Greetings, All. Well, here we are again, Georgia, standing on the threshold of the last month of yet another year. Sometimes, it feels like somebody has been messing with the "fast forward" button, doesn't it? It seems like the "end credits" on the year are getting ready to roll, and we haven't even gotten the chance to get comfy with our bags of buttered popcorn yet. But it ain't over 'til it's over. Let's all make the most of this last month of the year, and savor every delectable morsel of popcorn left in our bags. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and lots of good fellowship and love.

First off, CONGRATULATIONS to our favorite Director of Vice, SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, who was recently re-elected to another term, which will begin on January 1. That same day will also put a brand new Director at the helm, GREG SARRATT, W4OZK. Many thanks to our current Director, FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, who has put in FIVE DECADES of service to the SE Division, and who assures me that we'll still be seeing him at many of our Meetings. (and there will ALWAYS be a seat reserved for you at the ARRL booth, Frank) And, of course, congratulations to Greg, who I am sure will do a fantastic job for us as our new fearless leader.

Just a quick word on the new Band Plan that has been promoted for our region by the IARU. Honest, there's no need to panic. From what I've heard, the ARRL and FCC are NOT adopting those new parameters, so all of you AM operators can relax.

Those of you who may be thinking about taking an amateur exam at one of the VE sessions during the month of December, please check with the contact person to be sure that the session will be held. There will be NO test session held at GA Tech in December, and that may be the case for some of the other regularly scheduled sessions, as well. So, please check first.

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

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC Meeting--- November 3-4 --- As always, the Lawrenceville Meeting was a huge success. It's never just the highlight for the month of November, though; it's one of the brightest spots in the whole year for GA hams. It's the largest fest in Georgia, and quickly becoming the largest in the whole cotton-picking Southeast. If you were there, you already know how terrific it was, and if you weren't there, you've probably already gotten the good word from some of your friends. Although the overall attendance was down a bit, the boneyard was bigger than ever, and all of the forums were packed. Signed up lots of new ARRL members, and the commercial vendors I spoke to were very pleased with their volume of sales. Which means they'll be back next year. So, if YOU weren't there this year, I do hope you'll make it a point to attend next November. This is a Meeting that Georgia can be truly proud of; let's all continue supporting it to keep it that way.

It was a pleasure to host the ARRL's DENNIS DURA, W2DCD, as the special guest at this year's Meeting, and he did a terrific job talking to the packed house at the ARRL forum, as well as the ARES forum. Since SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, was the person who had the keen savvy to invite Dennis, I asked him to make the formal introduction. Not sure if, "Heeeeere's Dennis!" exactly qualified as a "formal introduction", but it got a laugh, anyhow. Also, at the ARRL forum, it was an honor to present outgoing SE Director FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, with a token of appreciation from the GA Section. Not a plaque or certificate, as he's already received a ton of those, but something a little "different". It was a GA Piglet. No, I didn't give him one of our young hams. It was a fuzzy pink pig, clad in a specially made ham vest. On the back was our "colors", the cute little official GA Piglets logo, as designed by MARY AHLS, W4NZJ, and on the front was a badge, saying, "I'm a member; are you?" along with the ARRL logo. He even wore a tie, with an ARRL tie tack. (Thanks to my better half MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, for generously donating one of his ties for the project. Not sure, but I think he would've happily given ALL of 'em to me...) What really makes this piglet "different", though, is when you squeeze his left hand, (paw?) he oinks ecstatically and wiggles all over. Supposed to indicate the warm fuzzy feelings we all have about Frank. Cute, and like I said, it's definitely "different".

The Youth activities were once again a big highlight of the Meeting, led by our ASM for Youth Activities, BRITTNEY HANCOCK, KI4WNY, and ASM Youth Advisor, ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM, with a lot of enthusiastic support and help from a handful of adults. Not sure, but I think SCOTT HARTLAGE, KF4PWI, and KEN DALTON, KI4BQS, had even more fun than the kids did. I know that they thoroughly enjoyed helping some of the youngsters make their first HF contacts. With the scavenger hunt, the fox hunts, the special event station, Youth lounge, Youth forum, and Youth dinner, there were plenty of fun activities to keep all of the young visitors busy and happy. Many thanks to all of the people who worked so hard to make this a success, especially the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society, who provided a generous donation to help offset the costs of food, drinks, and door prizes for the kids.

Sincere thanks to the members of the Alford Memorial ARC for all of their hard work in putting together a Meeting of this caliber. It isn't an easy job, but under the leadership of long-time Meeting chairman, RANDY BASSET, KR4NQ, they succeed year after year in making it an event worth attending. They're already starting to work on next year's event. Hope to see you there.

"You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think." MILTON BERLE

CLUB NEWS

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- Once again, club members are opening their hearts and following the adage that it's way better to give than receive. This year, they've "adopted" a family of nine, and will be doing all they can to make the Holidays bright for this family, by bringing wrapped presents, food, and money donations to their annual Christmas party.

