THE SPARK GAP

A monthly publication of the Meridian Amateur Radio Club October/November 2002

 Bible Verses

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
(Matthew 6:15) 

President’s Comments

Glad to be back for awhile. Had a nice trip. Came back to a flooded house. The hot water heater had a cold water line erupted while we gone. The meter reader said 40,000 gallons of water went through the house in Quitman. Didn’t loose too much but the flooring and utility appliances. Lucky and thanks for good insurance. When you leave home, please turn off your water.

Glad to see everyone at our meeting. Glad we have some new members. Hope everyone will come to our next meeting for it is election time. That's our privilege to vote and be counted. I know we will elect us a good president for next year. If you have a candidate please let it be known. We have some nominated so far. Please come out to our Christmas party. We miss you when you don't come. We will have a large time, I promise. Its at the Hovers. Call them for info and what to bring. 73's W5OQY CP

 

Vice President’s Comments

I regret to report that a long time member, Donald Gordon, NO5D became a silent key October 4th. Don has been fighting cancer for several years. Please keep the family in your prayers. I received the following email from Don’s wife forwarded to me by W5ED.

Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 10:43 AM

Jim, I am XYL of NO5D and wanted to let you know that Don passed away on October 4th and was laid to rest on the 5th. He wanted me to let his Ham buddies know, but I do not have all of the email addresses. Thanks, Rae Ellen Gordon

The Meridian Amateur Radio Club will be assisting XYL of Silent Key, NO5D in the sale of his radio equipment. Fred Gray, WB5BNV is coordinating the sale. Please be looking for more information on this in the next few days.

My apologies for the newsletter not being published last month and also the late delivery this month. I decided to take another computer course this semester and it is dominating the time on my priorities list.

We had a lot of fun at the ARRL Mississippi Section Day in the Park. Meridian/Lauderdale amateurs really did well concerning the door prizes. WB5MME and WA4RQG brought home the grand prize, an Ameritron amplifier. KB5ASR won a MFJ mag mounted dual band antenna. W5UTL brought home a hy-gain V-2R 2-meter antenna.

Next month we will be electing new officers. Please be considering your choices for the following positions: President, Vice-President, and Treasurer. If you are not able to attend the December meeting and would like to vote by absentee ballot, please give me a call (626-0053) or send an email (w5mav@arrl.net). Please see the nominations from the November meeting below in the Secretary Report.

Last but not least, our annual Christmas party will be held at the Hover resident again this year. The date has been set for Saturday, December 14th. More details will be provided in next month’s newsletter.

Have a good month! May God’s many blessings be with each of you. 73, W5MAV

 

Secretary Report

 Minutes of November 2, 2002 business meeting

1. Expenses for Jimmie Rodgers' SES have been taken care of by Jim (W5ED).
He donated expenses of $125. Thank you Jim

2. Nominations for officers of 2003 were made. Nominations are open until December meeting.

For President: Russ, W5RB, Mel, N5JCG, Carlie, K5BFN

For Vice President: Doug, KD5GBQ, Joyce, KD5TOI, Michael, N5VWS

Secretary: Bill, KB5ASR

Treasurer: Debbie, KD5JYJ

3. SET was held November 9th. Several hams participated.

4. Christmas party will be held on December 14th at the Hover residence. Other details will be worked out at December business meeting.

Old business - UHF repeater project is still on hold.

 

 

Why Call "CQ"? L. B. Cebik, W4RNL

This morning (June 19, 1998), a thoughtful and oddly interesting question arrived via e-mail: what is the deepest reason for someone to call "CQ" when that person has no idea of who may answer or whether anyone will answer at all? The following notes were my reply.

Peter, I do not know if there is any single deepest reason for calling "CQ." I can only guess at such deep motivations, but here are a few thoughts.

For the brand new ham, there is a sense of wonder at the possibility of having a radio signal actually being heard and responded to. That alone is enough motivation to try, just to see what happens. In a way, it parallels the SETI project efforts to listen to outer space, just in case there is something to be heard and the efforts to place special identifying materials on some deep probe space craft, just in case someone out there may someday find the probe.

I also suspect that as the new ham becomes experienced, two things happen. First, wonder turns into curiosity, especially as replies become routine, but from where they come and from whom they come remain unknowns until the reply actually happens. Second, the first response has an excitement that can become addictive in the sense of one wanting to repeat the first experience over and over again.

Although subsequent experiences are never quite like the first, since they do not have that initial anxiety of the totally unknown attached, new adventures into calling "CQ" have new dimensions, especially the human dimension. Every reply creates a new strand in a web of links among widely separated but still kindred spirits. Amateur radio, despite its internal disputes and diversity of activities, is still a community of human beings that cuts across all divisions of race, nationality, religion, and other things that divide us around the world. A "CQ" knows no such boundaries: our mutual interest in radio communications does not even break barriers: the barriers are simply not there. (I am sure this is truer in your region of the world, where boundaries are close in, than in the US, where a ham might spend his entire career talking only to folks within his own country.)

Interest in radio communications may offer a further contributing factor to the motivation for calling "CQ." Such interest tends to mark a person out as an individual, someone a little different from most of his or her friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Hence, there is a natural desire for camaraderie, a sense that one is not alone, but linked to a community. That is why hams tend to form clubs and anticipate "eye-ball QSOs." That same urge for linkage results in calling "CQ' as an invitation to and a hope for a new strand in the linkage that tells us we are not alone and that hence gives meaningfulness to all our efforts to master the art, science, and craft of radio communications.

Linkage to a community brings out in us at least two different and opposing urges, and they occur in different proportions in different individuals. One urge is to compete with others in our broad community. so we compete in contests for points or for countries worked, or for anything else. The other urge is to help, aid, assist any other member of the community who needs what we may have to offer: advice, knowledge, materials, other links we may have to services not available--the list is endless. The only condition I have ever known a true ham to place on rendering assistance was this: NOT that the recipient repay, but rather that the recipient be prepared to assist some other who may someday need what can be rendered.

Both of these twin urges make calling "CQ" more meaningful, for we may never know in advance whether we might receive a reply that either helps our score or gives us an opportunity to help someone else.

I personally believe that the most mature reason for calling "CQ" is the chance to be of assistance, even if that is only to give another the pleasure of a QSO, but more if the one who replies needs more. That is why I maintain my web site--it is one way in which I can help those in our community of hams who may need what is there.

There are, I am sure, those who would like to invert my remarks by leaning too heavily on the idea of being alone and seeing the "CQ" as a way to merely relieve loneliness. But I think one can only make this move at the expense of ignoring the initial sense of wonder and the more mature and thoughtful dimensions of being a ham and calling "CQ." It is at root not a demand for an answer, but an invitation to communicate, and that communication is a sharing. Sometimes we share only perfunctory data; sometimes we share news, information and ideas; sometimes we share joys and successes; and sometimes we share needs and solutions. In short, we share all that makes us a community, although not too much at any one time. Granted, some few may make "CQ" into a demand for reply, or even into a desperate plea for a reply, but for most, it is an invitation and a question: How can I assist?

I do not know if this is responsive to your question, but it is how I think about "CQ." In fact, over my 45 years as a ham, I have not too often called "CQ" myself (except to see of a quiet band had any listeners). Instead, I have tended to listen for "CQs" and replied to them. Listening is also a way of being ready to serve.

-73- LB, W4RNL (reprinted with permission from W4RNL, Many Thanks)

 

 

Have a great month

  

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