughout the state will enable us to provide a much more efficient response to disasters, both instate and in the region. Many thanks to Scott for accepting the important challenge of coordinating these response teams. See www.gaares.org for info on the ARES-MAT program, and how YOU can become a part of it.

*CENTRAL DEC --- It's also a pleasure to announce that OTIS MURPHY, W4OY, has assumed the reins as our new DEC in the Central district. Otis has served hams all over the country as a seasoned mentor for the EmComm courses, and his experience and leadership qualities stand to make him an excellent DEC. We're thrilled to have him in this position.

*NORTHWEST DEC --- We were very sorry to accept the resignation of FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN, as the DEC for NW GA, but with his other commitments to the GA Baptist Disaster Relief group, missionary work, and the Cherokee Capital ARS, not to mention his family and job, something had to give. We are very grateful for all that he has done for GA ARES, and also grateful for his fine recommendation as to his successor. It's a pleasure to announce that JON MITCHAM, KD4YDA, who has been serving as Felton's assistant DEC, as well as EC in Haralson county, has agreed to serve as the new DEC. So, many thanks to Jon for accepting this appointment, and for his willingness to lead and to continue to serve the NW district.

*ASSISTANT DEC/DIGITAL --- TOM OLLEY, KG4VUB, has joined the GA ARES digital team as its newest assistant DEC, with his major focus being in north GA and the metro Atlanta area. Tom has been instrumental in promoting and implementing WinLink 2000, most notably at the GEMA SOC, and he stands ready to help anyone interested in learning more about WinLink 2000 and about how to become a part of this communications network. Kg4vub@arrl.net

*EC LOWNDES COUNTY --- WAYNE BRANT, KO4QJ, has done a great job getting ARES kick-started in Lowndes county, and we appreciate all of his hard work and dedication. Some lingering medical problems have necessitated his retirement from this position at this time, but he didn't show a bit of hesitation in making a recommendation as to who his replacement should be. And his former AEC JOHN HOEY, KI4JQT, didn't display any hesitation in agreeing to accept the position. So, congratulations to John, and many thanks for your willingness to serve. And sincere speedy recovery wishes to Wayne.

---> CERT EXERCISE --- The following report comes to us from JOE DOMALESKI, KI4ASK, who is a part of the first CERT training class that's been offered in the Peachtree City area:

On Saturday, Nov. 12th around 1230 (local) PTC CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) was mobilized for a mock tornado disaster exercise. We mustered at the PTCPD HQ on Hwy 74 at 1245. At 1250, I and several other team leaders were dispatched to the PTC EOC at Station 81 (Paschall Rd.) to establish an EOC and staging area.

When I arrived, we set up the CERT equipment trailers (we have two of them, which are loaded with generators, backboards, radios, flashlights, first aid gear, tools, fire extinguishers, etc.). I appointed two quartermasters to manager the trailers. The rest of the CERT team showed up just after 1300.

We established 4 teams. I was the EOC Director (picked for my supposed radio knowledge) and ran the EOC with my Admin staff (Quartermasters, Deputy EOC Director). We took the remaining 35 CERT team members and divided them into: Search Team, Rescue Team, and Medical Team. Our mission was to search and rescue victims from the mock tornado.

There were about 20 people of all ages with "burn" and "wound" makeup on out and around the area of the burn building behind Station 81. We had to pretend there was no EMS or PD support, so it was a total CERT exercise. The FD used a pumper truck to hose us down and make it rain. They also set fires in the burn building that the team had to put out. Being in the EOC, I didn't get to play outside too much unfortunately.

We ran 4 FRS (Channelized at 462 & 467 MHz) radio nets. Needless to say, FRS has severe limits. I had a command net and a separate net for each team. Team leaders monitored both the command net and their team net. My "enhanced" radio ensured that I was heard by my team leaders, but I did lose contact with the search team a few times. Just as I was about to dispatch a search party to find the search team leader, she came back in range.

The basic gist of the operation was to search for victims, transport them to the medical area, and perform first aid on the victims in the medical area. Overall, the CERT team did good since this was a first time for many. They did forget some procedures, and got overly excited and in a hurry. From time to time, members would be tapped out by a grader, so we lost team members as the exercise progressed. The total exercise lasted about two hours.

Unlike an ARES mission which primarily involves communications-only, a CERT team is "hands on" with a mission to provide direct assistance - first aid, light search & rescue, fire suppression, traffic control, etc.

After everyone was recovered, we policed the area for trash and had a briefing in the EOC classroom. In addition to PTCPD graders, we had a national CERT official and a CERT grader from Gwinnett county. Of course, mistakes were made by all (even the graders). I was impressed by the dedication of the CERT members in treating the situation realistically and with dedication. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

The CERT uniform is a green vest and a green hard hat - both with the CERT logo. You're liable to see more CERT folks in future PTC exercises, events, and hopefully in our ARES group soon.

We're planning to have a Technician License class in January or February and many of the CERT folks have already put their names on an "interest list". The next CERT class is February 6th if you're interested. More information at: http://www.ptcpolice.org

I was proud to be the "ARES representative" in our community's very first CERT class. Our graduation is Dec. 1st at the PTC City Council meeting.

