******************************************************************************* ** THE GARS MOUTH ** ******************************************************************************* * April/May 2007 Volume 52, Number 4 * * http://www.gars.net * ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Another HamFest in the Books Ray Forrester Another successful addition of our Gainesville Amateur Radio Society Annual "Poor Man" Hamfest & Computer Show, hard to believe this was #15 is history. Again, we had some new vendors and about the same amount of attendees as last year. What a fantastic job all did in helping out. During the fest we had some bumps in the road, as every year, but all comments were positive. THANK YOU! First & foremost a big "AtAboy" to our 2007 Hamfest Co-Chairpersons and all there helpers: Co-Chairpersons: Associate Chairman - Ken, KE4SLK Exhibit Hall Chairman - Pete, KF4QEV Ticket Chairman - Kerry, KG4LQK Tailgate & Camping Chairman - David, KI4EAD Security Chairman - Paul, KF4ONH & Walt, W4TKE Info. & Talk-in Chairman - Bill, KE4NIS Exam Chairman - Jerry, KR4E & Mary, NI4O Parking Chairman -Open but KI4EAD & KG4LQK it all got done. Food Chairman - Jerry, KR4E & Mary, NI4O When you see any of these co-chairs or hear 'em on the repeater, tell them you appreciate all they did. Without their dedication we could not have had a hamfest. I mean that with all my heart. We had a few more helpers this year, and thanks to you all. To have a Hamfest you need 3 elements: 1- Membership participation 2-Vendors/tailgaters 3-attendance = Success! All did a wonderful, stupendous, outstanding, exceptional, terrific, dazzling, marvelous, superior, great job. I cannot think of any more superlatives that last year. Ditto to all that helped & labored at the hamfest in one form or another. AGAIN BIG Special Thanks to Chef Jerry KR4E and "keeping Jerry straight" Mary, NI4O for all the extra hard work in putting together the food concessions this year. They put in 90 hrs of work just getting ready for the Hamfest! I bet if they would have more volunteers, no telling what would have happened with the food sales. I overheard that,Jerry has already started to build a bigger BBQ pit to better handle the cooking. Beside the concessions, they prepared a spread of hamburger, hotdogs for all the workers & overnight guest on Friday night. It was yummy and a real treat. Breakfast Saturday,lunch Saturday afternoon, need more food so I went back to Sam's Club only 3 times this year to get more stuff to cook. Then the grand Club dinner on Saturday evening, it was super. Good turn out. Thanks to all that showed and brought the covered dishes. We actually ran out of food! The pro-entertainment was a treat, thank you Earl, KI4OXD for a nice job. We do have special unselfish people in our midst. Another big thanks to Kerry, KG4LQK, for bring his tent to use at the back gate and sitting it up before dawn on Saturday morning, so Gary, KF4QEX could keep the sun off of his head! Thank you Gary for all the hours out at the backgate. Extras that folks do, it is unbelievable. David, for bring his 4 wheeler to run around on, doing everything I ask and more. Shannon, K4GLM for setting up the HF station and driving the interest of hamming in some of our young people. There are many men & women who contributed selling tickets, setting up/taking down, manning the back gate in all hours of the night and day, cleaning the grounds, restrooms picking up trash can bags, cleaning out the pavilion, manning the club table, trying to keep me straight and much more. I was going to attempt to thank everyone but I want 'cause I can't remember 'em all. Let this little note in the GarsMouth be the "Thank You" note and my greatest appreciation for your help. I will make a motion at our next meeting for all to get their pay doubled. Every year I say this, but in different ways each year. Walt, W4TKE, no words can express your energy, excitement and work done at the hamfest. I could tell that Walt's pace pick up with the new knee. Walt is the first one at the fair grounds and last to leave. Your actions keep reminding me what hamfest is meant to be and what an enjoyment we should all have. Walt you're the best, and an example of excellence to the ham radio community andservice to GARS. After it's all said and done, we can all say we had a goodtime, lots of laughs, making new friends, reacquainting old friends, enjoying some good food and making a few bucks for our club. I hope or Board will make sure the funds will come to good use for our club and the community. I KNOW that I have left something off or forgot someone while writing this summation of our 2007 Hamfest. One other thing, info on next years Hamfest is on our website. Check it at www.gar.net the date is April 26-27, 2008. So start putting the word out. Last weekend in April. Also, on our web site you can go see some of the pictures that were taken. In the coming months, we will add to the collection. Stay tuned. 73 Ray, W4YTC 2007 Hamfest Chairman QRT ******************************************************************************* April Vice-President's Letter David Birge There are two items I wish to address in this month’s VP notes. First, I want to thank all who “stepped up” at the March GARS meeting and volunteered your “time,talent and treasure” to insure a well orchestrated Poor Man’s Ham Fest. The Hamfest is the last weekend of April, Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th. There are still some tasks with a few open times, so if you have not made a commitment, the opportunity awaits. Our own Randy Kerr, KD4KHO, will be presenting the April GARS meeting. Most of you know Randy as our previous VP and a member of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. I asked Randy to present regarding the 9-1-1 phone system and the role of an Amateur Radio Operator within this system. This presentation was inspired by my role in answering a mobile ham operator who requested that I call 9-1-1 to report an emergency. While I have initiated several 9-1-1 calls myself from a landline, I never assumed the role of a relay operator. This twist introduces many additional factors into the situation and I must confess I did not handle it well. So hopefully we will not only enjoy what I believe will be an excellent presentation, but more importantly, we will learn from Randy’s vast 9-1-1 communications experience. Wow, hamfest, Field Day, ARES training, nets, meetings..........So many things, so little time. Hope to see all of you at the April 18th GARS meeting. 