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The HOTLINE |
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Home-Brew Night! |
by
Rodney Baden K5YKC |
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DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN OCTOBER AT HOTARC? Well, if you guessed Homebrew Night, you guessed right. I guess I could be like the town crier: “Hear Yee! Hear Yee! Come one! Come all! If you don’t have an idea, bring someone
else’s. So, bring it all to the HOTARC meeting in October. Tell us how you
built it or how it works or doesn’t work. I hope to see you all there. |
Scenes from Years’ Past
Home-Brew Nights |
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QRV? (Are You
Ready?) |
by
Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT |
The Power of DIY!
As you know a new term has been added to our vernacular:
DIY or “Do It Yourself”. We now have DIY books, 
magazines
and even a cable-TV channel that expound on the benefits of doing something
yourself! While amateur radio was all about building equipment and accessories
in the past, through the years, we have become “appliance operators.”
While it is difficult and impractical to build the caliber of equipment that one can easily purchase from the commercial channels, hams do and love “rolling their own” from time to time. I can say that I thoroughly enjoy using my Elecraft K1 CW transceiver kit. I learned a great deal from building it and I feel a real sense of personal pride when I put it on the air.
Now it’s your turn! Bring out your projects to this month’s meeting—including those that are still a work-in-progress. Share with us what you’ve been “brewing” in the shack and inspire a new generation of hams.
See
you Thursday!
Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
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HOTARC Meeting of Members
September 23, 2004
The August meeting of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club was called to order by Ed Middlebrook KC5NT at 7:03 pm at the Kultgen Automotive Building on the TSTC Waco campus. Present were seventeen full members, and five visitors: Joan Roach K5MND, Stephen Taylor (student), Monica Gonzalez (student), Paul Millar (student), and Mildred Tollison KD5NER (wife of new member, Jerry Tollison KD5JML).
The Minutes for the August meeting were approved as published in the HOTLINE, following a motion by Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, second by Ed Hynan KC5KNI, and unanimous vote by the members present. The August Treasurer’s Report as published in the HOTLINE was also accepted, following a motion by Otto Hackfeld KI5QT, second by Rusty Keyes AD5JY, and unanimous vote by the members present.
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The
Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart
O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 3,199.96 Income Interest $ 0.74 Cap sales 12.00 WATS balance transfer 530.67 Dues 10.00 TOTAL Income $ 563.41 Expenses 300 checks, 200 deposit slips $ 75.50 TOTAL Expenses $ 75.50 Ending
Account Balance $ 3,687.87 Outstanding (as of 10-10-04) Submitted by |
Announcements
· Special Recognition: KC5KNI presented J.W. Roach W5AYX with a specially decorated chocolate-chip cookie in honor of his achieving 50 years as an amateur radio operator. Congratulations J.W.!!
· TARC: The Temple club meeting will have Coy Day, N5OK (ARRL West Gulf Division Manager) as a guest speaker at their October 7 meeting. See the TARC web site for more information.
· Mentorfest: The NTX Mentorfest is scheduled for Saturday, October 23rd. See the ARRL NTX website for information.
Committee Reports
· ARES: KC5KNI presented a certificate of appreciation to Rodney Baden K5YKC for his contribution to the recent WMD Exercise. Wayne Branscum KD5SMC reported that he is working to relocate the Austin canteen equipment (i.e., ham trailer) to Waco so it can be used.
· Trailer: John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that the manager of Wells Cargo in Waco said to bring the trailer by the shop for an estimate. Mike Ross N5MVL and Larry Carlson KC5JWD will try to make that happen.
· Repeater: Nothing reported.
· Web Page: AC5CV reported that the HOTARC web site has been successfully moved to a new server at no charge, provided by his brother in Austin.
· ATV: David Bush KC5UOZ reported that we are still operating temporary antennas. Replacement antennas are being constructed by W5NCD.
· Education: K5YKC reported that CERT education sessions have been very busy. HOTCOG has requested a amateur radio class.
· Special Events: AC5CV thanked everyone for the support of the Symphony 6000 Run, and also still needing more volunteers for the WWWC bike ride on October 2.
Old Business
· Waco PD Antenna Tower: Norris Martin KB5SLI reported that emails had been sent to the Waco PD, but no response yet.
New Business
· New Family Member: KC5NT reported that Mildred Tollison KD5NER (wife of new member Jerald Tollison KD5JML) of Waco submitted an application for family membership. The application was unanimously accepted by the members present.
· Dues for 2005: KC5NT reported that the Directors agreed that no change in Club dues was necessary. Thus, 2005 dues will remain at $30 for Full Members, and $15 for Associate Members.
· Nominating Committee: KC5NT accepted the following volunteers for the Nominating Committee: John Chamberlain AC5CV (chair), Marshall Mabry KD5IQ, and Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW.
· Section Manager Nomination: KC5NT reported that HOTARC members were invited to submit the nomination for Roy Rabey AD5KZ for re-election to ARRL Section Manager for NTX. Those interested please sign the petition after the meeting.
KC5NT heard a motion by KD5UEW to adjourn the meeting at 7:49 pm.