---->Hurricane Volunteers to be Honored in QST--- Amateurs who participated in communications support during recovery efforts for hurricanes Wilma, Rita and Katrina will be honored with a special listing, including names and call signs, in the February issue of QST magazine. To be eligible for the list, you must complete the ARRL Hurricane Relief Volunteer Service Report on the Web at www.arrl.org/FandES/field/agencies/vol-report.html. The deadline for the QST list is December 9. You do not have to be an ARRL or ARES member to be included in the list.

----> ARRL "Public Service Stories" Page Debuts--- The ARRL's new "Public Service Stories" page now is open. You can find it at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/PublicServiceStories/ It's a place where Amateur Radio volunteers can tell the world about their public service contributions during recent events. Both text and photos can be entered and will appear on the Public Service Stories page for all to see. The ARRL currently is soliciting stories from those providing service in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Submissions from ARRL members who are logged onto the League's Web site will be published immediately. Others' submissions will be reviewed before posting.

----> ARRL-NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY IS DECEMBER 3

The seventh annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) http://hamradio.noaa.gov/ special event will take place Saturday, December 3, from 0000 until 2400 UTC (ie, starting Friday, December 2 in US time zones). Cosponsored by the National Weather Service (NWS) and ARRL, SKYWARN Recognition Day is the Weather Service's way of expressing its appreciation to Amateur Radio operators for their commitment to helping keep communities safe. During this 24-hour special event, teams of radio amateurs set up stations at local NWS offices to contact other hams across the US and around the world.

"Ham radio operators volunteering as storm spotters are an extremely valuable asset to National Weather Service operations since they are cross-trained in both communications and severe storm recognition," says SRD organizer Scott Mentzer, N0QE, the Meteorologist-In-Charge at the Goodland, Kansas, NWS office, home of WX0GLD.

Last year, 114 NWS offices participated in SRD, logging more than 15,000 QSOs during the 24-hour event, says David Floyd, N5DBZ, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at Goodland. The object is for amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many NWS stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 meters, and 70 cm. Contacts via repeaters and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) modes, such as EchoLink and IRLP also welcome.

Operators exchange call sign, signal report, QTH, and a one or two word description of their weather, such as "sunny," "partly cloudy," "windy," etc.

According to Floyd, in typical SKYWARN operations during severe weather, direct communication between mobile spotters and local NWS offices provides critical "ground truth" information for forecasters. "Spotter reports of hail size, wind damage and surface-based rotation in real time greatly assist the radar warning operator, since that information can be correlated with Doppler radar displays," he says. The result may be a more strongly worded statement to convey greater urgency or issue a tornado warning a few minutes earlier than would otherwise have been possible.

"While NWS offices utilize the real-time reporting of severe weather events to assist in warning operations, hurricanes Katrina and Rita have shown us that ham radio operators are equally important during the recovery phase of natural disasters," Floyd points out.

Floyd also cites the example of the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) on 14.325 MHz. He notes that the HWN, which organized in 1965 during Hurricane Betsy, started out as an informal group of amateurs but has since developed a more formal relationship with the National Hurricane Center in Miami via its Amateur Radio station WX4NHC (formerly W4EHW). HWN ham radio members and volunteers at WX4NHC work together when hurricanes threaten to provide real-time weather data and damage reports to NHC forecasters.

So far, some 75 NWS offices in the US are planning to participate along with the Prairie Storm Prediction Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. An official EchoLink/Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) reflector is expected to be available for use during SRD.

An 8.5 x 11-inch certificate is available in exchange for a self-addressed, stamped envelope with a list of NWS stations worked. Address requests to SKYWARN Recognition Day, 920 Armory Rd, Goodland, KS 67735. Separate stations also will issue individual QSL cards. For more information, contact Matthew Mehle, KC0TER <matthew.mehle@noaa.gov

"Without an organization that plans and prepares in advance, an amateur radio emcomm response is likely to be disorganized and ineffective." EmComm Level I

TECH FEST IS COMING

Tech fest? Tech fest? What's a tech fest...?

It's a great opportunity for hams to come together and share their knowledge, and enjoy great fellowship; that's what it is. And it's always a lot of fun.

The Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society (GARS) has been holding these events every year for the past seven years or so, and it has provided, over the years, opportunities for hams to learn about such things as various modes of operations, antenna building, how to make your own QSL cards, old radio gear, DXing, QRP and kit building, generators, radio programming, basic soldering, oscilloscopes and various types of test equipment, and high altitude ballooning. There's even been a fascinating display on metal detection the past few years. Each year provides something different, but what's clear is that this is a unique event that offers, for FREE, a forum for hams to learn new things and to share their knowledge with others. This year will also mark the second year for a fun QLF contest. (sending CW with your left foot)

This isn't just a GARS event, though they are the sponsors. This is a bona fide Ham Event, and all are invited to participate.

Maybe you'd like to set up a demo or display on your particular area of interest? (P.S. This would be another great opportunity for a WinLink 2000 demonstration.) Anybody interested in showing off your radio-controlled airplanes? Or maybe you'd like to set up something to show us about radio astronomy? The more, the merrier. Get in touch with this year's chairman, RAY BACK, KI4GRJ, and volunteer to set up a display. You can reach him at Ki4grj@arrl.net or at (678)380-1728.