73, David ******************************************************************************* April President's Letter Susan Tipton Those of you who missed last month's fund raiser at Pizza Hut missed a good time. A special thanks to Michael (KI4MWM) who coordinated the event with Pizza Hut and to Nick (K4NIK) who arranged for the Quarter Century Wireless Association to move their meeting to Pizza Hut. We raised a modest amount of money and best of all everyone attending was able to share a nice meal and fellowship. For those of you who were able to attend the February general meeting, Jerry Hayes has relayed some rather bad news. The most recently trapped swarm of Africanized Honey Bees was found in Ocala. A copy of the by-laws amendments that will be voted on at the April meeting follow. Susan - K9PDL GARS President 1. GRANT PRESIDENT ABILITY TO CALL MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARTICLE THREE - Section 1 The president shall be the chief executive officer of the SOCIETY, preside at all meetings, call meetings of the Board of Directors, represent the SOCIETY on all public occasions, enforce the by-laws, and perform all other duties pertaining to the office. The president shall appoint as many standing committees as deemed necessary. 2. DUES FOR NEW MEMBERS JOINING AFTER APRIL 1ST ARTICLE FOUR - Section 3 Dues shall be established, and may be modified, by a simple majority vote of the Full Members present at any meeting at which a quorum exists. An increase in dues shall normally take effect at the beginning of the following year. Dues will grant membership privileges to the SOCIETY on a calendar year basis. The dues of New Members joining the SOCIETY shall be pro-rated according to the number of quarters left in the calendar year. subsequent to June 30th of any year may obtain membership privileges for the remainder of that calendar year on the payment of an amount equal to one-half of the full year dues. Life Members are exempt from paying dues. 3. GRANT BOARD OF DIRECTORS ABILITY TO CHANGE MEETING TIME AND PLACE IF NEEDED ARTICLE FIVE - Section 1 Meetings: Regular meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, at a time and place agreed upon by the membership as published in the newsletter. The Board of Directors shall set the time and place of regular meetings for the membership, and publish such time and location in the official newsletter. ******************************************************************************* May Emergency Coordinator's Letter Jeff Capehart Public Alert Radios - A Public Service Idea As many of you know, the National Weather Service supports a system of transmitters across the country that provide weather information and alert the public to hazardous weather. Watches and Warnings are the typical weather alerts that will set off specially designed receivers. The latest variety is the Specific Area Message Encoding, or S.A.M.E. radio receiver. This system is being used for all types of hazards, not just weather and as such these devices are becoming known as public alert radios, not just weather alert radios. For many years, the alert radios have been very expensive. Recently, Publix supermarket stores has teamed up with Midland radio to provide an inexpensive but fully-featured public alert radio to the general consumer market. This radio is on sale at Publix stores across Florida for $29.95, much more affordable than the typical $60-$80 that has been the price for similar models. Using a special county code, such as 012001 - the Alachua County, FL code, the radios can be programmed to set off alerts ONLY for the area where you live. You get to control which alerts go off. This solves a major problem with the old weather alert radios because they went off for anything and everything in a 40-50 mile radius. The warnings became a nuisance and the general public just turned them off and stuck them in a drawer. This was not a good idea for a public warning system. The S.A.M.E. system has been around for about 10 years now. However, programming the unit and reading the manual could be difficult for some people. This perceived difficulty may keep some people from even buying one of the new radios. Remember all the clocks flashing 12:00 on VCR's? When was the last time you programmed a new frequency into your HT? Well, fortunately, the alert radios really are "set it and forget it". Just plug it in, program it, and leave it on. All hams should have these radios to get direct notification of weather alerts, civil emergencies, and other public alerts. Now, how to convince the general public to get a Public Alert Radio? Well, obviously price, convenience, and ease of use are significant factors. We've already got the first two covered, so how about overcoming the fear, uncertainty, and doubt of the members of the public who do not have these radios and don't understand them? I have proposed a special event at one or more area Publix stores, with the approval of the local store manager. GARS members agreed to sponsor an information and public service table. GARS and ARES members would provide information and FREE programming of the radios to anyone who needs it. The general public would be welcome to stop by,ask questions, and get their radio programmed. Publix would sell the radio and no hams will be selling radios. GARS and ARES would get credit for public service that really would do some good by providing education and increasing the number of alert radios in the population. GARS sponsorship is necessary because Publix requires any group with a table at their stores to have liability insurance coverage. No date has been confirmed yet, but one good prospect is National Emergency Preparedness Week from May 20-26th. Also, I would encourage everyone who would like to participate to attend a short pre-event briefing and training on the alert radios to be familiar with them for programming and answering questions. That will be held at the May ARES meeting on May 21st at the Alachua EOC. I'm also planning to produce a handout, brochure, or other fact-filled information flyer to pass out. At the same time, we can promote ham radio and upcoming events such as the Get Ready 2007 and Field Day. If you have any ideas or would like to help, please contact me at w4ufl@arrl.net or call 375-4386. Thanks! Jeff Capehart, W4UFL Emergency Coordinator, Alachua County ARES® ******************************************************************************* Regularly Scheduled Nets GARS Sunday evening rag-chew net Sundays, 8:30 PM. K4GNV Repeater 146.22/82 Nick, K4NIK; Ken, KE4SLK; Ray, W4YTC. Alachua County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) net Thursdays, 8:00 