|
|
The HOTLINE |
|
|
|
|
Annual Meeting Night! by John Chamberlain, AC5CV
It’s
that time again! According to our by-laws, the last meeting of the year is
called the “Annual Meeting.” This is the meeting that falls on the first
Thursday following Thanksgiving. This year there are five Thursday’s in
November, so our Annual Meeting will happen in November. And to slightly
complicate matters, at last month’s meeting the members voted to change the meeting time to 7:00 pm. That is, they
agreed to move up the start of the meeting by 30 minutes. Don’t be late! J
|
|
New Meeting
Time!! HOTARC Meeting of Members |
At
the Annual Meeting we elect the officers to serve during the next calendar
year, and fill any vacancies in the Director positions. A Nominating Committee
attempts to identify willing and worthy candidates. The Members who attend the
Annual Meeting are privileged to carry on the democratic process of voting for
these worthy officers and directors.
|
Candidates for Officers and Directors |
|
|
President |
Rusty Keyes, KC5DSM
(for re-election) |
|
Vice President |
Ed Middlebrook,
KC5NT (for re-election) |
|
Secretary |
John Chamberlain,
AC5CV (for re-election) |
|
Treasurer |
Ray
Read, AD5CK |
|
Director (to expire
2004) |
Marshall Mabry,
KD5IQ (for re-election) |
This year’s Nominating Committee (myself, Rodney
Baden K5YKC, and Jim Lovett AC5HV) have identified candidates for the open
positions who have agreed to serve if elected. Members are free to nominate
others from the floor at the Annual Meeting, provided their nominees are
present and willing. So, come and participate in your Club’s most important
meeting of the year!
NOTE: Meeting Place Change
No, the Club didn’t vote to
leave TSTC after all (see the September Meeting Minutes), but if you’ve attended
the past few meetings, you’ve noted that we were starting to outgrow the
facilities at the TSTC Telecommunications Building. So, Norris and Rusty put
their heads together and came up with another site on the TSTC campus that
should give us a bit more elbowroom: The Kultgen Automotive Center. It’s
actually a lot easier to locate than our previous meeting location.
Directions to the
Kultgen Automotive Center at TSTC: Take exit 342A off of Interstate 35. Turn east on
Crest Drive. Turn right at the red light, the
main entrance to TSTC. Continue down Campus Drive for two blocks to the 4-way stop. The Kultgen Automotive Center will be over
your left shoulder. Turn left into the big parking lot, and come around to the
front doors.
Sweepstakes…QRP Style! by Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT
“CQ Sweepstakes” are words that I just love to hear every November. The 2001 edition of the ARRL November Sweepstakes contest has come and gone, but for me it’s been a test of skill and cunning that has reinvigorated my interest in this great endeavor. For me, 2001 has been the second year of a two-year jaunt down the path of QRP (low power) operation. This year I coupled my second favorite contest (next to Field Day) with my newfound amateur radio operating mode.
The art and science of low power QRP operation may seem foreign to many operators. I know that when I speak about ham radio to non-hams, they really get a kick out of our opportunity to use 1,500 watts of power. But to tell folks that you’re running 5 watts–well now you’ve got to be crazy! Here is what I’ve learned from QRP operation:
· Reducing my power from 100 watts to 5 watts has only reduced my signal by two S units!
· I’ve eliminated TVI with some of our household rabbit ear TVs.
· I’ve improved my operating skills in reception and transmission techniques.
· I renewed my interest in CW.
· I’m now building equipment–another worthwhile and satisfying endeavor.
· I just love it when a station says: “nice signal for QRP–you’re 5 by 9 here in…”
· I’ve met a new ham radio “subculture” of some very fine radio operators and technicians.
That last point is very true, and the gatherings that I’ve attended in Austin and Dallas have been wonderful. QRP operation has built up a great following within the amateur radio community and you’ll find many operating events and Internet support groups for us “crazy” hams.