WHEN and WHERE is it, you might ask? Tech Fest will be held on January 14, 2006, at St Marguerite D'Youville Catholic Church in Lawrenceville. The event will run from 10 AM (set-up at 9) until 2 PM. (See www.gars.org for directions)

By the way, did I mention that there's FOOD?! Burgers, hot dogs, and all the fixings, as well as a Chili Cook-Off, so you can bring your best pot of chili and see how it stacks up against the rest. Yours truly took the blue ribbon last year, and I thought that might earn me a year off, but Ray's already told me that he's "signed me up" again. But there's always plenty of food to go around, and it's also FREE, unless you'd care to drop a little something into the donation box.

Help support this one of a kind event here in Georgia.

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.
You need to be able to throw something back."
MAYA ANGELOU

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

The following article was written by the lovely KATI SEGAR, with the able assistance of her hubby, CLIFF SEGAR, KD4GT. Many of you know Cliff, a former GA ham, and know that he is one of the field engineers who travels into areas that have been devastated by hurricanes to restore cell phone communications. After his recent work after Hurricane Katrina, Kati was inspired to write this article for a Home Owners' Associations newsletter, a terrific target audience to teach about the value of amateur radio, and especially about the detrimental effects of restrictive antenna covenants. KUDOS to Kati and Cliff for this fine article, and many thanks to them for allowing me to include it here for your reading pleasure:

During the past couple of years, through my husband Cliff, I have become aware of a communication method somewhat new to me. However, it is actually one of the earliest wireless communication methods utilized - Radio Frequency, or "RF." Cliff is an Amateur Radio (or "Ham") Operator, and as such utilizes RF. He also is employed in the wireless communications industry and so he lives RF day and night. I have come to respect the technology and those involved, despite that we often refer to it as "blah, blah, blah, radio" in our household. I asked Cliff to co-author this article to ensure that the technical information is factual.

Before you say to yourself, "so what," and turn the page, allow us to explain why this subject of this article is timely and should be of interest, and important to you.

This DOES relate to community and community associations. Why? Well, how about these recent events:

* Aug 29, 2005 -- Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near Slidel, LA;
* Dec 26, 2004 -- A magnitude 8.9 earthquake strikes off the coast of the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra creating the devastating Tsunami;
* July 18, 2003 -- Kinishba Fire in the White Mountains of Arizona is reported at some 20,100 acres.

What do these specific events have in common? A complete breakdown and lack of communications into and within each area occurred.

As Katrina roared ashore, it ripped phone lines apart and toppled power poles. The storm surge flooded many of the local telephone switching stations. When the Tsunami raced across the Indian Ocean, the costal areas and their infrastructure were completely obliterated. In the White Mountains, there are few communications systems to start with. These are just a sampling out of numerous emergency situations in which typical communication was compromised.

Virtually all commercial communications systems - public safety, cellular phones and 2-way radio - rely on the local telephone network for interconnections and all of them rely on commercial power to run the transmitters. Even sites with batteries and emergency generators quit as they either ran out of fuel or were submerged in salt water in the Tsunami and Katrina incidents.

Who Ya Gonna Call? Ghost Busters?

Where do groups like the Red Cross, Salvation Army or your local Emergency Management Agency (EMA) turn when necessary communications are gone? How does the local hospital coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)? How do the local police communicate with the fire department - especially when they use different radios during normal times? All these groups and agencies turn to a group of volunteers licensed and regulated by their federal government.

The Amateur Radio Service - or "Hams" as they are commonly known - provide vital communications for relief agencies, various EMAs, Homeland Security and the National Weather Service (NWS). Hams also provide temporary communications for many events like the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, and the Boston Marathon. At the 2004 G8 Summit on St. Simon Island, Hams were part of the security team working with the Secret Service. Currently there are still approximately 100 Hams providing communications along the gulf coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

A special Ham operation ("DXpedition") to Andaman and Nicobar Islands off the coast of India, functioning since early in December, rapidly changed to an emergency operations mode using battery power to communicate with officials on the mainland. As Hurricane Katrina spun its way across the Caribbean, the southern tip of Florida and up through the Gulf of Mexico, amateur radio station WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center in Florida was receiving weather and damage reports in the path for use by the National Weather Service in forecasting.

CB's R Not Us

In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is tasked with the licensing and regulating of all public communications; both wire line and wireless. The FCC regulates the cable companies, telephone service, television and radio stations, cellular & PCS phone service, pagers and satellite communications.

Worldwide, the Amateur Radio Service is licensed and regulated by a part of each nation's government. (Currently, only North Korea has a ban on amateur radio operations.) On the international level, these various national groups coordinate together through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), part of the United Nations. The ITU, through its working groups, have established several fixed 'bands' of radio frequencies for Amateur Radio use. Unlike unlicensed services such as CB or FRS, Amateur Radio Operators worldwide are assigned a unique 'call sign'. Hams must also pass a test before a license and call sign are issued to them.

What Makes Hams So Special?