ARC of AUGUSTA --- November elections put the following slate of officers into place for the next year: President- DAVE FALLS, KI4MFJ; VP- HENRY AROSTEGUI, KN4AV; Secretary- AL MENGES, KF4NXL; Treasurer- TOM BROWN, KF4ITM; 3rd Year Director- DOUG PUGH, KE4JSJ; 2nd Year Director- CHUCK TEETERS, W4MEW; and 1st Year Director- DON STEIMEL, KE4TTA. CONGRATULATIONS to all of these fine fellows, and best wishes for another successful year in leading the club. (info de AL MENGES, KF4NXL)

ATLANTA ARC --- This club has started something new, and that's a monthly "tech session", which they're holding the second Sunday of each month at 3PM in the main administration building at Peachtree Dekalb Airport. The intent is to help amateur radio operators "learn or hone" a variety of technical skills, with training extending from beginner to intermediate skill levels, and presented in an interactive format. Great idea, huh? The December 9 session will cover info on repeaters, DCS, tones, IRLP, and a general how-to, as well as additional information on how to find repeaters while on the road, net resources, and ARRL resources. Talk-in on the club's 146.82 repeater.

BARROW ARES CLUB --- This club has only been in existence since March, and after nine months of working together, they've recently given birth to their very first slate of officers. CONGRATULATIONS to President- CAL NEFF, K4JSR; VP- DAVIS WALLACE, K1DGW; Secretary- BILL WILSON, KJ4EX; and Treasurer- STEVE LYNN, K1SRL. This crew hasn't just been gestating these past nine months, either; they've been a downright active bunch. Among other things, Cal writes that their activities have included:
*A regular Net on 2 meters via repeater and on simplex each Sunday evening.
*Participation in Field Day with the Athens Club. (Thanks, Athens guys!)
*Recruitment of 25% of the members of the Barrow County CERT Team. (7 hams!)
*Participated with CERT as Communications for the Northeast Ga. Health Dept. District Drill which consisted of setting up a Point Of Distribution for medication distribution in an Anthrax pandemic. This doubled as our S.E.T., also. Proved our communications abilities to the satisfaction of Jimmy Terrell, who is the Director of Risk Management, Barrow County and Brent Burish, CEO, Barrow Medical Center.
*Co-sponsored a SKYWARN Class with CERT and Barrow County Emergency Management.
*Set up an operating HF/VHF station at the Chautauqua Festival in Winder, Ga.

He also notes that "Remaining activity for this year is our First Christmas Party Breakfast this December 15th at 0900 EST at the Golden Corral in Winder. All hams in the area are cordially invited to join us and pig out on the Breakfast Buffet! Activities planned for next year are: Ham classes for beginners and upgrades, Emcomm Training, Winter Field Day just cuz we're tough, (Trust me!) More hams for CERT, Operating booths at more city and town festivals as they come up."

So, congratulations to this new club for a stellar start, and best wishes for continued success.

CHEROKEE CAPITAL ARC --- Members offered a one-day tech class recently, and obviously they know what they're doing. Fifteen people participated in the class, and all fifteen passed their test. Participating was "one EMS, three military from Dobbins, and eleven Gordon county firemen". (Sounds like another group of "Smoked Hams" will be hitting the airwaves in the near future.) FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN, reports that they're planning to hold another class in January.

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC--- These fine folks held elections recently, too, only they do things a little differently than most clubs, using a Board of Director approach to the running of club business. So, three new directors have been elected, and they are TOM HADLEY, K1YQ, RICHARD GREEN, KI4RQO, and MELISSA BLANCHARD, KU4G, who will be serving as Secretary. JIM STUDER, AK4I, will once again be serving as Chairman of the Board, accompanied by Vice Chairman CLARK MACAULEY, KE4RQ, Secretary MELISSA BLANCHARD, KU4G, and Treasurer LEW CASON, N4HRA. Best wishes for another great year.

NORTH FULTON ARL --- This club continues to come up with ways to stir up new excitement. First, their "Techs on Ten" net to help new hams get their feet wet on 10 meters, then the Friday night CW practice nets on their 145.47 repeater, and now, it's hosting club build-a-thons. Recently, they got together on a Saturday to build their first project, a crystal oscillator. From the pictures I've seen from the event, one really stood out. It showed a young lady, no more than six or seven years old, grinning from ear to ear, clearly demonstrating that "all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth", while holding up her completed project. It's a priceless picture, showing that this first building project wasn't just for us old fogies. It was such a rousing success, in fact, plans are underway to hold another club build-a-thon after the first of the year.

NORTHWEST GA ARC --- These folks held their annual elections, and CONGRATULATIONS go to the following: President- ED WILSON, W4EMW; VP- PAUL QUILLEN, N4LCD; Treasurer- VIRGINIA BROCK, KF4NYH;(re-elected)and Secretary- ELLEN DICKERT, KD4NTF.(also re-elected) The club is planning an informal Dutch-treat Christmas get together on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, at the Western Sizzlin Restaurant in Rome at 6:30PM. No program is planned, just plenty of good eats and good fellowship. Everyone is invited to attend. (info de BILL DICKERT, KD4EKZ)