PM. K4GNV Repeater 146.22/82 Jeff, W4UFL; Melissa, KE4WBQ; Susan, KG4VWI are net control. ******************************************************************************* Area Repeaters Bell (Gilchrist Co. ARES) 147.285+ PL 123.0 Chiefland 147.390+ PL 123.0 Ft. McCoy 147.360+ PL 123.0 Gainesville (GARS) 146.820- PL 123.0 Gainesville (GARS) 146.985- Gainesville (GARC – UF) 146.910- KB4HF Repeater 147.375+ K4EAC Memorial Sta. (SFCC) 146.790- High Springs 145.470- Keystone Hgts (KF4EHP/KF4DRU) 145.130- Lake City 145.490- Lake City 146.940+ PL 123.0 Ocala 147.330+ PL 123.0 Ocala 146.970- PL 123.0 Ocala 145.170+ PL 123.0 Starke (ARC-BA) 145.150- Gainesville (GARS) 224.160- Gainesville (GARS) 444.925+ ******************************************************************************* Gainesville Amateur Radio Society President Susan Tipton K9PDL k9pdl@arrl.net Vice-President David Birge KB9UYK davidcbirge@bellsouth.net Secretary Jeff Capehart W4UFL w4ufl@arrl.net Treasurer Kerry Grubel KG4LQK kgrubel@hekkings.net Editor Curt Franklin KG4GWA kg4gwa@arrl.net Assistant Editor Mary Stewart NI4O ni4o@arrl.net Chief VE ARRL Jerry Stewart KR4E kr4e@arrl.net Technical Director Walt Johnston W4TKE w4tke@gator.net Director Shannon Boal K4GLM kingautomotive1@windstream.net Director Warren Croke NW4C nw4c@cox.net Director Randy Kerr KD4KHO kd4kho@arrl.net Director Mary Stewart NI4O ni4o@arrl.net MEETING SCHEDULE GARS regular meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM local time at the AvMed Building, 4300 NW 89th Blvd., Gainesville. All interested in Amateur Radio are welcome to attend the meetings. COPY DEADLINE Two weeks prior to the meeting date. Editor may accept, reject, edit, delete or add to any copy submitted. Opinions & views expressed in this newsletter are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of GARS or its members. ARRL & QST When members join ARRL via the club treasury at regular rates, GARS receives a discount bonus for its treasury. All ARRL members receive QST as part of their membership. CHANGE OF ADDRESS, ROSTERS, CORRECTIONS Jeff Capehart, W4UFL, 3206 NW 56th Pl., Gainesville, FL 32606 e-mail: w4ufl@arrl.net Telephone (352) 375-4386 MATERIAL FOR GARS MOUTH Curt Franklin, KG4GWA, 1713 NW 71st ST, Gainesville, FL 32605-3115 e-mail: kg4gwa@arrl.net Telephone: (352) 331-6788 Mary Stewart, NI4O, 7803 NE 49th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32609-1135 e-mail: ni4o@arrl.net Telephone: (352) 336-8065 TESTING.UPGRADING.LICENSING Jerry Stewart, KR4E, 7803 NE 49th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32609-1135 E-mail: kr4e@arrl.net Telephone: (352) 262-8065 Telephone: (352) 336-8065 ******************************************************************************* April Volunteer Examining Team Report Jerry Stewart Happy Easter. We had a very successful March test session. We have ten candidates that earned new license or upgraded. Thanks to VE’s Larry Ingram/AG4NN, Ed Miller/AI4HN, Mary Stewart/NI4O, Jim Carr/ KC4MHH, Shannon Boal/K4GLM, John Hughes/ KS4XN, Paul Smith/KF4ONH, Herb Kleinman/ K4HMK and Laura Kleinman/K4LRK for their help in administering this exam session. The next scheduled exam session will be on Saturday, April 28 at 1:00 pm at GARS hamfest, Alachua County Fairgrounds. We highly suggest that anyone wishing to test at hamfest please pre-register due to limited space. For more information or to pre-register for an exam or upgrade, contact Jerry Stewart at 352-336-8065 or kr4e@arrl.net Jerry Stewart, KR4E ******************************************************************************* May Volunteer Examining Team Report Jerry Stewart April Hamfest VE Report Congratulations to all the new successful candidates. We had a very large hamfest test session. Special recognition goes out to Jeffrey Schwartz for passing all three exams – technician, general and extra. Another special recognition to Edward Gardner on passing technician and general. Now for the list of new hams (technician): Shawn Allgeier, John Brown III/Moscow, ID, Joseph Chelberg/Jacksonville, Joelle Clark, James Dampman, Darrell Eller/Interlachen, Gregg Henderschiedt, Vincent Kondracki/St. Cloud, Kenneth Robinson/Archer, Lois Schwartz and Jamey Strickland/Lochloosa. The upgrades to general were: Daniel Boone/KF4DRU, Melvin Clark/KD4KZV, Christopher Clement/KF4ZKU, Jane Dominguez/KI4SBI, John Forder/KG4MDJ, Gary Hunt/KF4QEX, Jorge Moa/DK4SXO, Bill Neylans, JR./KF4EHP and Mitch Preston/KI4CVJ. The upgrades to extra along with Jeffry Schwartz were: Douglas Maukonen/KF4ZE and Alan West/KI4SBG. I would like to make a special thank you to my XYL, Mary/NI4O for handling the exam session at the hamfest and also, Laura Kleinman/K4LRK for filling in at the food stand (doing an excellent job taking the orders). Thanks to VE’s Larry Ingram/AG4NN, Warren Croke/NW4C, Frank DeNuzzo/W3KT, Bill Hindenlang/NY2FL, Lloyd Smith/NX4W, Penny Carr/KD4QHY, Jim Carr/KC4MHH, Kerry Grubel/KG4LQK, Shannon Boal/K4GLM, Paul Smith/KF4ONH, and Herb Kleinman/K4HMK for their help in administering this exam session. The next scheduled exam session will be on Saturday, June 2 at 1:00 pm at Santa Fe Community College, Building P – Room 144. For more information or to pre- register for an exam or upgrade, contact Jerry Stewart at 352-336-8065 or kr4e@arrl.net Jerry Stewart, KR4E ******************************************************************************* Perusing the Pubs….. Perusing the Pubs … Excerpts of comments from several Ham Radio publications Regarding disaster preparation… “While we were fortunate to experience a rather benign hurricane season in 2006, other parts of the world were not as lucky. Other cataclysms will affect us in the future; shame on us if we think or act otherwise. The training and recruitment of more amateurs willing to serve in the aftermath of a major disaster are essential if we are to meet the need for qualified communicators.” K1ZZ, It Seems to Us, QST April 2007 Bad operating practices being displayed on the air… “Amateur Radio has always had a reputation for self-policing and this is a perfect example of something that needs to be self-policed. If you don’t do something to try and correct the situation, you are already condoning it… and that is WRONG. You are either part of the solution or you are part of the problem. Which are you?” N4AA, Editorial, The DX Magazine, March/April 2007 Replace Morse with the Amateur’s Code… “With the elimination of the Morse code requirement, perhaps it is a good time to review another code: The Amateur’s Code. It is an important part of our foundation and the new Hams entering our community may not have read it.” “The world is watching, let’s clean up our act.” WZ8C, Editor’s Log, WorldRadio, March 2007 Operating your rig by remote control via the Internet… “If I have an internet-connected ham station and you live in an antenna-restricted neighborhood, I can give you a copy of the operating software and a password, and you can operate my station whenever I’m not! … The possibilities of this concept are endless. And it’s further proof that the internet, far from destroying ham radio, is helping it thrive and grow.” W2VU The (R)evolution Continues, CQ Magazine, March 2007 An introduction to low band antennas… “Antennas for the low bands are one of the areas in Amateur Radio where home building will yield results that can substantially outperform what can be obtained from commercially available antennas.”