Who are these 'Hams' and why can they make communication happen when others can't? First, like all public (non federal government or military) communications services in the United States, they are regulated and protected by the FCC. Hams cannot profit from their radio activity. They always use their own equipment and are not compensated for their time or use of equipment. They are also licensed (as opposed to Citizens Band (CB) or Family Radio Service (FRS) users). FCC rules acknowledge the contribution of Hams and state:

Part §97.1 (a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.

The knowledge gained to pass the licensing test and ability to be 'frequency agile' is what enables the Hams to communicate when others cannot. Knowledge of how radio waves travel at different frequencies over different terrain and at different times of the day or year gives this group of volunteers the advantage to get information passed where it needs to be used.

Knowledge of how to build an antenna from scraps left in the wake of tornados or earthquakes enable Hams to get back on the air rapidly following disasters. In most natural disasters, it is the local Hams who get the first word out and are who relief agencies rely on for direction as to where help is first needed.

In the aftermath of disastrous events, Ham radio operators are "first responders" sent in to help save lives because they can rig up portable equipment, towers and antennas for communications. These volunteers are there at the formal requests by such agencies as the Red Cross and Salvation Army. The requests are usually channeled through the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), a Ham radio association focused on promoting the service and acting as an educational and emergency resource.

When Hams are deployed to disaster areas they do so in a volunteer capacity, usually at their own expense and always at their own risk. They must be self-sufficient and self-contained. They may or may not be provided food, shelter or any facilities along the way or while at the location. In the case of Katrina, warnings were issued to volunteers that the conditions were "combat comparable", but often conditions are unknown. In this case, grant money was available for reimbursement of Hams' expenses, but this is not usually the case, and even so, most will not seek reimbursement.

Our Love-Hate Relationship with Antennas

Well, from a community association perspective, we hate them, right? After all, we live in a closely-governed, pristine community association that prevents us from having to deal with anything "ugly." We are "preserving" our right of privacy and our unobstructed view of the land, mountains or sky-scapes we hold near and dear. We paid for it and we pay our association to preserve those rights.

What most of us do not realize is the everyday use of antennas in our households. Those beloved remote garage door openers, for example, work on RF.

So, what about those huge antennas on top of those unsightly towers? You might be surprised at the number of Hams operating within highly restricted neighborhoods. Being a Ham often means being creative; and sometimes covert! Using items from local stores, I have camouflaged antennas so that I couldn't find them - and I knew where to look! Even obvious parts of a house can be used as an antenna as well as placing antennas inside of walls or attic space. Many Hams also use small hand-held radios no larger than some cordless phones as well as mobile units in their vehicles.

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

In fact, there are community associations that embrace amateur radio. The Sea Ranch Association, a very high-end community association in Sonoma County, California, has found the Amateur Radio Service to be such a great asset that they have made it an integral focus of their comprehensive disaster plan.

The National Weather Service maintains and Amateur radio station at almost every one of its offices for 'on the ground' reports during severe weather and even provides training for Hams wishing to participate.

In addition to the NWS, Hams nationally have formal agreements with Department of Homeland Security - Citizen Corps, Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Association of Public Safety Communications Officials to provide communications. At the local level, various Ham organizations have similar agreements in place with the state and local counterparts of those national groups.

For more information about how Hams can work with you, contact the American Radio Relay League through their website www.arrl.org or contact Cliff at kd4gt@arrl.net.

Points of Interest on the Web:

Sea Ranch: www.tsra.org
National Hurricane Canter: www.wx4nhc.org
American Radio Relay League: www.arrl.org
Salvation Army: www.satern.org
Federal Communication Commission: www.fcc.gov
Maritime Mobile Service Net: www.mmsn.org
For information about the FEMA course on Amateur Radio Resources, please see:
http://www.training.fema.gov/emiweb/STCourses/crsdesc/G250_6.html
This course is designed to train government employees about the mission of Amateur Radio operations.

Cliff Segar works as a Field Engineer in the wireless communication industry and has spent time in restoration and recovery efforts after hurricanes and tornadoes for his employer. He is licensed as KD4GT, an Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator, and has served as a Technical Specialist (GA Section) of the ARRL. Cliff has served on the Board of GA Ham Clubs, twice as President.

Kati Segar is the owner of Synergy Association Management, a business consulting firm, and serves as Virtual Executive Director of the Southern Arizona Chapter of CAI. She has been involved in the industry for six years. Kati & Cliff live in rural Eastern TN.

We cannot change the direction of the wind... but we can adjust our sails.

ARES REPORT DE STAN EDWARDS, WA4DYD, ASEC

We had a drop in the percentage of those reporting for the month of October as well as a net decrease in membership. The number of hours significantly increased in the Drills, Tests, Training Sessions category due to the number of Simulated Emergency Tests conducted during the month.

Membership: 1,199 Change since last month: -4

Total Net Sessions: 112
Drills, Tests, Training Sessions: 117 Man-hours: 1,449
Public Service Events: 12 Man-hours: 698
Emergency Operations: 3 Man-hours: 113
Misc. Events: 39 Man-hours: 356

Total Events: 171 Total Man-hours: 2,616

Reporting by District:

West Central 100.0%
Metro Atlanta 36.4%
Southeast 44.4%
Northeast 26.7%
Northwest 38.5%
Southwest 31.6%
Central 10.5%
East Central 0.0%

Non-District DECs 25.0%

Total Reporting 29.7%

No job is finished until the paperwork is done.