SE DX CLUB --- Sincere thanks to club members, especially DON KASTEN, N4DK, for serving as excellent hosts to visiting German ham MICHAEL FUNKE, DL4EAX, who recently spend a couple of weeks in the Alpharetta area, eating sushi, meeting other hams, and operating in the CQWW contest. Don opened his shack to Michael and gave him the CQWW experience, something he dearly wanted to do during his visit to the U.S. (Thank you, also, to JIM WORSHAM, W4KXY, for alerting me to Michael's impending visit) Wouldn't be surprised if Michael has his U.S. license the next time he pays a visit, though... that DL4EAX/W4 must've been a cumbersome mouthful when he was trying for a good Q rate. Word has it that club members had an outstanding time with their friendly "100 watts on a wire" competition, held throughout the month of November. Not that it's surprising, but quite a few members managed to work DXCC, proving that you don't have to have a Steppir to make the exciting contacts. (which is exactly what they'd intended to prove)

THOMASVILLE ARC --- Sure hated to miss their famous November Fish Fry this year, but I didn't figure they'd be too happy if I left them with the unwelcome "present" of whatever the heck it was I had that made me sound like Camille. But it sounds like they had a fantastic time, as always, with a bigger-than-ever attendance. One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of Special Service Awards to three of the club's members: ALICE CHILDS, AF4HB, in recognition of her excellence as a Caregiver; ALAN TERRELL, N4KGT, for his all-around contributions to the club and community; and the Veterans Award to beloved WWII veteran BILLY JOE LEWIS, W4XDT. Holding their annual fish fry on or around Veterans Day always gives the club the additional opportunity to recognize the many veterans within the club, and this year, they had a Marine Corps Birthday Party, with special recognition given to Marines RAY PRIM, KD4VQS, BILL SCHMIDT, KI4JOG, and JONATHON GANDY. And as was only fitting, they got first dibs at the cake.

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

GROW YOUR CLUB WITH NEW HAMS

Clubs are always looking for ways to make their club membership grow. The following article, which appeared in a recent ARRL Club Bulletin, has some terrific common sense ideas on the subject. It was written by the ARRL's NORM FUSARO, W3IZ:

One of the most frequently asked questions that we hear from ARRL affiliated clubs is "How can we increase membership in our club?" On the surface, the solution is a simple one - make more hams. A foundation of active Amateur Radio operators is required in order to maintain a healthy Amateur Radio club. If you lack a sufficient pool of licensed hams in your area, then create some. Clubs that conduct licensing classes, where they make recruitment part of the lesson,
continually increase membership. It does not matter if the course is an eight week program or a weekend crash course, a good instructor will pepper the syllabus with the advantages of membership in the local club and the Radio Amateur's national association -- ARRL.

Providing a license course for those people in the community who are interested in learning about Amateur Radio demonstrates the club's commitment to helping people. Reinforcing Amateur Radio's tradition of helping each other lets the new hams know that they are not just getting a license to operate a radio, but that they are also earning a ticket to become part of a worldwide society whose existence is built on mutual contact. Whether on the air or in the community, Amateur Radio has always been a two-way function.

From the moment the license class begins, new hams need to know that your club is there to help them as they begin their Amateur Radio journey. This relationship begins not in the classroom, but at the time of registration or when that first contact is made, whether in person or on the telephone or through the internet.

As the class progresses, the new ham is made aware of the reciprocal bond between hams, and while the novice may not believe that he or she has something to offer at the moment, their attendance and a desire to belong is sufficient contribution. As long as the club maintains a friendly environment that encourages participation and supports activities, the novice will soon become the Elmer to the next group of new hams and will eventually take on leadership positions in the club. However, a club is destined to fade away if they choose to adopt the attitude "build it and they will come."

Be sure to invite the new licensees to your next club meeting. Using written invitations is a nice touch and sends a message that you really want them to attend. The focus of this meeting should be on your new hams and getting them into the mainstream. Several clubs have organized the meeting following a license class using the "Ham Radio 101" format, where the entire evening's programming is to show the novices the basics of operating. Have refreshments on hand, and be ready to talk about the fun activities such as Field Day or a
community activity that your club is involved in. This is not the meeting where you'll want to discuss politics or topics that will embattle the membership. Keep it light and focused on the needs of the newcomers.

New hams are thirsty for information, no matter how basic. When and where are the club meetings held? How do I get on the air? What does this or that term mean? Be prepared to answer the simplest questions, and provide details when you do. The Mt. Baker club in Bellingham, Washington has developed a great handout for new hams that helps answer some of these questions. With Mt. Baker's permission, ARRL has made this booklet available to download and customize for your use. The modified version provides a place for your club to insert club and local information.

http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2005/03/06/1/MBARC-Info-Pack.pdf

Use this brochure, or develop one of your own, but in any case, be sure to give your new hams something informative to take home with them.

A closing thought when working with new hams: one person's favorite activity is not all that ham radio has to offer. Meeting programs and mentor sessions should stimulate new hams to explore the many options offered to the licensed radio amateur. Organizing and teaching an Amateur Radio license class, where the students are encouraged to be a part of the fabric of ham radio and invited to participate in club activities, is guaranteed to increase your club's membership with active hams.

ARRL has resources for instructors.

The Instructor's Manual- http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9817 includes lesson plans for teaching a Technician license course and a CD ROM with visual aids for the classroom.

