Hellgate Amateur Radio Club
P.O. Box 3811
Missoula, MT. 59806-3811
January 2006
W7PX
http://www.users.qwest.net/~k7vk/
Next meeting is January 9, 2006
→→ At: American
Red Cross ←←
→→→ 1500 W. Broadway,
#E ←←←
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OUR NEW
HARC Board of Directors
Club
President, N7GE, Jerry Ehli at jehli@modernmachinery.com
Vice-president, W7PAQ Frank Kisselbach at fkissel@direcway.com
Treasurer, K7PX, Steve Schlang at ripply1@msn.com
Secretary, AC7UZ,
Lewis Ball at ac7uz@blackfoot.net
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hellgate Amateur Radio
Club
December 12 2005
The December meeting of the
HARC/Christmas party was held at Jakers.
Many of the club members were accompanied by their spouses and family. The food
was good, and the fellowship was better.
A gift exchange was enjoyed by
everyone present with very few leaving with the present that they first
unwrapped as a choice was given to choose one already selected or one still in
the wrapping. One was of all things a smoked ham. There were tools, books, boat
anchors, gift box coffee.
Election of officers was held
with the slate presented by the election committee of
Gerald Ehli (N7GE) President
Frank Kisselbach (W7PAQ) Vice
President
Steve Schlang (W7PX)
Treasurer
Lewis Ball (AC7UZ) Secretary
The slate was approved as
presented with several write in votes for president.
The next meeting will be at
the Red Cross on Broadway & Russell. January 9,2006 at 7:00PM
We all wish the outgoing
Board of Directors the best, and we thank them for their service to the club.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
YOU KNOW YOU
NEED ONE
Ladies and Gentlemen, Due to
a mix-up and misunderstanding between the family, I received two of the 2006 ARRL
Radio Handbooks, soft cover version. However, I only need
one, so I have one available for sale at $35. That's a discount
from $39.95 plus $9 shipping. The package also includes a CD ROM of the
complete book as well as a copy of the first edition of the Radio Amateur
Handbook, first issued in 1926; what a bargain!
First come, first
served. Email me at: w7dhb@momtana.com
.
--Dennis, W7DHB
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
W7DHB “Late Christmas Wishes”
Although I had
warned about people getting “coal in their stockings”, Dennis, W7DHB sent in
his wish list just after the Hellgate Static had been sent to Byron. Either way, the intent was their.- ed.
I would think
that headphones, ARRL books, or ARRL decals / other promotional items (at
least for ARRL members) would be very welcome.
However, if not members of the ARRL they may be encouraged HI HI.
I know that personally, the ARRL stuff is great, lots of books on operating
etc.
I'd also like a bit of warm
weather (guess
you got that one!-ed.) so Vick (K7VK) and I can assemble my GAP Titan and get
it up over the roof. I’d also like a
new 40-50' crank-up tower and Mosley 33 WARC beam.
--Dennis, W7DHB
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HELLGATE
STATIC ARCHIVE.
We need Hellgate
STATICs for the HARC archive. Do you have any you would like to
donate? We need them if
they are pre-1983 copies and any from 2000-2005.
We're also
capturing 'Hellgate ARC History' on the web pages. http://www.users.qwest.net/~k7vk/history.htm
If you have any updates, additions, or achievements of current or past members,
please send them along.
Thanks much &
73,
Vick, K7VK
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2005 Skywarn Results
I don't have the final QSO
count (check with Bob Henderson) but here is how I remember the operation:
Friday started out OK, but
slow. Some trouble with the dipole, showing rapid fluctuations in VSWR;
beam worked OK. However, Sat morning the band opened up and THINGS
WENT WILD. Bob N7MSU, Steve K7PX, Dennis W7DHB and
I don't know who else were kept busy taking turns. We didn't even turn
the beam from ESE. When I went home at 4 PM, I worked WX7MSO and then
heard them work The Solomon Islands.
We picked up at least 30+ weather stations plus many non-WX stations.
Check with Bob or Byron for
the final count if you haven't already -- what a blast.