NET REPORT DE JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

"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

AMATEUR RADIO AND PROFESSIONAL EMERGENCY PERSONNEL

CHUCK MCGINNIS, ND4D, was the first to send me an email about the article that was in the November issue of "WorldRadio" magazine, written by ALAN PICKERING, KJ9N. Since then, there have been more emails from concerned Georgia hams about this article, entitled, "A.W.O.L.= Arrogance Without Leave". The major concern was about the attitude of a new EMA director in Florida, who threw out the amateur radio operators from the EOC, in the belief that he could "utilize any radio on frequency no matter to whom it has been assigned, to carry on communications". He dismissed the notion that he needed licensed operators around and that he could, in fact, even "commandeer their equipment and use it as he sees fit". Bottom line: He believes that he "don't need no stinkin' license" or the presence of ARES operators.

Although we are blessed with a bunch of considerably more enlightened EMA directors here in Georgia, because of the number of emails on this subject, it seemed like a good idea to re-run a column that was in last December's newsletter to once again provide some clarification about amateur radio and emergency personnel:

More and more people who work in emergency management and response are getting their amateur radio licenses, and that's great. A fire chief with the Hazmat unit in Cobb county came to the GA Tech VE session to earn his license... passing elements 1, 2, and 3, as a matter of fact... before he and his men were deployed to south Georgia for the G-8 summit. The reason? He recognized the need to have a reliable means of communication, particularly with the MACC, (Multi Agency Control Center) in the event that something happened. Having that license provided him with another tool to look out for his men. (and also created an avid amateur radio operator, in the process)

We have EMA directors, police and fire personnel, medical workers, and others, getting licensed just so they can have that back-up means of communications in their hip pocket... just in case.

But there is a caveat.

And that comes in the rules and regulations of Part 97, dealing with those pesky "pecuniary interests". It states: " No amateur station shall transmit communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer."

So, if an emergency management or response professional uses amateur radio while in the course of doing his job, isn't he in direct violation of these rules?

In March of 1997, a petition was filed with the FCC by JAMES CARDILLO-LEE, KE6VGV, requesting that 97.113 be amended to "permit amateur radio operators who also are emergency personnel engaged in disaster relief to use the amateur service bands when such operations are in a paid status."

The ruling by the FCC was that such clarification was unnecessary, because these two-way communications were already permissible within the existing rules. The FCC stated, "Amateur radio operators who also are emergency personnel engaged in disaster relief do not appear to be receiving compensation for transmitting communications. Rather, we believe that these individuals are receiving compensations related to their disaster relief work and in their capacities as emergency personnel, and the fact they also are amateur radio operators is incidental to these functions."

However, we're talking "Disaster" here, which by definition, is an atypical occurrence. That means a Life-or-Death situation in which NO OTHER MEANS of communication is available.

As JOHN HENNESSEE, N1KB, Regulatory guru for the the ARRL wrote, "In most situations, there must be an unpaid staffer who is an amateur, that is, an amateur who is not conducting communications on behalf of their employer. Were that rule not there, it could encourage encroachment in the amateur service by those who may see it just as another means of communications."

The bottom line: the recommendation is for ARES groups to have MOUs with local hospitals, EMAs, etc, that provide for volunteer amateur radio operators to be available when normal communications systems are overloaded or non-functional, and for unpaid trained amateurs to provide communications, as needed.

(I sure hope someone enlightens that Florida EMA director.)

"Unless a positive and long established relationship exists between professionals and volunteers, professionals who do not work regularly with competent volunteers are likely to look at them as 'less than useful'." EmComm Level I

REMEMBERING HAM RADIO IN THE 1940s & 1950s AROUND ATLANTA

RUTHERFORD "RUDDY" ELLIS, Jr, W4LNG, has been "hamming it up" for more than just a few years, and as more and more of his old ham pals are becoming SKs, he wanted to jot down a little bit of the local history, so that those who've gone before shall not be forgotten. Many thanks to Ruddy for sharing this with us, and if any of you have similar tales to share, I'd love to hear from you.