Many of you know that I enjoy contest style operation. The rapid staccatos of CW exchanges are music to the ears when you have a PC as your sidekick. The combination of PCs, electronic “memory” keyers and logging software make today’s contest operation a breeze. When I first became licensed in the winter of 1977, I had to wait almost a full year for my first November Sweepstakes. It was a time in which my competition was limited to local hams, who were also my classmates. Since that time, it’s been an annual ritual to work the Phone weekend of Sweepstakes, but over the last few years, I’ve utilized the CW weekend to revive that part of my psyche. For those newcomers, the ARRL Sweepstakes is a U.S./Canada contest in which the HF bands “go crazy” for 30 hours over two weekends each November. The object is to work as many other hams and exchange QSO number, power utilized, the last two digits of the year you were first licensed and your ARRL section of the U.S. or Canada. I never do well enough to “win”, but my victories are measured in testing a new antenna system, using my radio to its full potential or honing skills that could pay off in emergency. I always attempt to “best” my prior year’s score, or as was the case this year: see what I could do with only 5 watts of power!
|
A quick summary of both events
for KC5NT/QRP |
||
|
|
CW |
SSB |
|
QSOs |
106 |
152 |
|
Points |
10,094 |
17,632 |
|
States |
35 |
37 |
|
Provinces |
3 |
5 |
|
DX |
2 |
2 |
Last year I attempted to operate the CW weekend at QRP levels. I’ve always heard that “CW gets through” and I had serious reservations about using QRP SSB. What I found was that operating only 5 watts was no different from running 100 watts. Stations responded to my calls with no hesitation and while I only managed 67 QSOs, I had a lot of fun. This year I wanted to make at least 100 QSOs and while my operating time was limited to only 5 hours, I managed to squeak out 106 contacts–enough for the coveted Sweepstakes PIN. When I was limited again to only about 5 hours of operating time for the phone portion, I new that 100+ QSOs would be a snap at 100 watts, so why not give QRP SSB a try? Well, 152 QSOs later, I was satisfied with the results! I used every bit of my Kenwood TS-570D to filter out crowded stations and add some DSP “punch” to my signal so that every bit of 4 watts hit the airwaves. What fun to hear: “Great signal!” “Nice audio! and “Are you sure you’re QRP?”
I would like to encourage all of you to try some new aspect of our hobby. It can be contesting, home-brewing, QRP, emergency communications, television, APRS, or traffic handling. We have such a wonderful and diverse range of activities available to us and your new spark is literally a nanosecond away–even if it’s less that 5 watts!
|
|
HOTARC Golf Shirts Great-looking shirts, your choice of color,
with the HOTARC logo are available |
President’s Corner
|
Mark Your
Calendars! |
|
|
|
HOTARC
Christmas Lunch is scheduled for noon on Saturday December 8 at Ryan’s Steak
House |
The time is at hand once again to elect a slate of officers for the next year. Yes the main event, though not necessarily the only event, will be the election. This is your chance to vote-out that scruffy guy you saw up front all year, and vote-in your choice of next year’s handsome, dynamic leader. Goodness knows there are some in our club. So, when the Nominating Committee taps you on the shoulder, please consider it seriously. I haven't heard a peep out of our committee so this is bound to be interesting.
Don't forget we have a new meeting time, 7:00 P.M. I look forward to seeing you there.
Rusty
Keyes, KC5DSM
HOTARC President
For the Record...
HOTARC Meeting of Members
October 25, 2001
Club President Rusty Keyes KC5DSM called the meeting
to order at 7:30 pm, with 15 full members, 2 associates,
1 family member, and 1 visitor in attendance. Visitors recognized:
Mark Plough KD5DWE.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Minutes of the September meeting as published in the HOTLINE were approved by a
motion from Norris Martin, KB5SLI, second from Jim Lovett AC5HV, and a
unanimous vote. The Treasurer’s Report for September was not available.
Business
·
Repeater Committee:
KB5SLI reported that the 145.15 repeater on the KXXV tower quit operating, so
we are now running off the spare installed on the Hillcrest Medical Tower. Ed
Hynan KC5KNI is working to expedite the needed trip up the tower.
·
Trailer Committee:
See photos of the cabinet work by Rodney Baden K5YKC on the HOTARC
web site.
·
Webmaster Justin
Martin KC5KQL reported 215 hits this month. A Member’s Directory is now
available on the web site; it will open in a new browser window, following a
password screen. The password was announced to those present.
·
Special Events:
AC5HV reported that next year we will probably be asked to supply hams for all
Waco Wild West Century bike ride SAG vehicles, as the event organizers saw the
power of amateur radio over cell phones. We need to be ready with portable
setups (i.e., 50-watt transceiver, mag-mount antenna, and 12V power cable—maybe
even a 12V battery pack). As for the Woodway Woodfest event: we have not
received a return call, so we are probably not needed.