Dennis, W7DHB
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SOME WINTER FUN AND CONTESTING ON
160M
Been on topband lately? With the solar cycle plunging into its
11-year dip, conditions have been steadily improving on the lowbands. Both 160m and 80m have really come alive
this fall and winter. Or if you’re into
DXing the AM broadcast band, some nights are just downright hectic trying to ID
station call letters with four or five stations on one frequency.
I’ve been spending most of my
radio time on 160m though. European
stations could be heard starting in October, usually for just a few precious
nights at a time every couple weeks.
VK, HL, and JA have been workable much more often.
2005 ARRL 160m Contest
The space weather forecast
was looking a bit ominous on the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 2. The A and K indices were
hovering high, and a class M3 solar flare and R2 radio blackout was
possible. However, the solar activity
did not seem to impact night-time conditions too much. It seemed the entire east coast was workable
for most the first night. After about
10:00z, it did seem to get much harder to copy them, and the snow static didn’t
help.
The second night was much
tougher with some rapid and deep QSB on most signals from the E and SE. I really had to dig deep for many east coast
stations. W6 is usually good for
racking up a lot of QSO’s, but their signals were quite weak. To complicate matters, there was off-and-on
snow static, and a few neighborhood electric fences were ticking and popping
away.
DX stations heard included
P40, 6Y(huge signal), XE, JA, BV, and ZL.
The effects of sleep
deprivation were particularly difficult.
I was haunted by phantom signals (No I didn’t QSL any of them) and I was
hallucinating movement off to the side of my vision. (Hey! Who’s in my shack?).
I’m not sure why so many ops
try to call so far off frequency - like 200 Hz away from QRG? When you got the filters cranked down to 200Hz,
and they dump their call 300Hz away from you, you can’t hear them. If you open your filters up to 400 or 600,
then your “neighbors” are “bumpin’ and tinkin’” on the filter walls, causing
QRM. Sigh. It seems spotting and zero beating are not important anymore.
I discovered my vertical is
quite worthless for receiving during precipitation static. The snow showers we had thru the contest
were very evident and produced S9+10 noise levels on the vertical. I’m glad I have 3 antennas to choose
from. I took some time to do more A/B/C
comparisons on RX with the three antennas.
It is really obvious when you have a low-angle signal coming in as it is
stronger on the vertical than the dipole.
As far as TX goes, it seems the vertical and dipole were fairly equal in
receiving stations out to about 2000 miles.
The stations well beyond that distance are definitely louder on the
vertical.
2005 Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge
This is always a fun
contest. It is just one night and a
14-hour time limit. You really have to
do some gambling to trade some potential sunrise DX to the west for some sunset
DX to the east. I always opt for the
sunrise QSO’s since the east coast stations are in sunlight and they’re not
‘shouting over your head’ to DX the Pacific.
While the ARRL160 contest has a “known” exchange – 599 and the familiar
section abbreviations, the “STEW” has only a grid square report. You have to listen a bit closer for these so
you don’t bust them, because busted QSO’s will cost you lots of points. My participation was cut short by the
neighborhood arc welder who apparently was working most of the night trying to
finish up a project in time for Christmas. BUZZZZZ. BUZZZ. BUUUUZZZZZZ. He
was 20 over S9.
What’s Next?
The CQWW 160 Contests (CW and SSB) are coming up soon, as well as
the ARRL DX Contests. In the meantime,
there is lots of winter and lots of darkness left. Hopefully, the “topband” will stay with us and offer up some more
fun (and masochistic frustration) for a few more months. Dit Dit…
de KK7UV
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
G.M. v.s Microsoft
For all of us who feel
only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives,
read on. At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the
computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up
with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00
cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's
comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed
technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following
characteristics
1. For no
reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
2. Every time they
repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally your
car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side
of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen
the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept
this.
4. Occasionally,
executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and
refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make
a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice
as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6. The oil, water
temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single
"This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
7. The airbag system
would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.
8. Occasionally, for no
reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until
you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of
the radio antenna.
9. Every time a new car
was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again
because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You'd have to press
the "Start" button to turn the engine off.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TEST RESULTS
FROM THE DECEMBER SESSION
Four
candidates participated in the December 22 examination session. All
upgraded, 1 General and 3 Amateur Extras! The candidates traveled from
Dillon & Thompson Falls, Montana and Garden Valley, Idaho (North
of Boise).