Instructors can advertise their classes on the ARRL website so that interested people can locate a class in their area. Visit the instructor support page for more information- http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/instructor/ 

To become a registered instructor please contact ARRL Educational Assistant, ROSE-ANNE LAWRENCE, KB1DMW, at rlawrence@arrl.org or 860-594-0263

The Four Is
- Invite
- Inform
- Inspire
- Involve

INVITE everyone, the new hams and those who have not yet received their CSCE, to attend the next club meeting where the program will be based on things that the new ham will need to know. Invitations should be in the form of hard copy with day, date and time. Hand an invitation to each student personally at the end of the class, or mail the invitations to everyone that attended the class. A big shout out to come to the next meeting lacks sincerity.

INFORM- Provide a packet of information that has contact information for people who can help the new ham get on the air. It's also a good idea to provide club information, as well as some operating aids, like a list of local repeaters and how to access them.

INSPIRE- Congratulate your new hams and remind them that they have just completed the first step toward a life long journey of learning and fun. Encourage those who were not successful this time around to keep trying, because the reward is worth the effort.

INVOLVE- Welcome new members to your club and to the world of Amateur radio.
Encourage the new hams to participate in club functions and on the air activities. Make sure that they know they are welcome to join the next on the air net, fox hunt or other club activity.

"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

WINTER FIELD DAY?

Why not??

DOUG BROWN, KC4RSL, of the NORTHEAST GA ARC, wrote an article about the SPAR Winter Field Day for his club newsletter, and was kind enough to share it with us. He wrote, "I was doing an article on the upcoming SPAR Winter Field Day for the NE GA Amateur Radio Club newsletter and I thought you might like to see it. We had a lot of fun with Winter Field Day last year and are planning on doing it again this time. It's surprising how many of the things we take for granted in June don't work in January. Winter winds are too strong for simple lash-up masts...and they blow papers EVERYWHERE. And do you realize how much more lighting you need for winter?!? Seriously, we changed some of our em-comm planning a bit to factor in winter weather more."

Doug's article:

You know it's true....every single Field Day you've been to someone has said the only reason Field Day is scheduled in Summer is because the League Headquarters is so far north the decision makers don't have to melt in the heat. It's usually said around the time the first person collapses from heat stroke; while you're trying to decide if you really need a soldering iron or if the cable you're working on would get hot enough to melt solder if you just put it in the sunlight.

Someone then offers up the inevitable suggestion of holding Field Day in January just so the tables will be turned. Those of us who wisely live in the Deep South would be comfortable while those who foolishly live in Connecticut could shiver away. Last year it happened, and it's about to happen again.

SPAR (the Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio) has announced the dates for Winter Field Day 2008. It will be the fourth weekend in January; that's the 26th and 27th. There is an excellent reason for holding a Field Day event in January other than revenge for the heat stroke: emergencies don't just happen in Summer. During the NE GA ARC's Winter Field Day operation last year we realized that our windy winters are a lot different to handle than our still Summers...and heaters and extra lights weren't in any of our go-kits!

The website for the event is: www.spar-hams.org

The rules have changed very little from last year. They are similar to the rules we all know from the ARRL Field Day in Summer but are more streamlined. The basics are:

-You can be on air from noon e.s.t. 1/26 to noon e.s.t. 1/27. No set up is allowed before 8 am. Well, no set up if you want any bonus points. There is no requirement that you operate for 24 hours straight either; if it's too cold I'm willing to be a wimp and go inside.

-Each QSO counts as 1 point; all modes are equal.

-Count 1 multiplier for each mode operated per band

-There are 3 possible bonuses of 1000 points each:
1. operating away from home
2. operating outdoors (in a tent, from a pavilion, anything that doesn't have walls and a roof)
3. operating without commercial power (generators or batteries, etc)

-There are 3 "classes" based on how many operators there are: 1, 2 and multi. It does not matter how many stations you have operating at one time like it does for the Summer Field Day. So if you have a mobile in your car and can show up for just an hour you could fire up and help out without having to worry about how that would affect your group's category in the contest.

- All bands other than the WARC bands and 60 meters are in play. Repeaters contacts ARE acceptable for QSOs, so if you can't make it onto the HF bands please listen for us on the 2 mtr and the 440 repeaters in the region.

Another thing to note: since repeater contacts count, no matter where you are you can participate in this contest with as little as your 2 meter handheld. Even if you can't take part in a club's event you can still play along! One contact on your mobile could net you a contest entry of 3001 points: 1 QSO outside, away from home and on battery power!

Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.

TECH FEST 2008

Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society (GARS) TechFest 2008
Free Admission - Bring your friends
Free Tailgating - Bring stuff to sell or trade
Free Booth - Sign up to share your expertise or interest.

WHEN: January 12
Event Time: 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Location Marguerite D'Youville Church, 5 Gloster Rd NW, Lawrenceville
Price: Free

What's Tech Fest??? Well, let's start by telling you what it's NOT. It's not exactly a Meeting, although for the second year in a row, there WILL be a tailgating area. The main purpose of Tech Fest is a free exchange of ideas and knowledge, a forum where hams (and non-hams) can learn from other hams... about DX-ing, about QRP operations, about antennas, various modes of operations, emergency communications, test equipment, etc. The displays have varied from year to year, but there's always something of interest, and always something to learn.

Oh, and did I happen to mention that there'd also be FOOD? Yup, burgers, hot dogs, and all the fixings, as well as the annual CHILI COOK-OFF. So, bring along a pot of your best chili, if you'd like, and go for next year's blue ribbon and bragging rights.

