NewsLetter for February

(Cheefully mutiliated by KC4GCK)
Is there ANY correlation between what the groundhog sees and propogation?

 

NORTH GEORGIA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
February 2005

CALENDAR
February NGARC meeting:  Monday, February 21, 6PM at The Wagon Wheel to
eat and talk.  Business meeting to begin at 7PM.  Agenda TBA

Club Net:  Thursday nights, 8:30PM, 146.835 + T100 Dahlonega Repeater

Special Notice:  A Sykwarn Class (Weather Spotter Training by the National Weather Service) is scheduled for Tuesday February 6 at the Lumpkin County  Park and Recreation Building on Riley Road at 7PM. 
Contact Craig KG4TJJ at  craig-pfeiffer@excite.com   or 864-9362 to sign up for the class.  We do need a minimum number for the class to be held.   You do not have to have a license or be a member of the club to attend.  Learn how to identify and report serious weather conditions from the NWS Sywarn Trainer.

Exam sessions by the Lanierland ARC (Gainesville) for 2005.  First Sundays of Even numbered months beginning February 6th.  2PM at Johnson High School in Oakwood (Hwy 13, Atlanta Hwy).  There is a map on the Lanierland club web site http://www.lanierlandarc.org/ve_exams.htm

along with the contact info.

Exam session for the recent class in Forsyth County has been moved from the 12th to Feb 19th because of the weather interrupting one weekend of classes.  The exam session is open to all, not just the class.  It will be Sat. Feb 19th 12 Noon at Grace Chapel Church in Cumming.  Exit 400 at 141 (exit 13), go west, cross Hwy 9 (141 becomes Bethel View Rd at light).  Next light is Castleberry Road.  Left there, about a mile to Grace Chapel Church at the intersection with Majors Road.  ARRL VEC cost is $14.  Bring picture ID and cash.  If you need further information
contact John W4JJM at 770-781-8082.

Other February Ham Radio happenings:  Dalton, GA Hamfest. Saturday, February 26.
Reminder:  Club dues of $10 are for the year Jan to Dec.  The Secretary or Treasurer will be ollecting at the next meeting for 2005 for those of you not already paid up.
The NGARC Volunteer Examiners can probably remember how to administer an exam if asked!!  We'd like to see at least three people looking for an exam session and we could schedule one.  Contact K4SZ if you are interested and we'll see what we can put together.
Newsworthy:  The "Traffic" column in February World Radio is a recommended read about why "Emergency Exercises" are needed and useful. A Quote from the article:  'Getting on the air and chatting does not prepare one for emergency communications'.   In the same issue, the
"Mars" column is titled "When a real emergency strikes, with whom will you communicate?"
In the January CQ, the Public Service column is titled "Field Day is not enough", stressing the need for proper and continuing training for emergency communications.
Setting Dave straight (but we suspect he really does know): QST is a legitimate Q-signal meaning "Calling all amateurs and ARRL members" and his usage is correct!!  (Check the ARRL Operating Manual). Speaking of Dave, he also sent an interesting URL on the history of
Amateur Radio.  It's worth checking out, as is the entire AC6V web site.  Lots of good info there.  ww.ac6v.com/history.htm
Another emergency communications training resource.  The ARRL GA section news from SM Susan AF4FO reports that the yearly GA ARES meeting held in
January is available to download on the ARRL GA website www.arrl-ga.org So those who couldn't make the meeting can find out what went on.
From the GA Section On My Mind Newsletter by SM Susan Swiderski AF4FO: 
Would you believe that 219 Georgia amateur radio operators have taken the online EmComm courses offered through the ARRL? Of that number, 145 have completed Level I, 34 have completed Levels I and II, and 34 have successfully completed all three courses. If you're considering taking one or more of these courses, better hop to it! This is the last year for the grant, and if that money dries up before the year's end, that may mark the end of the opportunity to have the cost of these courses refunded to you. (So whatcha waiting for??).
(These are the courses that Dave, Russ, Michael and I'm not sure who else have taken)  FYI

CW Training:  I remember some folks talking about CW practice either on the Net or at the meeting.  There is the Georgia Traffic Handling Training Net (CW), a slow traffic net for you to practice copying daily at 3.702 MHz 9PM DAILY by net manager Bill KG4FXG.  There is also a NC slow
traffic net (CSN) which meets daily.  Do a Google search for it or the NC ARRL section.  Don't
forget the old standby W1AW several times daily on many frequencies, one of which will be coming in strong.  Any issue of QST, the ARRL Handbook, Operating Manual or 'Now You're Talking' has the times and frequencies. Of course it isn't hard to find some slow CW in any of the novice bands
when conditions are good.  Not always "good" slow CW though like you'll find from W1AW or the tapes.  I still recommend the ARRL tapes or CD for learning the code.  I also have plenty of old 'upgrade' tapes for 13 and 20 wpm if anyone wants them to raise their speed.  Just ask.  I also
just found out that Michael KI4FKO received a CW traffic message originated by a ham in the midwest.  It was delivered to him through Bill Kinsland WA4ZHC who is an active CW traffic operator here.  Kind of a neat idea by the originator to send messages to randomly selected new
hams to help promote CW and message handling.  Hope I get one sometime and thanks for being there to Bill.

Of course, ARRL members can get the ARRL letter and the Section News by e-mail just by signing up.  Both are excellent resources for keeping up with goings on in Ham Radio and I pass on ones I think are useful to the NGARC members.  ARRL membership doesn't just mean a subscription to QST magazine!!  They will even renew your license for you when the time comes after reminding you that it is renewal time. 

You should all be able to figure out by all the references that I put in this NL that I am an ARRL member (and highly recommend it).  I also subscribe to QEX, CQ magazine, CQ VHF quarterly and World Radio.  I enjoy them all and find useful information each month from them.  If you ever want to see one, just ask me.
73, Bob K4SZ