Notable
was 18 year-old Ben Sharon from Thompson Falls. He passed not only 5 wpm Morse code, but also Technician, General and
Amateur Extra with no errors! Congratulations.
Volunteer
Examiners participating in this HARCs 190th
examination session included W7DHB, Dennis; AC7UZ, Lewis; N7TAE,
Wayne; K7PX, Steve & K7VK, Vick.
The
next examination session is scheduled for January 19. Happy New Year!
Vick,
K7VK
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
AMATEUR RADIO CLASSES ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN
Danne Guthrie, KC7ZO, is coordinating a ham radio license class to
be held Tuesday evenings starting January 17th. The class will run for
eight weeks and cost of $35 including the book, (Now Your Talking), $20
if students already have the book. Interested students and assistants
should contact Danne via email: kc7zo@cybernet1.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DIDJA KNOW THAT:
A cosmic year is amount of time that it takes the Sun
to revolve around the center of the Milky Way.
That’s about 225 million years!
Norway has won more medals in the Winter Olympic
Games than any other nation!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IT IS A NEW YEAR, DUES ARE DUE
It
is a New Year. Hopefully, all of us
showed up to help out with the First
Night Missoula celebration. Well,
as usual, it is time to pony up your dues for the club. The annual membership is $25.00 ($5.00 for
additional family members). You simply
pay them to the Hellgate Amateur Radio Club treasurer (Steve Schlang, K7PX).
What do you get for being a club member?
You get more than a “good feeling” in your heart.
You
help maintain repeaters in the area.
Without us, “the 04 machine” would not be in existence, or would not be
maintained very well. The various VHF
and UHF repeaters have a fairly wide coverage within our area. They help provide communication coverage for
emergency, public service, club events, and routine private use.
HARC also provides
portable and fixed HF equipment (radios, towers, antennas, etc.) and the
ability to use them in emergencies, public service, and club events. There are also radio events that occur each
year such as Field Day.
By being a member, we have
the opportunity to meet people that have been “bitten by the same bug” that bit
us. Whether you find DX or VHF as a
draw, “ragchewing” or working traffic, contests or public service, antennas or
satellites, boat anchors or QRP, there are folks amongst the group that share
the same view. If you have questions,
generally, some one has an answer. If
you are brand new and have LOTS of questions, we have plenty of “Elmers”. If you are curious about ham radio, we have members
of the club that will help teach you and test you.
You also have a wonderful
website (see the title page) and a monthly newsletter (either e-mail or “snail
mail”). See you this year and bring
someone new along!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LETTER FROM THE NEW
NORTHWEST DIVISION DIRECTOR
Dear Northwestern Division
Members,
As you have probably heard, Director Greg
Milnes, W7OZ, passed away on December 17, 2005. I had the pleasure of
working with Greg for seven years as we represented the ARRL's Northwestern
Division at board meetings and at various hamfests and other events. He
was well respected within the Division and on the ARRL Board. We shall
miss his
leadership, guidance and humor.
A memorial for Greg is planned for 4 PM
Friday, December 30, 2005 at the Hillsboro Methodist Church, 168 NE 8th,
Hillsboro, Oregon. Suggested memorial
contributions for Greg include the ARRL Foundation and the Hillsboro Methodist
Church. The notice of Greg's passing was on the Oregonian's web site on
December 21st. The web address is:
http://www.legacy.com/oregon/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=16055437
Messages of condolence can be sent to
Greg's wife, Loretta and family at:
740 SE 24th Ave.
Hillsboro, OR 97123
ARRL President Jim Haynie, Division
Section Managers able to attend and I will represent the League at Greg's
memorial service.
As Greg's Vice Director, I now assume the
duty of serving ARRL Northwestern Division's members on the ARRL Board as the
Division Director. My first order of business is to recommend a vice
director replacement candidate to ARRL President Jim Haynie. I will also
represent the Northwestern Division at the upcoming ARRL Board meeting in
January.