… “(U)nlike the areas of receivers and transmitters, where as home-builders most of us do not have access to the custom-designed integrated circuits and other very specialized parts, antennas and antenna systems are built using materials that can be found locally by most of us.” ON2UN, Antennas and Techniques for Low Band DXing, p5-1 ******************************************************************************* Having a “Herbert” Day Herb Kleinman Another “Herbert” Day . . . de K4HMK WHAT PART OF MIKE DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? It was a mid February day.  With  instructions in tow and a positive attitude I marched into the hamshack and entered the world of PSK 31 for the first time.  It seemed easy enough: a click on the Waterfall, a click on the Icon here, a click on the Icon there, some light typing, a click on the 73 Icon, and the final click to log it. Everything started out working fine.  I entered many Ports Of Call that day: Maderia Island, French Guiana, France, Netherlands, Switzerland.  The sun was shining on this Ham, that is until I entered VE Land.  I clicked on the call sign, and the logging program locked onto the name LEON which was provided by the callbook. I began the QSO by clicking on my Name/ QTH Icon and then the BTU Icon.  He returned confirmation with his QTH and name MIKE.  I re-checked the logbook and the name Leon was starring me right in the face.  I typed in my return QSO to him and apologized for the mix-up. Hey, if MIKE floats his boat, so be it. I then clicked on the BTU Icon and it said: BTU LEON de K4HMK PSE K. He copied alright with the following:  THE NAME HERE IS :  MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE.  By now I knew I had a problem.  My apology to him didn't cut it.  I queried my instructions, but nothing was covered about LEON OR MIKE.  HOUSTON CONTROL: WE HAVE A PROBLEM.  Again I apologized and told him it was my first day on PSK 31.  The BTU Icon had captured LEON and was not about to let him go.  Once again I clicked the BTU Icon.  This time he copied with : THE NAME HERE ONCE AGAIN IS: MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE.  By now this was getting ridiculous.  It was the immovable object meeting the irresistible force. I replied back to him & tried to help him understand that the computer was holding me hostage.  Once again I clicked the BTU Icon.  I waited for a response.  His daisy chain never re-appeared that day.  I LOST HIM.  Was it my fault?  Sure it was.  I later learned the pitfalls that I encountered and what action to take in the future.  I was a "Victim Of Circumstances" that day.  Even today, I still feel bad about that QSO. MIKE  if you read this column, I want you to know  I think I fixed the problem... BTU LEON de K4HMK PSE K. ******************************************************************************* April Static Crashes Warren Croke By any Other Name…As if by magic, KI4CVH is now NI4O and KE4YZE has become WC4U… Must be something in the water. Watch Out above and Below…Word has it GARS tower honcho KR4E is thinking about putting something really big atop his 120 foot tower…like an 80-40 meter Quad! All that wire so high up in the air could prove a challenge to both migrating birds and airplanes in the nearby Gainesville airport approach pattern. . CQ CQ Wherever You Are…GARS CW maven W4GJ and Ohio-buddy K8IJ are going to ‘do’ the Florida QSO Party this year as ‘County Rovers’ According to Bob they’ll take his Nissan pickup tricked out with all manner of HF equipment and antennas and operate mobile continuously while making a non-stop swing through 18 north and central Florida counties. WC4U suggests with a little route planning they could earn the WASP Award (Worked All Sonny’s Parking-lots). A Stout-Hearted crew, indeed…Congratulations are in order for those hearty souls who stuck with the 8-week Element 3 General Class to the bitter end, then tested and passed. (See the VE report elsewhere in this GARS Mouth.) Special thanks to Jerry/KR4E for making several outstanding teaching aids and Mary/NI4O for running the PowerPoint presentations throughout the course. OM Dave/WA4ET and bride Linda/K1LAP haven’t been heard/seen much lately. The reason could be they bought a boat, and instead of gabbing with the GARS gang they’ve been boating in the backwaters. Not satisfied with zipping about on top of the water, both are taking scuba lessons as well…in case the boat ceases to float? Feeling good and getting better…that’s the encouraging word from Bryant/KI4HUQ who is recovering from a hard bout with the flu. You got that right…There’s a loosely-knit group of Gainesville-area DX-affectionatos who call themselves “DX HOGS” and they meet at the I-75/39th Ave.Sonny’s for lunch occasionally on Fridays. As one well-fed member put it, “The “Hog” part we have down pretty well; it’s the DX-part that needs lots of work.” Those that beat their swords into plowshares shall plow for those that don’t. – WC4U Just Call Me ‘Stumpy’…A member of the infamous 3945 group who shall go unnamed recently described on air how he tried to straighten a tilted high power amplifier tube with a screwdriver while his amp was plugged in an turned on! The resulting flash-bang looked and sounded like a lightning strike and took off a portion of his finger. After he finished his narrative there was a moment or two of silence. Then an incredulous listener broke in to say the guy with the screwdriver had to be “the dumbest Son-of-a-B---- in the world.” (The FCC monitors the 3945 group on a pretty regular basis because of frequent on-air ‘transgressions’. Our guess is the monitors did not cite the person who uttered the SOB-phrase because: 1.) The monitors could not believe anyone could be so stupid as to do what they just heard…or, 2.They were