My introduction to Ham Radio was as a sophomore at North Fulton High School in 1943 . I saw W4IEN carved in the wooden desk top in a class room. I soon learned that this was an Amateur Radio call sign. I later learned that it belonged to Jimmy Brigman.
One of my buddies in high school was Durham Schane, later W4IYG. We experimented with Ford spark coils. We learned to repair AM broadcast radios and made up fake company names, so that we could get the L-265? priority numbers to enable us to buy radio parts at Southeastern Radio, Specialty Distributing and the like. I think Durham's company was "Economy Radio Service", while mine was "Practical Radio Service". I had been into model airplanes and trains, but during WWII, balsa wood, brass rails and the like were not available, but radio parts were, since it was important to the war effort to keep everyone current with the news. Many of the parts were marked "MR" for military reject. They failed to meet mil-specs, but were OK for home radios. Not available at all were metal panels, chassis, boxes etc. If you wanted to build anything, you had to strip an old chassis or use a breadboard!
Another buddy was Hull Teegardin. Hull owned a National 1-10 super-regen receiver covering one to ten meters. This helped us get started in that spectrum. We built simple 2 1/2 meter transceivers. They were two tube affairs; an RF tube acting as a super-regen detector on receive and a modulated oscillator on transmit. The other tube handled the audio both ways. We lived about a mile apart and could barely communicate using made up calls, NEA 1 and NEA 2. (Northside Electronic Asso.).
Ham Radio was suspended during the war, but there was activity permitted on 2 1/2 meters in the Wartime Emergency Service (WERS). I remember Russ, W4FKN, Smitty, W4HZG, Bubba, W4ZD, Dick, W4IKJ and others. Russ was an active VHFer before the war on at least 10, 5, 2 1/2, and 1 1/4 meters. Remember that back then, all the Ham bands were harmonically related. Russ had an AM transmitter on 10 meters, so he just added doubler stages to get to the next higher band.
Immediately after the war, many of the WERS operators joined the Atlanta Civil Defense group. There was a central station in the old Atlanta City Auditorium down where Georgia State U. is now. There were outlying stations in different parts of the city. In the Northside, we had a station in a plant near where Lindberg Dr. runs under the Norfolk Southern RR. Communications between the outlying stations and downtown was on the new 2 meter band using Gonset Communicators. I built a stacked turnstile antenna for downtown and a 4 ele.Yagi for the Northside station. We used 10 meter AM mobiles to cover the entire Northside.
My main~ "Elmers" were Howard, W4IEO, who lent me a Howard Communications receiver, and Bob, W4IRL, who taught me the code while I was at Ga.Tech. There was a code room in the Army ROTC building at Ga. Tech complete with many headphones, keys and a punched paper tape code sending machine. I took the Class B test at the downtown FCC office and received the call W4LNG in Feb. 1947. A year later, I went back to the FCC office and passed the Class A test. .
The first superhet 2 meter receiver that I heard was in the attic shack of Dick, W4IKJ. He had an RME VHP 152A converter feeding a HF communications receiver at about 7 MHz. The first crystal controlled 2 meter transmitter that I saw was built by Ellis, W4IJA. It used an 815 tripler driving an 829B final. Ellis had a wonderful station set-up. It was like a broadcast station with an operating desk looking through a glass window into another room full of 6 ft. relay rack cabinets. Ellis was mostly a 20 meter DX man and had a full size 3 element yagi on a windmill tower. He also had a 20 meter mobile rig with an 815 final.
World War II surplus was a terrific bonanza! You could buy surplus at a downtown junkyard by the pound! The SCR-522 (BC625) put many on 2 meters and could be modified for 6 and 1 1/3 meters. Command set ARC-5, BC 312 and BC 342 receivers were every where! ART-13 transmitters were popular. When the Bell Bomber plant in Marietta closed, W4ZD bought a truckload of aluminum1 tubing, so everyone was building yagis for many bands.
The Atlanta Radio Club was active during this time. I was elected Vice President in 1958 and moved up to president when the elected president moved out of town. We met at the Red Cross Building at 848 Peachtree St. We had a big clique of 75 meter phone men, who sat in the back and talked while I was trying to conduct business. We held a Hamfest at an American Legion Post and our Christmas Party at Lester Maddox's Pickrick Restaurant. The "Atlanta Ham" Newsletter was being published. We used to meet at the home of Warren, W4HDC, to collate and fold the "Ham" for mailing. Warren enjoyed 10 meter AM mobile, when not working as a radio operator for the Atlanta Police. Their station was WPDY and they operated just above the AM broadcast band on ???? KHz. Many hams around Atlanta belonged to the outlaw ???? club. We found out that automobile AM broadcast receivers could pick up WPDY by just adding a tuned circuit to the input and tuning the radio to WPDY as an image. At one time, I had a Hallicrafters S-20R mounted on a shelf behind the drivers seat tuned to WPDY. Warren, W4HDC, was a good photographer. He would listen to WPDY, then hurry to car wrecks, fires etc. to take photos!
The Georgia Tech Radio Club was also active during this period. We had some old prewar equipment in a room on top of the south stands at Grant Field. We had a long wire antenna strung up to the top of one of the light poles. It was cold and dirty, so we were pleased when the Ga. Tech Research Station gave us a surplus SCR-599? trailer with a BC-610 transmitter to move into. I was Club Secretary, but didn't spend a lot of time hamming, due to studies!
Some of the other VHP operators during this period were "KIP", W4KIP; Phil, W4LRR; Walt, W4FWH; Larry, W4GIS and Charlie, W4LMF. We ran an informal 2 meter "net" on 145.35 MHz. Surplus crystals at 8075 KHz were readily available, so we chose that frequency. I was net control for awhile as was Charlie, W4LMF.
The range of 2 meter AM equipment at that time was limited, So Roy, W4KHL and I went on "Expeditions" to the neighboring states, hoping to facilitate Atlanta stations in contacting stations in them. We had no luck in South Carolina, but went to Wayah Bald Mt. in North Carolina. Atlanta stations were coming in loud, but our SCR-522 transmitter quit!
We next went to Alabama and ended up on Mt. Cheaha. From there, we could work both Atlanta and Birmingham, so we facilitated the first contacts between those cities. In 1953, Hull Teegardin and I set up at a fire tower on the Pine Mt. range in Central, GA hoping to work Florida. We had lousy weather, but did work Atlanta and Montgomery, AL. Brasstown Bald Mt.,GA was a favorite spot for VHF DX. Walt, W4FWH and others would camp out on the top during the VHF contests. That was before the Visitor Center was built.. You could drive up and camp on top. They always got permission from the Rangers first, however.
I decided to write up some of these recollections, since Phil, W4LRR and myself are about the only ones not SK. Hopefully, others will contribute more and we can build up some archives of Ham Radio history.