Should be a QLF contest, too. (How well can YOU send code with your left foot?) And for the first time, there will be some added activities just for the younger set. So, for a fun day, come visit the GARS Tech Fest. Great fellowship, great food, and hey! Ya might even learn something.  www.gars.org

Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.

ARES NEWS

** STATEWIDE ARES MEETING 2008 --- OK, guys, you can mark it on your calendars now. Thanks to LOWRY ROUSE, KM4Z, our GEMA DEC, the date for our statewide meeting has been set for Saturday, January 26. It will be held, once again, at the Public Service Training facility in Forsyth, and Lowry has reserved the Auditorium from 11AM until 4:30 PM for our general meeting, a classroom from 9AM until noon for our DEC meeting, and another classroom from 10 AM until noon for EMCOMM testing. Last year was the first time we held a test session, and it was such a big success, we're willing to do it again, if there's enough interest. Please send me a note asap to let me know if you would like to take a test, and if so, which level(s) I would appreciate it if you could let me know before the end of the year so I have ample time to order test materials.

** The first Sunday of every month, at 4PM, is the metro area ARES net, on the 146.820 repeater. (And many thanks to the Atlanta ARC for the use of their repeater.)

** Also, the first Sunday of every month is "emergency power" day on the statewide ARES net, on 3.975 MHz, at 5PM. So far, a very high percentage of check-ins have been running emergency power.

** On December 9, following the regular 3.975 net, there will be a follow-up net on 1.975 to test propagation.

RECENT APPOINTMENTS:

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS --- Thank you to LEE MCDANIEL, WB4QOJ, who has accepted the position of ADEC for Digital. Lee will work closely with DEC TOM OLLEY, KG4VUB, and will be a great asset to the furtherance of various digital modes throughout the GA Section. Bit by bit,(or byte by byte?) GA ARES has made great strides in improving our digital capabilities, and look for an exciting presentation at the statewide meeting from our DEC for GA Public Broadcasting, JOHN DAVIS, WB4QDX, regarding a huge project that has the potential for moving our capabilities ahead tremendously.

MUSCOGEE COUNTY --- Many thanks to BURCH CAMERON, W4WY, who has been integral in establishing an ARES group and serving as EC in Muscogee for the past several years. Without his leadership, there might not even be an ARES group in the Columbus area, so I can't thank him enough for all of his hard work. But Burch has recently resigned from that position, and has passed the mantle of leadership to new EC RICHARD STROBEL, W4OZA. Thank you to Richard for assuming this position, and best wishes for continuing success.

PIKE COUNTY --- Congratulations, and thanks, go out to WILLIAM BOND, K4WCB, for accepting the position of EC in Pike county. We appreciate your willingness to serve the ARES organization and your community.

NEW CALLSIGN: FELTON FLOYD, AF4DN, reports that the Gordon county EMA station has a new callsign. Appropriately enough, it's WG4EOC.

SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY --- The 9th annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) special event will take place Saturday, December 1, 2007, from 0000Z- 2400Z. SKYWARN Recognition Day is an event co-sponsored by the National Weather Service and the ARRL, and it is the National Weather Service's way of saying "thank you" to Amateur Radio operators for their commitment to helping keep their communities safe. During the 24-hour special event, amateur radio operators will visit their local National Weather Service (NWS) office, set up Amateur Radio stations, and work as a team to contact other hams across the world.

The object is for all radio amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many National Weather Service Stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meter bands plus the 70 centimeter band. Contacts via repeaters are permitted.

The exchange should include call sign, signal report, location, and a one or two word description of the weather occurring at your site ("sunny", "partly cloudy", "windy", etc.).

NWS stations will work various modes including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW, and PSK31. While working digital modes, special event stations will append "NWS" to their call sign (e.g., N0A/ NWS).

The National Weather Service will provide event information via the internet. Event certificates may be requested from:
SKYWARN Recognition Day
920 Armory Road,
Goodland, KS 67735

Simply enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with a list of NWS stations worked. The certificate size is 8.5 x 11 inches.

Separate NWS stations will also issue individual QSL cards. See the Web page for a list. To learn more, check out the Web site: http://hamradio.noaa.gov.

Always be prepared. Remember, it wasn't raining when Noah started building that ark.

ARES REPORT DE ASEC TOM FULLER, KE4QCM

Total number of ARES members: 754
Change since last month: +16
# of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 43
# of ARES nets active: 106
Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 227
Person hours: 808
Number of public service events this month: 14
Person hours: 280
Number of emergency operations this month: 0
Person hours: 0
Total number of ARES operations this month: 243
Total Person hours: 1088

DECs reporting:
Digital Communications, KG4VUB; Georgia Emergency Management Agency, KM4Z;
Georgia Public Broadcasting, WB4QDX; NWS-Peachtree City, KD4YDC; NWS
Tallahassee, KE4FGF; Salvation Army, WA4UJC