Please address your suggestions and
questions to me at: k9jf@arrl.org . In addition,
I can be reached at (360) 256-1716. Please be assured that I will return
your phone calls as quickly as possible. In most instances, you will be
asked to leave a message at this number.
Government, industry and our increasing average age challenge the
amateur radio operators. We must strive to insure the long-term
survivability of our service. I welcome your input and opportunity for
discussion into 2006 and beyond.
Thanks, in advance, for your support
during this transition. As your Northwestern Division Director, I will
represent the best interests of the Division and the future of amateur radio in
general.
73
Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NEW YEAR, NEW
OPPORTUNITIES TO TEST
Our VE’s will again be offering testing sessions for
amateur radio licenses. The examinations are scheduled
for walk-in candidates. No pre-registration is required. Just show up
with your photo ID, a copy of your current license and/or a copy of
certificates of successful completion of examination elements since your
current license. Per the ARRL-VEC
and W5YI-VEC, the cost will be
$14.00.
The
next testing session is January 19,
2006 at the Missoula Public Library (301 E Main Street) at 6 PM.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERESTING TIDBITS
FROM THE DEC. 28, 2005 ARRL CONTEST RATE SHEET
"If you are recycling a
bottle for outdoor use, make sure you see 'PETE' or 'PET'
(polyethyleneterephthalate, a.k.a. 'polyester') on the bottom. PP (polypropylene)
and PE (polyethylene) will not hold up so well, particularly if they are
food-grade which has limited stabilizer options. PET is inherently
stable, and its structure will also filter UV to give some protection to
whatever the project will house." (Thanks, Stan KD4BTH)
We're unlikely to see ham
radio construction programs on prime-time TV, but there is an alternative. Bill
N2CQR (a.k.a. M0HBR and CU2JL, http://www.qsl.net/n2cqr)
has developed "SolderSmoke," a video show for homebrewers. His
latest, SolderSmoke 11, is available at http://www.ourmedia.org/node/123300.
(It's a 36.8 Mbyte file) Topics include "Solar-Powered Station on
80-Meters," "Understanding Solid-State Design," and a few other
interesting tidbits. Bill has also produced some podcasts of himself and
KL7R discussing homebrew projects - the URL is http://www.ourmedia.org/mediarss/user/36170,
which can be cut-and-pasted into your pod control software or just listen on
your PC at http://www.ourmedia.org/node/123300.
A bit late for holiday gifts,
but just in time for a winter chuckle, Dick Sylvan W9CBT, has just published
"HI HI - A Collection of Ham Radio Cartoons." (http://books.lulu.com/content/177530)
If Dick's work looks familiar, you may have seen it in the K9YA Telegraph, a
popular ham radio e-zine. While not specifically geared to contesters, the book
includes contest-related cartoons and has something for everybody. (Thanks,
Mike N9BOR)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CONTEST
SEASON 2006 BEGINS
At the start of a contest, I am rather like a mosquito in a nudist
camp; I know what I ought to do, but I don't know where to begin." (Apologies to Stephen
Bayne)- Mike, N2MG from the Contesting.com website.
Well,
it is here again. It is Antenna
Repair….. er…. Contest season! With the
ARRL 160 meter and 10 meter contests during early December it is underway. The Kids Day contest is the second weekend of January (read the
article from the February 2005 Hellgate
Static) and so is the ARRL RTTY roundup.
The VHF Sweeps and the CQ WW 160 test will finish off January.
As the days
get longer, February will begin with the CQ WW RTTY WPX contest and the Asia Pacific
test and will finish out with the ARRL International DX contest CW and the CQ
WW 160 meter SSB contest.
March will
begin with the SSB portion of the ARRL International DX contest and will end
with the CQ WW WPX SSB portion. CU in
test, di di dah di dah di di
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
QRZ, QRZ,
this is KE7NO
We
hope the HELLGATE STATIC was interesting for you this
month. Let us know if this newsletter
is to your acceptance. So far, I’ve
only heard good things. If there is
something YOU would like to see, or
that you feel is overdone, please let me know.
This is the Hellgate Amateur Radio Club newsletter, not mine! If you have something (even a simple
one-liner) please write to me at our address or e-mail me (Craig, KE7NO) at twincreek@blackfoot.net.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