History is best told by those who've lived it.

SECTION NOTABLES

--->CONGRATULATIONS to TIM RICHARDSON, W4IOU, of Acworth, GA, who was re-elected to a third four year term on that city's Board of Aldermen in an election held November 8th. Richardson, an ARRL Life Member, last year authored a provision in the city's zoning ordinance that states, "Antennas for amateur radio stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission will not be prohibited by Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions or homeowners' association, and the installation of such antennas must be reasonably accommodated." Acworth is a city of about 20,000 residents located 35 miles northwest of Atlanta.

--->While teaching his grandson to get his license, ALTON HIGGINS, W4VFZ, Towns county EC, "prepared a CD (which operates under Microsoft Office's Excel) that lists all the questions in the Technician's pool (based on information in the ARRL publication "Now You're Talking", 5th. edition), along with the four possible choices, with the correct answer in a separate column. This CD saves time in jumping around in the back of the book for the questions and answers, which are not in the same order as they are in the text. By the way, this CD is available to anyone for the sum of $2.00 to cover the cost of the disk and postage (U.S. only), sent to: Alton Higgins, W4VFZ, 1089 Poplar Ridge Road, Hiawassee, GA., 30546-3054, manmtn@brmemc.net. I plan to teach a class next month, again based on "Now You're Talking" to secure as many operators in the Red Cross as possible. We already have two fixed 2 meter stations (to be later expanded to include HF capabilities, a third fixed station is planned), which have access via repeaters or simplex to our ten emergency shelters in the country. This gives us good radio coverage in this mountainous area. One of our fixed stations is at the local 911 center, giving us cross-band communication capabilities with the local police, fire, ambulance, etc., services."

--->Remember when I put out the plea for some hams who could help the Red Cross folks in Rabun county? I'm pleased to report two very good developments on that front. BOB LACKEY, W4QBE, who lives in the area, will support them from his home, and FRANCIS WOODSIDE, with the Red Cross office, will be taking part in that technician licensing class that ALTON HIGGINS, W4VFZ, will be offering for the Red Cross in neighboring Towns county. So he'll be able to set up a station at the Red Cross office himself, an ideal solution.

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be all the world to one person.

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

----> CONGRATULATIONS to our Golden Piglet, the GA Section's first Young Ham of the Year, CONNIE COTE, N4CAC, who was "crowned" at the Lawrenceville Hamfest at the beginning of November. Connie is an active member of Wayne County ARES, and she has successfully completed numerous FEMA courses, as well as local Search and Rescue training, to improve her capabilities as an emergency communicator. She is also an excellent student, involved in many extracurricular activities. This young lady is a fine and worthy recipient of this year's award. And what did she receive, you might ask?

>From PHIL PARTON, N4DRO, of Kenwood, she received a Kenwood 2M mobile radio, and MARK HOLMES, KJ4VO, of HRO, provided an MFJ mag mount 2M/6M antenna to go with it. So she won't lose track of time while she's out riding around and talking on her new radio, the fine folks at MFJ provided her with a very cool atomic wrist watch. (So, no excuses, young lady!) To top it all off, ROBERT TYLER, KF4VBR, president of the Alford Memorial ARC, presented her with one hundred dollars in cash, on behalf of the club. Huge thanks to all four of these wonderful sponsors for so generously demonstrating their support of Georgia's young hams.

In this year's close contest, two young men were also recognized, and were rewarded with an Honorable Mention in our Young Ham competition. RAY BACK, KI4GRJ, an Eagle Scout, is an active member of Venture Crew 73, who never misses the opportunity to promote amateur radio to other young people. This enthusiastic young man with an unbeatable "can do" attitude is also active with the Gwinnett ARS, where he has served on the Field Day committee for several years, as well as serving as chairman for the club's annual Tech Fest.

The other young man, PATRICK WILSON, KG4YUV, was described by one of our judges, ROBIN KEMP, KD5QEL, as a "technical wizard and homebrewer who, at the age of 16, holds an Extra ticket, runs a CW beacon, and is active in Field Day, ARES, and FISTS." That he is, and more. No doubt, he is a valuable asset to the hobby, and the Dalton ARC is proud to count him as an active member. His fresh outlook and intelligent pursuit (and conquest) of many aspects of amateur radio make him a true Section Notable.

CONGRATULATIONS to all three of these fine young people. We're proud of you all.