ECs reporting:
CENTRAL: Baldwin-K6DPL; Butts-KG4LTL; Houston-WB4EEL; Putnam-KF4EOH
EAST CENTRAL: Washington-K4GK
METRO ATLANTA: Cherokee-WA6IKS; Cobb-WK4E; Dekalb-W4TGA; Fayette-AG4ZR; Gwinnett-WB4QDX; Henry-WB4WQE; Newton-WA4UJC; North Fulton-W4UOC;
Paulding-K4DMF
NORTHEAST: Barrow-K4JSR; Clarke-N4ZRA; Hall-KE4PCF; Madison-KI4MHF; Towns-W4VFZ
NORTHWEST: Bartow-N4QET; Floyd-KD4EKZ; Haralson-KD4YDA; Polk-KD4EKZ
SOUTHEAST: Camden-WD8LQT; Chatham-K4DJD; Dodge-KG4WQZ; Effingham-KD6RYQ; Toombs-KG4BKO
SOUTHWEST: Baker-K4GCR; Lee-KB4OMV; Lowndes-N0JMS; Thomas-KE4FGF; Worth-K1KBA
WEST CENTRAL: Muscogee-W4WY; Troup/K3IMC

Comments

**Digital Communications DEC/KG4VUB: Will be announcing in Nov, the appointment of Lee McDaniel WB4QOJ as Assistant DEC Digital Communications for North GA.

**Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA)/KM4Z: Activated the SOC station for SET 2007. Participating were Tom (K5AES), David (KE4QLH), Mike (KO4WX), Victor (KI4HPX) and myself (KM4Z). There are 29 additional members whose activation time is reported by their local EC.

**Georgia Public Broadcasting DEC/WB4QDX: Meeting on D-Star network information.

**National Weather Service DEC-Peachtree City/KD4YDC: Preparations for 2 events: 1) Skywarn Recognition Day in Dec - 1 person, 3 hours, 2) Skywarn Presentation in Nov to Atlanta Repeater Club, 2 people, 12 and 4 hours.

**Baldwin/K6DPL: Baldwin and Putnam Counties participated in the October 6th SET as a linked operation. Our SET simulated tying the local hospital and Red Cross (HQ, Shelter and Service Center), together with the Putnam County Emergency Van and SAR dog teams. This entire operation was also linked to the GA ARES net.

**Butts/KG4LTL: Worked with the Baldwin County and Putnam County ARES group during the annual SET. Aided with planning with Baldwin County EC in developing plans for SET. Began setting up the State AREA Database. Distributed info to EC's and aided those in inserting members. Gave a short talk at the Baldwin County ARC on the State ARES Database. Aided in coordination of a presentation for science teachers in county concerning the ARRL Institute for teachers, presented by a member who attended during the summer.

**Houston/WB4EEL: Started database entry with a very few members. Will continue now to get all active members entered.

**Putnam/KF4EOH: Worked with the Baldwin County and Putnam County ARES group during the annual SET. Aided with planning with Baldwin County EC in developing plans for SET. Began setting up the State ARES Database. Distributed info to EC's and aided those in inserting members. Gave a short talk at the Baldwin County ARC on the State ARES Database. Aided in coordination of a presentation for science teachers in county concerning the ARRL Institute for teachers, presented by a member who attended during the summer.

**Washington/K4GK: Participated in annual SET. SET report forthcoming.

** Metro Atlanta/ N4SEG: The Metro Atlanta ARES NET on 10/7/07 had 25 check-ins and lasted 42 minutes. The Hams and their time was credited to each individual county via the State ARES Database. Attended a meeting along with Barry Kanne, EC for DeKalb ARES, with the DeKalb County Fire & Rescue Department to discuss installing HAM radio equipment in their command center and at each fire station.

**Barrow/K4JSR: ARES Activities included our

**Clarke/N4ZRA: On Oct. 20 the Clarke Co. ARES assisted with the Cancer Walk from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm and also the JOTA for the Girl Scouts from 1:30 to 5:00 pm.

**Towns/W4VFZ: Activities included: S.E.T., local 2 meter net, and monthly technical class.

**Camden/WD8LQT: SET was held on October 6, 2007 with a VHF net along with HF traffic relays and digital.

**Effingham/KD6RYQ: Early in the morning of October 6th, Ken Lanier, KI4TYO setup his station and participated in the Simulated Emergency Test (SET). Ken was able to make contact with GA SET NCS and pass simulated emergency traffic with solid copy at 0700L. He also checked in hourly at 0800, 0900, 1000, 1100, and 1200L to the GA ARES Net on 3.975. Ken ran his station on emergency generator power during the exercise and did a fine job for Effingham ARES. Members from the Effingham County ARES provided help during the Coastal Empire Boy Scout's Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) on October 20th. Participants from ECARES included Ken Lanier (KI4TYO), Lyndy Brannen (ND4XE), and myself. We had about 15-20 scouts drop by to make contact with GA ARES on 3.975 throughout the day. The 146.745 repeater is back on the air and the ECARES nets have been moved back to that frequency on Tuesday nights at 2100L. The monthly meetings have been going well and local activity is on the rise.

**Baker/K4GCR: Club monitored Special Olympics games in Albany

**Lee/KB4OMV: Club monitored Special Olympics games in Albany

When one engine fails on a two-engine plane,
you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.