laughing too hard.). Finally…Alert reader W4GJ spotted this URL, did some research and found it doesn’t cause RFI so he thinks it could be an answer to ARRL’s BPL concerns http://www.google.com/tisp/install.html NW4C ******************************************************************************* May Static Crashes Warren Croke May Static Crashes aka Hamfest Hurrahs This month’s Static Crashes will be devoted for the most part to the goings-on during the 2007 Gainesville Hamfest and Computer show. For want of a better name we’ll call it the Hamfest Hurrahs… How Does he do it? …Three cheers and a whole bunch of atta-boys to Ray/W4YTC for heading up yet another successful ‘fest. Despite threatening each year that it would be his last, Ray goes out every year and outdoes his previous year’s effort! Watch out Ray, planning for the 2008 ‘fest will be starting shortly… And a big ‘Hat’s Off’ to our vendors…. Like Roy, who had a heart attack back in October followed by a 3-way bypass! He missed Orlando, Tampa, and Ocala, plus all the tailgates. But he came to Gainesville! Roy didn’t want to miss the banquet and said: “You guys are great, and if the good Lord is willing, we’ll be here next year!” The food, fun, and fellowship make it worth while. Shannon/K4GLM says he heard that sort of thing from several vendors at Tampa, and other places. Shannon added:”We have the BEST FOOD of any hamfest; large or small! Come, stay, camp, play! I was there Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was one of the earliest ones every day. I got there at 5:25 Saturday, and Jerry was already there!” And atta-boys also to Pete/ KF4QEV, Ray’s able assistant hamfest honcho. Pete got the venders settled in place, logged in the tailgaters and collected the fees. For a while he was as busier than an accountant at income tax time. Also to Susan /KG4VWI who after helping set up tables and chairs was seen giving directions and hamfest information to visitors. Others in the set-up gang included Ed/N4OVO and Gate Guard Gary/KF4QEX with their pick-up trucks, David/KI4EAD and his ATV, Kenny /KE4SLK, Van/AC4QS and Carol/KG4FEX. The kudos list goes one and on…To GARS Pres Susan/K9PDL and poodle-kiddle Gidget/ K9PDL-2 manning the ticket booth…and Walt/W4TKE tying up loose ends here and there …and to Shannon/K4GLM for setting up and overseeing the hamfest HF station where attendees and hams newly licensed at the test session could get on the air…Thank You to the Gator Amateur Radio Club for the loan of their antenna trailer and tribander! Ed/KE6HNN and XYL Kathy/KI4UJE manned the main desk and PA throughout the ‘fest, calling out the hourly drawing winners…They were later joined by Ed/AF4VC and Randy/N4AYS…The Gainesville QCWA 200-meters and down chapter stays alive and well primarily through the efforts of Nick/K4NIK who set up and manned the QCWA hamfest display…and just down the table from Nick were Jeff/W4UFL and Melissa/KE4WBQ with the ARES/EmComm setup. On the other side of Nick was ARRL Southeastern Division Director Frank Butler/W4RH, soldiering on for the good of the League amd Ham radio despite not feeling well. The dulcet tones of ‘Mr. Bill’/KE4NIS were heard throughout the morning handling the ‘talk-in’. You’ll never get lost when Mr. Bill is at the mike—After 40 years with the phone company in Gainesville if there is a phone line, he knows the street it’s on and if there is not a phone line, he remembers that it was too far out to run phone lines there! There isn’t a rock or a blade of grass he doesn’t recognize! Kerry/KG4LQK, after helping with the setup, dons a huge SECURITY badge that looked as big as a road sign. Also seen working the crowd was his daughter and her push cart full of Girl Scout cookies. Thanks to Earl/KI4OXD for adding a pleasant touch of class to the Saturday evening meal with his singing and guitar. It’s too bad the acoustics combined with the dinner chatter made it so difficult to hear. Mucho kudos to Mary/NI4O and her VE team: Frank/W3KT, Lloyd/NX4W, Warren/NW4C, Jim/ KC4MHH, Penny/KD4QHY, Kerry/KG4LQK, Herb/K4HMK, Larry/AG4NN, Shannon/K4GLM and Bill/ NY2FL and the 11 new Technicians, 10 Generals and 3 Extras the hamfest exam session produced. Laura/K4HMK took over the food counter while Mary/NI4O was away handling the ham exams. And finally, a major GARS salute to Jerry/KR4E and Mary/NI40 for the gargantuan effort they put in planning, procuring and cooking the hamfest meals from the 6 a.m. breakfasts through dinner, as well as manning the serving counter. Paul/KF4ONH and Shannon/K4GLM also shared in the food prep duties along with Kenny/KE4SLK, Kerry/KG4LQK, Richard/KB4HF,Susan/K9PDL, Nick/K4NIK, Ed/N4OVO, Laura/K4LRK and Janet Sloan, XYL of KI4OXD. And a fulfilled pat on the GARS tummy as grateful thanks for those who brought in desserts and side dishes for the big Saturday feed. In other news . . . It was good to see some longtime GARS friends enjoying the festivities. Ed/N4EC and Pat/K4HFR were entertaining all who stopped by their table with old-time GARS stories—such as when Ed won the Sending Left-Footed CW contest by cheating. Ed said he put his left foot on the key and then pressed the left foot with his right… They were later joined by another longtime GARS couple, Harold/N4MSK and Edith/N4MSY. Note to FD Chair K4GLM…There’s a potential FD op in the making with newly minted General class George/KF4KKU, aka the ‘Keystone Kid’. George operated K4GNV in the Florida QSO party at the hamfest last year as a Tech with Dave/WA4ET as control op and scored a bunch of Qs. He, along with Jeff/W4UFL, made last year’s FD satellite contact. Shuffling the deck…Debra/KI4CVS was seen playing a little computer solitaire during one of the rare quiet moments at the ‘fest. Moving Up…Mitch/KI4CVJ passed along some good news at the hamfest. In addition to his upgrading to General he will soon put his electrical engineering degree to good use with GRU. Among his job offers was a position with a power system in Azerbaijan which would be real DX! Wanna reconsider, Mitch? It’s a family thing…The entire Schwartz clan became licensed and joined GARS at the hamfest. With encouragement from Herb/K4HMK, hubby Jeff pulled the “Iron Man’ by passing Tech, then General AND f the Extra Class exams all in one sitting! XYL Joelle Clark and daughter Lois should be newly minted Technicians by the time you read this. They are ‘down the road’ neighbors of KR4E and NI4O. Still more family…Jane/KI4SBI and OM Alan/KI4SBG tested successfully at the ‘fest, Jane upgrading to General and Alan getting his Extra Class. All were seen later along with the Schwartz family at K4GLM’s