·
Congratulations:
KC5KNI, the EC for McLennan County, was pleased to announce that AC5HV was
awarded the position of Assistant EC for McLennan County.
·
New Members: The
Board of Directors accepted applications for membership from Scott Shafer
KD5MLY and Mark Plough KD5DWE. The members present unanimously voted to accept
them, as well. Welcome to HOTARC, gentlemen!
·
Weather Net:
KC5KNI offered thanks to all the Net participants and AC5QQ serving as Net
Control for the September 12 Tokio-West tornado. KC5KNI also announced that
Terry Williams KD5KJU is an “alternate Net Control” for the Baker’s Dozen
Weather Net.
·
Change of Meeting Time:
Bill Cox W5JRM made a motion to change the monthly meeting time from 7:30 PM to
7:00 PM. A second by John Chamberlain AC5CV was followed by a brief discussion
and a unanimous approval. Announcement will be made in the HOTLINE.
Announcements
·
For Sale:
KC5KNI announced the availability of HOTARC “golf shirts:” $21 for shirts with
a pocket, and $20 for those without a pocket. Catalog turned over to Rusty
Keyes KC5DSM.
·
Annual Meeting:
Note that the Club’s Annual meeting this year will occur in November (due to
five Thursday’s in November this year)—the Thursday after Thanksgiving,
according to our bylaws.
·
Christmas Dinner:
KB5SLI reported that our annual Christmas dinner for HOTARC members and their
families will be on Saturday, December 8, 12 noon at Ryan’s Steakhouse in Waco.
Our thanks go to Norris for making the arrangements.
·
Need Volunteers:
Ross Mormino KD5BGI announced that his sister Jamie Mormino is seeking someone
to come into a 5th grade WISD classroom and offer a short
presentation on amateur radio. Contact Ross at 753-7562 or rrmii@swbell.net.
·
Did You See It?
A brief October 15 news spot on local television station KWTX Channel 10 featured
an interview with Ed Middlebrook KC5NT and J.W. Roach W5AYX, where they had an
opportunity to discuss the role of amateur radio in disasters such as the
recent September 11 airline hijackings.
President KC5DSM heard a
motion by Larry Carlson KC5JWD to adjourn the meeting.
The program this evening was our annual “home brew
night.” Works of radio art were presented by Ed Middelbrook KC5NT, Mike Ross
N5MVL, Bill Cox W5JRM, John Gafford N5XAK, John Chamberlain AC5CV, and Rusty
Keyes KC5DSM. (See the images above.)
Submitted by
John Chamberlain, AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
The Treasurer Reports...
|
Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning
Balance $ 4,691.35 Income Interest $ 1.93 TOTAL Income $ 1.93 Expenses TOTAL Expenses $
0.00 Ending
Balance $ 4,693.28 |
|
Treasurer’s Report, October 2001 Beginning
Balance $ 4,693.28 Income Dues $15.00 Shirt sales 62.00 Interest 2.00 TOTAL Income $ 79.00 Expenses P.O. Box Rental $
55.00 TOTAL Expenses $
55.00 Ending
Balance $ 4,717.28 Submitted
by |
Late Breaking News from ARRL Letter Online
|
|
Attention
All Amateurs... Every so
often we are forced to use page 9 of the QST to issue a “call to arms” to
ARRL members to defend amateur spectrum. This is one of those times. We face
a grave threat that could kill much of the usefulness of the 70-cm amateur
band. Here’s
the full story. |
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.
HOTARC 2001 Board of Directors
President: Rusty Keyes KC5DSM,
662-1461, rustedkey@aol.com
Vice
President: Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, emiddleb@cs.com
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV,
751-9024, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Henry Howe WA0DLF, 412-0866, henry_howe@raytheon.com
Past-President: Norris Martin KB5SLI,
829-2138, nmartin@tstc.edu
Director
(2001): Marshall Mabry KD5IQ, 772-1037, mabrym@aol.com
Director
(2002): Ed
Hynan KC5KNI, 666-4873, ehynan@aol.com
Director
(2003):
Mike Ross N5MVL, 836-1083, N5MVL@juno.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)
10 am on the third Saturday
each month at Baylor’s Rogers Engineering Bldg, Room 107. The Testing fee is
$10. Bring 1) current license and photocopy, 2) photo
ID (2 photo IDs for first-time licensees), and 3) 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 November 29, 2001 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. Visitors,
families, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