NET REPORT DE STM CHARLES PENNINGTON, K4GK

	QNI	QTC	SESS	QND	NM
GSSB: Georgia Single Side Band Association 3975 kHz  7 PM local, year round.	2098	30	31		N4DZ
GCN: Georgia Cracker Net 3995 kHz 7 AM Monday- Saturday;  8 AM Sundays	1394	11	31		N4VMC
GBH: Georgia Baptist Hams 3865 kHz 4 PM Sundays	NR
GA ARES: Georgia Amateur Radio Emergency Services 3975 kHz  5 PM winters; 6 PM summers - Sundays	717	14	5		K4GK
GTE: Georgia Traffic and Emergency Net 3983 kHz 7:15 PM DAILY	1284	10	31		W4AYK
GTN: Georgia Traffic Net (SSB) (Cycle 2) 3987.5 kHz 1 PM Monday - Saturday	359	19	26		WU4C
GTN: Georgia Traffic Handling Training Net (CW) 3549 kHz 9PM DAILY (slow speed)	190	3	31		N4VAD
GSN: Georgia Section CW Net (Cycle 4) 3549 kHz 7PM and 10PM DAILY (medium to high speed)	258	186	62	455	K4GK

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

K4GK	105
WA4UJC	146
K8GA	90
WB4BIK	90
K2HJ	102
K4BEH	88

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

K4GK	92
WA4UJC	41
WB4BIK	47
K8GA	171
K4BEH	10
K4BAI	9

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

***** Other GREAT nets:
QCWA: Saturdays at 9AM on 3.8575 MHz
SE 6M SSB Net: Sundays at 9 PM on 50.145 MHz
SE AM Net: Tuesdays at 7:30 PM on 3885 kc (AM nets ALWAYS meet on kcs...)
Hole in the Wall Net: Wednesdays at 9 PM on 50.135 MHz

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

CALL FOR PAPERS de JIM WORSHAM, W4KXY

12th Annual Southeastern VHF Society Conference
April 25th and 26th, 2008
Orlando, Florida

The Southeastern VHF Society is calling for the submission of papers and presentations for the upcoming 12th Annual Southeastern VHF Society Conference to be held in Orlando, Florida on April 25th and 26th, 2008. Papers and presentations are solicited on both the technical and operational aspects of VHF, UHF and Microwave weak signal amateur radio. Some suggested areas of interest are:

* Transmitters
* Receivers
* Transverters
* RF Power Amplifiers
* RF Low Noise Pre Amplifiers
* Antennas
* Construction Projects
* Test Equipment And Station Accessories
* Station Design And Construction
* Contesting
* Roving
* DXpeditions
* EME
* Propagation (Sporadic E, Meteor Scatter, Troposphere Ducting, etc.)
* Digital Modes (WSJT, etc.)
* Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
* Software Defined Radio (SDR)
* Amateur Satellites
* Amateur Television

In general papers and presentations on non weak signal related topics such as FM repeaters and packet will not be accepted but exceptions may be made if the topic is related to weak signal. For example, a paper or presentation on the use of APRS to track rovers during contests would be considered.

The deadline for the submission of papers and presentations is February 29, 2008. All submissions should be in Microsoft Word (.doc) or alternatively Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files. Pages are 8 and 1/2 by 11 inches with a 1 inch margin on the bottom and 3/4 inch margin on the other three sides. All text, drawings, photos, etc. should be black and white only (no color). Please indicate when you submit your paper or presentation if you plan to attend the conference and present there or if you are submitting just for publication. Papers and presentations will be published in bound proceedings by the ARRL. Send all questions, comments and submissions to the program chair, Steve Kostro, N2CEI at svhf2008@downeastmicrowave.com. For further information about the conference please go to www.svhfs.org and/or www.flwss.net.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.

GEORGIA PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

GEORGIA PIGLET NET --- For young hams, as well as the young at heart. Saturdays at 2 PM, on the Gwinnett ARS 147.075 repeater. (82.5 PL) NCS BRITTNEY HANCOCK, KI4WNY, our ASM for Youth Activities

KIDS DAY --- January 6--- Let's get our young people on the air! Licensed or not. (Natch, those without a ticket will count on you seasoned hams to serve as control operator) Purpose is to give young people on-the-air experience, and let's face it.... to give them the "bug", so they'll want to get their own license. Gives our young licensees a little "taste" of contesting, too, with a simple exchange: name, age, location, and favorite color. Suggested frequencies: 3.740, 3.940, 7.270, 14.290, 18.140, 21.360.24.960, 28.930 and 2M repeaters. (with the owner's permission, of course) For more info, see www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html And by answering a little survey about your experience at www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kids-day-survey.html you can download yourself a nice certificate to commemorate the experience.

** HF HOT SPOTS --- Sometimes, our schools radio clubs, Scouts, and other young hams have a hard time finding other young hams on the air. The ARRL has suggested some possible "hot spot" areas for young hams that may make the hunt a little easier:
40 meters: 7.180 MHz
20 meters: 14.270 MHz
10 meters: 28.333 MHz
30 meters: 10.125 MHz
17 meters: 18.120 MHz
Happy Hunting!