hamfest station putting their new privileges to use making Qs I’m Moving On . . . That old Hank Snow tune should have been the theme for Bob/ W4GJ and Charlie/K8IJ’s Florida QSO Party Weekend as they motored 1200 miles through 29 north and central Florida counties while making 794 contacts in 20 hours of operating using the special call sign W4F. Fast Looker… Long-haul Lake City trucker Charlie/KF4CBO, who describes himself as a ‘professional sight-seer’, told Karl/KD4INF that he had just returned from a Seattle trip and that his biggest problem was keeping his foot off the pedal because his rig wasn’t ‘governed’ and would do 125 mph! Applause, applause…As reported in the Gainesville Sun, GARS-member David/KI4EAD was among those in Levy County credited with “getting things rolling so there would be a formalized way of incorporating ham radio operators in emergency planning”. Purr-fectly Clear…"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat." --Albert Einstein ******************************************************************************* CW Forever and Ever An Ode to CW Dedicated to code ops everywhere… You must have at times, Wondered back through the past, Why some things just fade-away… While other things last. What comes now to our mind Is old-time Morse code, Long used through the ages… Most Hams’ favored mode. All those short dits and dahs Cut through all the trash, Be it noise from nearby… Or a lightning storm’s crash. T’day Morse is old fashioned No longer in style, The I-net and Echolink… Have it beat by a mile. When clear copy’s rough For these new comm sensations, Won’t there still be a need … For some C-W stations? Nearly all of the time Morse signals get through Saying other modes can do this… Is simply not true. Morse ops, it’s been said, Are a fast-dying breed, But do not despair… For there's always a need, Even though it’s archaic, Code ops now agree, We must pass-on this knowledge… To hams younger than we. To talk with one’s fingers Is a skill that is learned , To be labeled a ‘good op’… Is an honor that’s earned Is the Morse code now dying? Nay, we say, NEVER! As the ‘always-get-through’ mode… It will be here forever. Adapted from the original published on e-Ham.com by WA1TBY – NW4C ******************************************************************************* March General Meeting Minutes Jeff Capehart GARS Monthly Meeting March 21, 2007 19:30 - Call to order with a reminder that cell phones, pagers, and hand-helds should be turned off or placed in a silent mode during the meeting. Please sign the sign-in sheet passing around. PLEDGE. INTRODUCTIONS. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Reminder that dues are DUE. No reports of sickness and Health. Moment of Silence to remember silent keys Happy March birthdays to GARS members: Ray, W4YTC Carol, KG4JCE Daisy, KG4TAS Karen, KI4CVL Richard, KB4HF David, KI4EAD OFFICER AND COMMITTEE REPORTS: Vice President: David, WB9UYK. No "program" tonight, but rather an opportunity to recruit volunteers for the hamfest. Members were polled to determine interest in watching videos of DXpeditions. Majority of club expressed interest. Treasurer: Kerry, KG4LQK Motion passed: To accept the treasurer's report for February. Motion passed: To accept the February club meeting minutes as published in the GARS Mouth. ARES: Jeff, W4UFL, gave a quick report on the planned March of Dimes WalkAmerica communications. An email will be sent to operators with the details. Fund Raising: Susan, K9PDL, reported that a Pizza Hut fundraiser had been set up for the entire day of Monday, March 26th. Event tickets were passed around to members. Testing: Jerry, KR4E, and Mary, NI4O, reported several people tested and either become first licensed or upgraded to General. Hamfest: Ray, W4YTC, circulated sign-up sheets for the Hamfest for set-up. Help is needed on Friday afternoon. For take-down, help is needed from people with a blower to clean out the building. Ticket sales help is needed for front gate and back gate. A list will be circulated next month as well. Tickets are also available. Another 1,000 tickets were printed. Musical entertainment is planned for the Saturday dinner. Hamfest date is April 28th & 29th, 2007. NEW BUSINESS: BY-LAWS REVISIONS: Motion, by Gary, KF4QEX, passed to bring by-laws revisions off table. Ed, N4OVO, accepted a friendly amendment to his original motion with Shannon, K4GLM, who was not present. Motion passed to amend, by Ray W4YTC and seconded by Mario, N4TSV. Motion passed to table #1 (Ray, W4YTC) Motion passed to table #2 (Gary, KF4QEX) Motion passed to table #3 (Ray, W4YTC, seconded by Pete, KF4QEV) Change #4 was revised (deleted the part about last quarter/associate members) Motion passed to bring change #3 off the table by Ray W4YTC. Motion approved to strike change #3, do not present to members. Motion approved to change #4 to present to club, by Ray. Change #5 died without a motion. Change #1 (regarding By-Laws Article Three, Section 1): The president shall be the chief executive officer of the SOCIETY, preside at all meetings, call meetings of the Board of Directors, represent the SOCIETY on all public occasions, enforce the by-laws, and perform all other duties pertaining to the office. The president shall appoint as many standing committees as deemed necessary. Change #2 (regarding By-Laws Article Five, Section 1): Meetings: Regular meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, at a time and place agreed upon by the membership as published in the newsletter. The Board of Directors shall set the time and place of regular meetings for the membership, and publish such time and location in the official newsletter. Change #3 (regarding By-Laws Article Four, Section 3): Dues shall be established, and may be modified, by a simple majority vote of the Full Members present at any meeting at which a quorum exists. An increase in dues shall normally take effect at the beginning of the following year. Dues will grant membership privileges to the SOCIETY on a calendar year basis. New Members joining the SOCIETY subsequent to June 30th of any year may obtain membership privileges for the remainder of that calendar year on the payment of an amount equal to one-half of the full year dues. Life Members are exempt from paying dues. NEW Change #4 (regarding By-Laws Article Four, Section 3): Dues shall be established, and may be modified, by a simple majority vote of the Full Members present at any meeting at which a quorum exists. An increase in dues shall normally take effect at the beginning of the following year. Dues will grant membership privileges to the