THE SPARK
GAP
September 2000
VICE PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS
Just want to say thank you to all that showed up at the business meeting. It was a good one. We had good discussions on several ideas.
Thank you to each and everyone of you that came out to our Amateur Radio Awareness Day at the Bonita Lakes Mall. It was good to see you regulars, and it was especially good to meet some of the hams who have not been active in the last few years. Our goal was to get you interested in joining with us and we hope we succeeded. See the photos and an article from The Meridian Star on our website.
Am planning to go to the Montgomery Hamfest when it happens. Let's carpool. Hope to see you at the next meeting and special event too.
The SET went great on 16 September. Thanks each and everyone of you that started your day early enough to participate. The group simulated a severe winter storm and passed traffic for the American Red Cross in Jackson and Laurel. They also responded to a request by the Corps of Engineers to check on a data transmission terminal. The new di-rector of the Meridian Red Cross Chapter, Mr. Brad Steely was impressed with our ability to communicate and is interested in working us into his operation plans.
If you are a member of the LEMA Group please at-tend the next meeting which will be held on 25 Sept. at 7 p.m. in the LEMA Building. Elections will be held for new officers.
Expect the WX to continue as it has been the last week. Cool with some rain. The fall thunderstorm pattern should return soon. Do not know how much rain will result but hope we get enough to get caught up. Although not all at one time. Water is still warm in the gulf and could result in strong weather if cyclonic activity strays into this region .
Hope each of you have a great month. WB5OCD
Secretary Report
Minutes from August 26, 2000 meeting
The September business meeting was held August 26th. Topics discussed were:
- Amateur Radio Awareness Day is being held on September 9th in Bonita Lakes Mall.
- Section Emergency Test to be held September 16th.
- Kid's Day in the schools Boy Scout Jamboree.
- Membership Drive and club mail out to all hams in the county and the area.
- October Business meeting moved to September 30th.
- Clarke County Day at Archusa Water Park on October 7th.
- WX spotters training session with NWS.
- Regular VE sessions and letting the public know when and what to study.
- The Queen City Truck Stop has committed
the meeting room to another group on the 2nd Sat-urday of the
month.
73
KB5ASR
FCC Order No. 87
From the record of the Federal Communica-tions Commission during a session held at its offices in Washington, D.C. on the 8th day of December, l941:
Whereas a state of war exists between the United States and the Imperial Japanese Government, and the withdrawal from private use of all amateur frequencies is required for the purpose of the National Defense, IT IS ORDERED, that except as may hereafter be specifically authorized by the Commission, no person shall engage in any amateur radio operation in the con-tinental United States, its territories and possessions, and that all frequencies heretofore allocated to amateur radio stations under Part 12 of the Rules and Regulations BE, AND THEY ARE HEREBY, WITHDRAWN from use by any person except as may hereafter be authorized by the Commission. By order of the Commission: - T.J. Slowie, Secretary."
A few hours after the first bomb fell on Pearl Harbor, Amateur Radio in normal peacetime ceased to exist. The frequencies we used were deathly silent - an ominous nothingness, not a chirp, nothing. Transmit-ters were packed away, receivers turned to some other use. Soon the U.S. Government wanted to buy "commercially made" transmitters and receivers. My Hallicrafters Skybuddy receiver and a Stancor 200 watt AM transmitter went to the war effort. Today thousands of Amateurs have no knowledge of those events, so this note is a reminder of Amateur Radio privileges.
Prior to WW2 I participated in a forerunner to the ARRL ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service.) There was no RACES or other emergency communications unit in use by government.
After WW2 ended the right to operate on Amateur frequencies was restored. I was in the U.S.Navy and my parents mailed my CW transmitter (an 807 and a rectifier tube and few other parts.) What a thrill to be on the air again. CQ....CQ....CQ de .....! WOW! It was great even if it was from outside a navy base, since operation from the base was not permitted.
So, why write about this in the year 2000? As a reminder that the use of FCC assigned Amateur frequencies is a privilege, not a right. The FCC regulations state that the paramount purpose of the Amateur Service is PUBLIC SERVICE. I understand that to mean to help our communities in time of need with our skills and abilities in communications. In the year 2000 there are many ways to do that. Numerous organizations, methods, and means exist so you can help in your area.
Please find a way to make your personal resources and skills available to meet this challenge for public service. The rewards that come to you will be those you don't ex-pect, but will find interesting! If my experience is indicative at all, you will find ways to be of help you cannot anticipate.
73's de W6WWW
RF safety rules now in force for all Amateurs
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT September 1, 2000
To all radio amateurs
Starting September 1, every US amateur is required to fully comply with the FCC's RF exposure guidelines.
The regulations, which went into effect January 1, 1998, require US Amateur Radio operators to read and understand the rules and, where necessary, perform technical evaluations to determine that their stations are compliant with the new regulations. Up until now, only hams who have had to file an Amateur Radio application with the FCC have had to certify compliance with the RF exposure rules. As of September 1, all amateurs must comply.
Under the regulations, an amateur station must not exceed the maximum permissible exposure limits for transmitter operation. ''These regulations are not a major burden on the Amateur Radio Service,'' said ARRL Lab Su-pervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI. ''Most hams are already in compliance with the MPE requirements; some hams will need to conduct a simple station evaluation.''
A complete description of the rules is available on the ARRL Web site at http://www.arrl.org/news/rfsafety/. The site also contains resources to make your station evaluation quite painless.
Address questions about RF safety and the FCC exposure guidelines to ARRL Lab Supervisor EdHare, W1RFI, ehare@arrl.org.
For Sale
- Astron 20 AMP power supply
- Alinco 1200T packet radio
- Kantronics KPC-3 TNC
- Alinco 590T Dual Band
Gonna sell it all and get me a simple two me-ter rig for my car.
Lowry
lwilso@netdoor.com
Letter from a
reader. Tnx Paul.
Nice Club Web Page you have. Keep up the good work. Feel free to go to http://www.qsl.net/ki4ch and look at the local club links in our area.
Also I have for sale a 444.100MHz Motorola MT-500, Rapid Charger. This is a working Motorola MT500 HT with TTP and Rapid Charger. The HT is a 2 channel and is set up on only one channel on 444.10 now.
Keep up the good work,
Paul KI4CH
Contact Paul at paulwool@bellsouth.net
for Amateur Radio Awarness Day
Have a great month