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

AN FYI FOR TEACHERS

ISS CONTACTS--- Wouldn't it be totally cool if YOUR school could make a contact with the International Space Station in the coming year? The ARRL's ROSALIE WHITE, K1STO, says that NOW is the time to apply. Here's her article on the subject, from the recent ARRL Instructor's Bulletin:

A record number of ARISS school contacts have been performed thus far in 2007, 74 to be exact. That is nearly twice the amount of school contacts that astronauts and the ARISS Team handled in previous years! This 2007 Amateur Radio activity was led by the energetic participation of astronauts Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, and Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. They have significantly reduced the backlog of schools waiting for a contact. Though the ARISS Team's expectations are a little lower for being able to achieve this level of contact activity in 2008, this is a good time to file an application and begin making preparations.
The ARISS school application, instructions for completing and submitting it, and an FAQ can be found at: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arissapp.htm. You will find that one portion of the application asks you for a few paragraphs about the robust educational activities that you hope to complete revolving around the school contact. These would be lessons the students would take part in before, during and after the school contact. If you need ideas, you can get lesson plans related to ham radio, technology and space from the program from the ARRL website at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/, or you can contact ARISS volunteer Rita Wright, KC9CDL, for space-related lesson plans at wright1365@sbcglobal.net.
If all goes as planned, in October 2008, astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, will become a resident aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as commander of Expedition 18. He tremendously enjoyed his ham radio activities with schools and hams during his last mission, Expedition 9, aboard the ISS. Mike has even said he is willing to devote some of his scheduled weekend relaxation time to school contacts. Expedition 18 runs from October 2008 to April 2009.

We can't change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.

THIS 'N' THAT

** Ever tried your hand at antenna modeling? With this website and its 4NEC2 FREE antenna modeling program, maybe you can give it a try. (de BILL ELLIOTT, KJ4O)

http://home.ict.nl/~arivoors/

** If you go to this web site, www.letssaythanks.com, you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

** All KINDS of helpful information for new hams can be found at this website. Check it out! http://www.k4ocd.com/amateur/publications/practicalradioapplication/practicalradioapplication.htm
(de SHERRI BROWER, W4STB)

** Have trouble wrapping your mind around the theory of relativity? Check out this website, for a rather refreshing approach. (Jolly good!) (de WALT MAURER, WB4JKD)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml;jsessionid=4G3CQCRGRGJ5NQFIQMFSFFWAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/earth/2007/11/20/sciquantum120.xml

** Here's a super website, courtesy of CAL NEFF, K4JSR. It includes pictures and interesting stories about some REAL radios, (AKA boatanchors) as well as downloadable schematics, manuals and books galore, and some great links. Check it out! http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/bapix/index.html

** And another great website, from BOB GOOD, K4BG, detailing some of the history of Ohio's ground-breaking AM radio station WLW, and of Crosley Radio.
http://www.ominous-valve.com/wlw.html

** Is your shack SAFE? Specifically, what are your RF exposure levels? We don't want you folks zapping some of those cells that you just might want to use again someday. The University of Texas ARC has a handy dandy webpage that can help you calculate your RF exposure. As always, better safe than sorry. http://n5xu.ece.utexas.edu/rfsafety (de KARC December newsletter)

** In the Fall issue of "CQ VHF", GORDON WEST, WB6NOA, writes about a free online Elmer service, where a dedicated group of experienced hams are pooling their expertise to answer your questions. Intended for both newly licensed amateurs, as well as for seasoned operators. Check it out at http://www.icomelmer.com (P.S. it isn't just for ICOM owners)

Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOVEMBER 1- DECEMBER 2--- ARRL 160 M Contest (CW) 2200Z November 30- 1600Z December 2. See November QST, page 102, or www.arrl.org/contests for details.

DECEMBER 1 --- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta parade. To volunteer, please contact TIM ROSING, KC4ELV, at kc4elv@arrl.net 

DECEMBER 1 --- National Skywarn Recognition Day

DECEMBER 5 --- Happy Hanukkah!

DECEMBER 7 --- Pearl Harbor Day

DECEMBER 8-9 --- ARRL 10M contest. 0000Z December 8- 2400Z December 9. See November QST, page 102, or www.arrl.org/contests for more information.

DECEMBER 13-17 ---North American Meteor Scatter Contest. 0000Z December 13- 0700Z December 17. 50, 144, 222, 432. See www.sportscliche.com/wb2fko/w07/rules_w07.html for details.

DECEMBER 15-16 --- PSK31 Death Match. Scary name, but fun contest. Includes PSK63, too. 80-6 M. See www.mdxa1.org/deathmatch.html for more info

DECEMBER 15- DECEMBER 31 --- Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party

DECEMBER 25 --- Merry Christmas!

DECEMBER 31 --- Straight Key Night (0000Z January 1- 2359Z)

"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 6--- Kids Day (1800-2400Z)

JANUARY 12--- Tech Fest

JANUARY 26--- Statewide ARES meeting

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

SILENT KEY

NITA FARR W4YEK

Heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

I think MIKE BROWN, KE4FGF, expressed it best. When writing about the club members who didn't make it to this year's Fish Fry because they "don't get around much anymore", he wrote: "Take some time during the holidays to stop by and visit them. Most times the best and only present they really look forward to is an old friend with a smile and a few hours to share with them, and you know something, that 'gift' can be given over and over, not just during Christmas." Amen. Until next time, this is AF4FO, signing clear. Take care of yourselves. And each other. 73, Susan "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.