SOCIETY on a calendar year basis. The dues of New Members joining the SOCIETY shall be pro-rated according to the number of quarters left in the calendar year. subsequent to June 30th of any year may obtain membership privileges for the remainder of that calendar year on the payment of an amount equal to one-half of the full year dues. Life Members are exempt from paying dues. NEW Change #5 (regarding By-Laws Article Five, Section 1): Meetings: Regular meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, at a time and place agreed upon by the membership as published in the newsletter at such time and place as may be determined by the Board of Directors. Special meetings may be called by the President. Notice of any change in the time or place of any regular meeting including cancellations, and notice of all special meetings, shall be given by mail, telephone, email, newsletter, or other reasonable means at least three (3) days in advance of such meeting. Notice of special meetings shall include a statement of the general purpose of the meeting, but any membership business otherwise valid may be transacted at the meeting. Adjourn 20:50 ******************************************************************************* April General Meeting Minutes Jeff Capehart GARS Monthly Meeting April 18, 2007 19:30 - Call to order with a reminder that cell phones, pagers, and hand-helds should be turned off or placed in a silent mode during the meeting. Please sign the sign-in sheet passing around. PLEDGE. INTRODUCTIONS. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Dues are past due, as of 4/1/07. Rex, W9RLW, became a silent key a few weeks ago. Bob, N0BVD, is doing well. Moment of Silence to remember silent keys Happy April birthdays to GARS members: Shannon, K4GLM Curt, KG4GWA Laura, K4LRK Allan, KG4JCC OFFICER AND COMMITTEE REPORTS: Vice President: David, WB9UYK, thanked member Randy Kerr, KD4KHO, for developing and presenting the 9-1-1 system and how to call an emergency in, and some examples of 9-1-1 calls. David has purchased and previewed a DVD of the Peter I DXpedition, about 55 minutes, and would like to show it at the next meeting. Treasurer: Kerry, KG4LQK Motion passed: To accept the treasurer’s report for March. March club meeting minutes will be published in the GARS Mouth. ARES: Jeff, W4UFL, presented an idea for promoting public alert radios at one or more area Publix stores. GARS sponsorship is required for the liability waiver. The event would tentatively be set for May 26th in conjunction with National Hurricane Preparedness Week May 20-26, 2007. Motion passed: To sponsor the public service event for weather alert radio programming. Fund Raising: Kerry, KG4LQK, reported that the Pizza Hut fundraiser brought in $62 for the club. GARS Mouth: Curt, KG4GWA, reported that GARS Mouth was delayed, but is coming. He also encouraged members to write and submit articles for the GARS Mouth. Instruction: Warren, NW4C, reported that the Element 3 General class ended. Four tested, 3 passed. 15 took the course. No plans for General or Tech class at this time. The new question pool for General will be in effect starting July 2007. There may be a special set of review sessions for the Extra class test questions for anyone interested. Testing: Jerry, KR4E, and Mary, NI4O, reported that several hams upgraded to General. Testing at the Hamfest will be Saturday 28th at 1:00 PM. Pre- registration is requested due to limited space in the ASO bus. No copy machine will be available, so please bring two (2) copies of ham license, pen, pencil, calculator, and photo ID. Repeater: Walt, W4TKE, reported that 146.685 Repeater is on at his house. It may also be available for the Hamfest. It may also be available for Field Day. The tone on the 146.820 repeater will be taken off for the week of the Hamfest. The “PF” tail has been cleared on the 146.985 Repeater. No problems with the 440 Repeater. Hamfest: Ray, W4YTC, will be April 28-29, 2007 at the Alachua County Fairgrounds. Lists were passed around and helpers are needed, especially for the back gate. Advanced tickets are still on-going, up until April 21st. $5 – see Walt, Nick, or Ray. Door prizes are great this year! There will be a get-together around 5:30 pm for the Saturday evening dinner at the Hamfest. Please bring a side-dish. Florida QSO party is also the same weekend, and Shannon plans to coordinate a station at the Hamfest. NEW BUSINESS: Susan, K9PDL, relayed the ARRL message regarding Florida ham tags that was emailed to all Florida ARRL members. A problem with delivery of US mailed GARS Mouth newsletters was reported. Field Day: Shannon, K4GLM, is coordinator this year. Help will be needed from everyone who participated last year. A map is being developed for antenna placement. Food entrée has not been determined. Sheriff’s Bus and GARC tower have been requested,if available. BY-LAWS REVISIONS: Motion for #1 by Ray, 2nd, passed. Change #1 (regarding By-Laws Article Three, Section 1): The president shall be the chief executive officer of the SOCIETY, preside at all meetings, call meetings of the Board of Directors, represent the SOCIETY on all public occasions, enforce the by-laws, and perform all other duties pertaining to the office. The president shall appoint as many standing committees as deemed necessary. Motion for #2 by Ray, 2nd Shannon, passed. Change #2 (regarding By-Laws Article Five, Section 1): Meetings: Regular meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, at a time and place agreed upon by the membership as published in the newsletter. The Board of Directors shall set the time and place of regular meetings for the membership, and publish such time and location in the official newsletter. Motion for #3 by Ray, 2nd Earl, passed. Change #3 (regarding By-Laws Article Four, Section 3): Dues shall be established, and may be modified, by a simple majority vote of the Full Members present at any meeting at which a quorum exists. An increase in dues shall normally take effect at the beginning of the following year. Dues will grant membership privileges to the SOCIETY on a calendar year basis. The dues of New Members joining the SOCIETY shall be pro-rated according to the number of quarters left in the calendar year. subsequent to June 30th of any year may obtain membership privileges for the remainder of that calendar year on the payment of an amount equal to one-half of the full year dues. Life Members are exempt from paying dues. Adjourn 21:37 ******************************************************************************* April Executive Board Minutes Jeff Capehart GARS Board Meeting April 5, 2007 Board members Kerry KG4LQK, Walt W4TKE, Jerry KR4E, and Shannon K4GLM were absent. 