The program this evening was a presentation by K5YKC about the Handi-Ham organization, which embodies the spirit of hams helping hams. He showed a short video on DVD (on loan from Handi-Ham, for which W5AYX offered to pay).
Submitted by:
John Chamberlain AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
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Communication in an
Emergency |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI, |
Communication during a declared communications
emergency is very different from routine day-to-day amateur communications. A
communications emergency exists when a critical communications failure puts the
public at risk. It could be a storm that knocks down telephone lines or radio
towers, a massive increase in the use of a specific communications system that
causes it to become overloaded, or the failure of a key component in a system
that has widespread consequences. Whatever the reason, amateur radio operators
are routinely called in to assist.
We fit into the equation
because we are considered communications experts by the agencies we are asked
to support. We have the skills, equipment, and frequencies to create emergency
communications networks under emergency conditions. We are licensed and
pre-authorized for both national and international communications. We have the
ability to rapidly enlarge the communications capacity to meet the growing
needs of an emergency situation. The skills that we would need are practiced
daily, skills used in everyday amateur communications.
As important as what you “are,”
is what you “are not.” There are limits to your responsibilities as an
emergency communicator, and you need to know what they are. You are not a
“first responder”—no need for flashing lights and sirens. You really have no
authority. The only decision that you can make is whether to participate or
not. You cannot do it all. Helping in a pinch is fine, but you are there to
facilitate communications. Finally, you are not in charge. You are there to
temporarily fulfill the needs of an agency whose communications system is
unable to do its job.
Remember—communicating is
Job #1. While you are proud of your skills, equipment, and systems, it is
important to remember that your job is to communicate. If requested to “deliver
a long list” (for example, a list of needed supplies) to the headquarters, you
should be prepared to use any means required—including the fax machine if it is
still working. The job is to get the message through, even if it means using
smoke signals. Ham radio may not be the best way to accomplish the
communication. Fax, phone, CB radio, an agency’s radio system, or even a
messenger may be a faster way to accomplish the task. Remember—communicating is
Job #1. Get the message through via amateur radio or any other means.
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Real Life “Handi-Hams” |
by John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
At the September meeting,
Rodney Baden K5YKC shared with us about the Handi-Ham organization. While we
had a few technical difficulties with the video on DVD, we all got the message:
the spirit of ham radio includes hams helping hams—especially those who can use
a little extra help because of physical disabilities.
During the pretty weather day
on Saturday October 16th, Rodney became a “handi-ham” himself. Along
with the help of some others (Johnny and Bobby Hill), Larry Kuykendall KC5QIK
was blessed with the installation of an HF all-band vertical antenna!
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Larry
holding the guy rope, while Rodney works on the roof. |
Ol’
Grizzly Adams leaning on the antenna mast for support. |
A job
well done! HF vertical on the left; VHF on the right. |
The work
crew (L-R): Bobby Hill, Rodney Baden, Johnny Hill, and Larry Kuykendall
(seated) |
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Need to Send a
Radiogram? |
by John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
Some
of us have sent radiograms during the field day exercise. With the many
hurricanes of 2004, you (or a friend or relative) may have thought about trying
to send a message via Radiogram. Before submitting a message, you should be
prepared with the required information. One way to do that is to print and
complete the radiogram form available at the ARRL website:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/RADIOGRM.pdf
And here’s a nicely done site that explains how to complete that form:
http://www.ncarrl.org/nets/mes_form.html
The HOTLINE is the monthly newsletter of the Heart
O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club (HOTARC), Inc., a nonprofit corporation, chartered
by the State of Texas and principally located in Waco. It is permissible to use
any of the original material contained herein, provided proper credit is given
to the source.
Edited and Published by John
Chamberlain AC5CV, AC5CV@arrl.net
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2004 Board
of Directors |
HOTARC 2004 Board of Directors
President: Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Vice Pres: Rodney Baden K5YKC,
857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV,
855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI,
829-2138, NMartin@tstc.edu
Past-Pres.: Rusty Keyes AD5JY,
662-1461, RustedKey@aol.com
Director
(2004):
Bill Cox W5JRM, 863-5149, W5JRM@aol.com
Director
(2005):
Ed Hynan KC5KNI, 666-4873, KC5KNI@arrl.net
Director
(2006):
Scott Shafer KD5MLY, 848-5888, ScottShafer@clearchannel.com
145.15 MHz
(input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.88 MHz
(input at –600 kHz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz
(Cable 60)
NOTE: NO TESTING
IN NOVEMBER!! (Happy Thanksgiving everyone!)
December testing will be on the THIRD Saturday: December 18 at
Baylor’s Rogers Engineering Bldg, Room 109. Bring: 1) testing
fee of $12 (cash, please); 2) current
license and photocopy of it; 3) a photo
ID (two for first-time licensees), and 4) photocopy
of any relevant CSCE. Contact: Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting Notice
This month’s
meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday October 28, 2004 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of
the TSTC Waco Campus. Meetings generally last about 90 minutes
consisting of fellowship, general Club business, and an interesting program.
Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
Bring your home-brew stuff
to the meeting! J