---> The Youth Forum and related activities at the Alford Memorial ARC's Lawrenceville Hamfest were better than ever this year! ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, our talented and hard-working Assistant SM for Youth, reported that there were an amazing FORTY-TWO young participants this year. (Not to mention quite a few of us not-so-young-sters who also took part.) There may have been even more piglets there, but this is a listing of all of those who registered: Chris Evans KI4FUJ, Jamie Bruce KG4SKK, Connie Cote N4CAC, Buck, Connor Armstrong, Phillip Millerd KG4ZHD, Trevor Holmes, Matthew Pearce, Lauren McGraw, Rachel Shelnult, Tinsley Griffin KI4HAY, Berkley Griffin, Matthew Zorca KI4LRL, James Greene KG4ZZD, Holly Zorca KI4LJH, John Barrett, Alex Blitch K4ALX, Zachary Pescitelli, Rebekah Dorff WG4Y, Christina Sasanas, Nicholas Sasanas, Mayra Deras, Vlises Deras, Timothy Zorca KG4HYJ, Shantel Richardson, Maggie Magliocco, Ian Gresov KI4LQR, Danny Langhoff, Amber Butler KI4LMW, CJ Butler, Bailey Derrick, Eric Woodward, Brittney Hancock, Abigail Griffin, Jay Barnhardt KI4LYL, Cameron Cato KI4KJR, Ray Back KI4GJR, Robert Crone W4RFC, Zack Loggins KI4IOA, Brittany Voswinkel, Valerie Voswinkel, Riley Kinser (A great showing.... Let's see if we can't break the 50 mark next year!)

---> The Keynote Speaker at the Youth Forum was PHILLIP MILLERD, KG4ZHD, and he did a terrific job of describing his deployment into Gulfport, Mississippi to help with the emergency communications after Hurricane Katrina. When he first went into the area on September first, shortly after the hurricane had done its damage, his initial plan was to stay just for the weekend, but when he was asked to stay longer, he simply couldn't refuse. Since he is home-schooled, he has a little more flexibility than most students, and his mother agreed that the work he was doing was providing a valuable education in itself. So, despite the fact that he'd only packed enough clothes for the weekend, he stayed on for ten days, in what he called his "grunge week". (hot weather, no showers, no clean clothes...) Phillip subsequently returned to the area for several more weekends after that initial deployment.

After Phillip finished with his talk, I waited for him to sit down before calling him back up, because we weren't "done with him". It was then that he was presented with a special ARRL Certificate of Merit in recognition of the work he'd done following Hurricane Katrina. He was caught just a little bit by surprise.

Then, when he went back to his seat again, I called him back up again, because we still weren't "done with him". This time, he was more than just a little bit surprised; he was downright stunned. The Gwinnett ARES group is a 501(c)(3) organization, and a very generous donor had given them $300 for the purpose of helping a GA ham (or hams) who'd deployed to help with communications post-Katrina. The intent was to supplement the $100 maximum allowed by the ARRL Ham Aid program and to help defray costs for some worthy individual(s). It was a huge honor to present Phillip with a check for the full $300, on behalf of the Gwinnett ARES group and that wonderful donor. Phillip is the oldest of eight children, and his father is currently serving in Iraq, and he was most definitely a worthy choice.

---> ALTON HIGGINS, W4VFZ, wanted to share a little "proud grandpa" information about a special young man in his life. He wrote, "My step-grandson, Christopher Evans, KI4FUJ, earned his Technician's license last year at the age of 12 years, under the tutelage of his step-grandfather (your's truly, W4VFZ), and is now studying the Morse code (which we hope will REMAIN a requirement for advanced licensing!) for his Code Plus rating. This, we hope, will be followed by his studying for his General. As a licensed ham, he is also a member of the Red Cross and a part of our local ARES and RACES team (for which I'm the EC), having manned the station at the local hospital during a simulated emergency for Towns County, Georgia. He and I often attend ham fests together, and I've monitored the operation of my station while he talks to people in Australia and
throughout the U.S. on the HF bands."

"The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."
LUCILLE BALL

UPCOMING EVENTS

DECEMBER 3 --- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta parade. To volunteer, please contact TIM ROSING, KC4ELV, at kc4elv@etoii.com 

DECEMBER 3--- National Skywarn Recognition Day

DECEMBER 7--- Pearl Harbor Day

DECEMBER 25--- Merry Christmas!

DECEMBER 26--- Happy Hanukkah!

DECEMBER 31--- Straight Key night

"New Year's Eve is the time of year when a man most feels his age,
and his wife most often reminds him to act it."
WILLIE BROWN, AG4HY

JANUARY 1--- Happy New Year!!

JANUARY 8--- Kids Day (1800-2400Z)

JANUARY 14--- Tech Fest

JANUARY 28--- Statewide ARES meeting

Time's fun when you're having flies!"
KERMIT THE FROG

SILENT KEYS

BOB BURDETT, KC4EK
HOWARD CAULEY, K4KGC
GERALD CROW, NW4T
ELIZABETH FIELDS, WA4VXM
RAY HEARN, WB4VPR
MARTIN HOLZMAN, WB4MOG
ELDON WAKEFIELD, KA4CEK

Sincere condolences to the families and friends of each of these fine people.

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

"God bless us, every one."
TINY TIM

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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