19:00 - Call to order with reminder about restrictions on motions and voting. OFFICER AND COMMITTEE REPORTS: Vice President: David, WB9UYK, mentioned Peter I DVD and possibly showing the video at a club meeting or Get Ready 2007. The DVD is $25. Motion Approved: To reimburse David for the cost of the Peter I DXpedition DVD. Treasurer: Kerry, KG4LQK, was absent. Secretary: Jeff, W4UFL. Motion passed: To accept the board minutes as published in the GARS Mouth. Hamfest: Ray, W4YTC, absent. Website: Ray, W4YTC, absent. GARS Mouth: Mary, KI4CVH, had no report. Repeater: Walt, W4TKE, absent. Testing: Mary, NI4O, reported that about 20 people plan to test on Saturday April 7th, most for the General exam from Warren's class. OLD BUSINESS: Ray, W4YTC, has nominated Warren Croke, NW4C, for Life Membership in GARS, for his many years of unprecedented service to the club. Motion was approved. However, per GARS by-laws, the membership as of 4/5/07 was only 81 members and we would need 20 more members for a 5th LIFE membership to be eligible. The Pizza Hut fundraiser raised about $60. NEW BUSINESS: Dues for 2008: To avoid a dues increase, we can find sponsors, or have more fund raisers like the Pizza Hut day. Members can sell hamfest tickets to friends, family, co-workers, business contacts and others as basically a donation even if they have no intention of attending the hamfest. David, WB9UYK, Mentioned a presentation for next meeting, possibly on the 911 dispatch system and how to report accidents, emergencies, or calls for law enforcement. BY-LAWS REVISIONS: No changes. The by-laws are ready for a vote at the April club meeting. 20:18 Adjourn ******************************************************************************* May Executive Board Minutes Jeff Capehart GARS Board Meeting May 3, 2007 All board members were present. 19:00 - Call to order with reminder about restrictions on motions and voting. OFFICER AND COMMITTEE REPORTS: Vice President: David, WB9UYK, reported that the Hurricane season upon us makes the public service demo a very important program to do and will delay the Peter I Island Dxpedition video for another meeting. Treasurer: Kerry, KG4LQK, reported that monthly report has been completed. Some payments for the Hamfest are still outstanding, so the final report on that has not been totaled, but should be close to being completed by the club meeting. Secretary: Jeff, W4UFL. The board minutes have not yet been published in the GARSMouth, but will be emailed along with the club minutes to all members. Hamfest: Ray, W4YTC, had suggestions for improving Hamfest. More prizes Sunday. Locals need to promote Hamfest on the HF traffic nets 3 months ahead of time. April 26-27, 2008 will be next year’s Gainesville Hamfest. For club members, start a ticket pool, and volunteers who help would get chances at prizes throughout the year for each hour they work. Attendance was down a little, but food sales were up. We will have one more year at the Alachua Fairgrounds by the airport. The GARC antenna was damaged. Motion approved: To pay for repair GARC antenna on the tower trailer, including replacing winch. Website: Ray, W4YTC, the new Hamfest date is on the site. Photos from the Hamfest are linked off the page. Several club members took pictures. Steve King, KC6WCH, has donated time and money to move the club’s web page to the GoDaddy server. Motion approved: To award Steve a complimentary 2-year membership in GARS. GARS Mouth: Mary, KI4CVH, said the newsletter deadline needs to be moved up to the Saturday after the general club meeting, or no later than the last Saturday of the month. Articles coming in late have delayed the newsletter. Also, members have reported being unable to open the newsletter on the club web site. Repeater: Walt, W4TKE, informed the Board the tone was turned off for the Hamfest, but has not been turned back on. The repeater has been working fine even without the tone enabled. The 146.685 repeater worked great at the Hamfest, but still needs a little more work. Testing: Jerry, KR4E, reported 11 new Technicians, 10 Generals, and 3 Extras from the Hamfest testing session. GARS is one of the few clubs that will read exams for people who have a documented disability. Field Day: Shannon, KG4GLM, is the new Field Day chairman. More CW operators are needed. More generators are needed. Grounding will need to be improved. Shannon would like to request the county’s tower trailer and generator. He’d like Jerry, KR4E, to be safety officer. Jerry also reported hamburgers are left over from the Hamfest. Most club members would like chicken. The Get-On-The-Air (GOTA) station will be a big part of the event this year. Frank DeNuzzo, W3KT, volunteered to do publicity for the event this year. NEW BUSINESS: New Committee: Susan, K9PDL, appointed a new Food Committee. They will handle the food at Field Day, and possibly the holiday dinner, and next year for the Hamfest. Programming: Warren, NW4C, mentioned that we could have a program fund to bring in special speakers, such as Field Engineers from the FCC in Tampa. Other options would be to purchase media such as the Peter I DVD. Reimbursements for travel expenses would be another example. Motion passed: To set up a program fund in the amount of $200, to be available on a monthly basis, to be set up by the program chair to be used to fund special programs. 20:53 Adjourn ******************************************************************************* Editor's Letter Curtis Franklin I'll start with the apology: The April GARS Mouth didn't happen for a variety of reasons. I'm sorry it didn't make it to the membership, and I'll work to make sure the problems don't recur. You might have noticed something of a format change in this edition of the GARS Mouth. Word came to the editors from the Executive Board meeting that members weren't able to open the .PDF version of the GARS Mouth, and that it was too large. This edition's format is the most compact format I can fine, and it should be viewable on any computer from a Commodore PET on up. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue. While we won't be asking for photos for this format, we would still love to have an article from each member during the year. Think about your involvement in GARS, and put together a short article about your hobby! I can guarantee that others will be interested in reading about it. Curt ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* *******************************************************************************