THE SPARK
GAP
A monthly publication of the
Meridian
Amateur Radio Club
February 2003
Bible
Verse
Exodus 8:1 Then the LORD said to
Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him,
'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that
they may worship me.
Jimmie
Rogers Special Event Station
-----
Urgent -----
This was printed in the January
issue and has not received any response. Jim, W5ED is
wanting to determine if there is some interest from
Lauderdale County operators to setup a special event
station during the Jimmie Rodgers Festival.
Last year this was held from 1800
(2300 UTC) May 10th until 1800 (2300 UTC) May 11th from
the Caboose of the Memorial Train next to the Jimmie
Rodgers museum in the Highland Park area of Meridian, MS.
Only a few operators made over 200 contacts and MARC
received some very nice publicity.
This year, we do not necessarily
have to transmit from this location. Right now, Jim only
needs to know if there is enough interest in this
project. Will you be able to help out?
Please consider if you would like to
help operate the Jimmie Rogers Special Event Station this
May. If there are enough volunteer operators we will
again contact the JR Committee and see if they will again
allow us to operate from the caboose of the Jimmie Rogers
Train. It was a lot of fun last year. If you would like
to help please let Jim (W5ED) or Mel (N5JCG) know as soon
as possible.
President’s
Comments
February is one of those times most
of us are kinda coasting, maybe hatching a new plan or
project. I know Wayne and Joyce, KD5TOJ and KD5TOI have a
new HF rig at home, and as I last heard were setting up a
receive antenna and planning to study for upgrades.
Michael, N5VWS has a new 2-meter beam up, with a little
help from Bill, KB5ASR and myself. I was saddened to
learn of the passing of Camille, Bill and Debbie
Robinson's cat, and semi-official club mascot, from
feline leukemia. I will miss the stories of her antics
that brightened more than one club meeting the past few
years.
On a more upbeat note, MARC was
well represented at the Jackson Hamfest, the two MARC
tables saw plenty of activity, and we all got to see some
old friends. I spoke to quite a few area hams we haven't
seen lately, so look for some of them at upcoming
meetings.
The next business meeting is set
for March 1st, and I may not be able to attend, as I'll
be in Dallas on business that week, and there's some
question whether I'll be home in time. I'm confident
Joyce can handle whatever comes up in my absence.
Ham of the Month for February is
Darrell, W5MAV. If you haven't looked at the MARC web
site lately, take a good look and try to imagine all the
time and effort involved in putting it together and
keeping it up to date. And of course, Darrell also edits
this newsletter, which is quite a job all by itself. So,
let's each remember to thank Darrell for all he does to
keep us looking good in the cyber-world.
While your web surfing, please take
a look at http://www.eham.net/forums/ It's a great place
to get specific questions answered, or just to browse and
learn about specific areas you're interested in.
Quote of the month is from Teddy
Roosevelt and might apply to Trent Lott's recent debacle
or to why the Shuttles must keep flying, even in light of
the recent catastrophe. Or to any of the more mundane
pursuits that make up all our lives.
73, Russell W5RB
"It is not the critic who counts,
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or
where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The
credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena;
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who
strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and
again, because there is no effort without error and
shortcoming; who does actually try to do the deed; who
knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, and
spends himself in a worthy cause; who--at the worst--if
he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Far better it is to dare mighty
things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by
failure, than to rank with those spirits who neither
enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray
twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
Vice
President’s Comments
I believe that we have really
gotten off to a good start in 2003. We have had good
attendance at the meetings the last couple of meetings,
but we need you that do not come. The club needs to grow
and we need to get some projects going to help on some of
our expenses. I was thrilled to see the representation
that we had at the ham fest, hope you enjoyed it as much
as I did. May God guide you each day as you go about your
life’s work.
73's KD5TOI Joyce
Secretary
Report
The regular monthly business
meeting for the MARC was held February 8, 2003. Meeting
was called to order at 10:00 with 14 members present.
Treasurers report was read and accepted as read.
Members agreed to pay for the club
domain names out of the treasury. MeridianARC.org or
w5fq.org will now take you directly to the club web site.
Steve Blackwell was presented with
a certificate from ARRL for his participation in the
weather watch in December. Meeting was adjourned at
10:18.
Treasurer
Report
A regular yearly assessment of
$23.00 for first member in a household. Family dues are
$25.00. Upon reaching age 65, members will be assessed
$15.00. Thank you for helping us get the new year off to
a good start. Please bring your 2003 dues to the Queen
City Truck stop on Saturday mornings or mail them to the
address below. Have a great month! 73, KD5JYJ
MARC
c/o Debbie Hover
11785 Nancy Drive
Collinsville, MS 39325
AMATEUR RADIO'S
PUBLIC SERVICE
STORY IS NOW AVAILABLE ON VIDEO!
An updated Amateur Radio Today
video now is available for free downloading from the
ARRL
Web site. The MPEG-format
file is 70 Mbytes. Narrated by former CBS News anchorman
Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, Amateur Radio Today showcases
the public service contributions made by hams throughout
the country. Highlights include ham radio's response on
September 11, 2001, ham radio's part in helping various
agencies respond to last year's wildfires in the Western
US, and ham radio-in-space educational initiatives.
Directed by Dave Bell, W6AQ, Amateur Radio Today was
written by Alan Kaul, W6RCL. The production team included
Bell and Kaul as well as Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, and Bill
Baker, W1BKR. The editor was Keith Glispie, WA6TFD.
Amateur Radio Today is an ideal
presentation for clubs, government meetings, civic
organizations and any other venue where you want to
vividly illustrate what Amateur Radio has to offer the
public. The video runs just six minutes and is available
in several formats. The digital version of Amateur Radio
Today is available in MPEG video format, which can be
played by Windows Media Player, Apple QuickTime or
RealPlayer software. It can be run from the CD or copied
to your hard drive (not included).
This copyrighted program is not
intended for broadcast use (including over-the-air, cable
or Internet) and may not be reproduced or distributed
without permission. You also can order Amateur Radio
Today on CD-ROM and VHS tape. The CD-ROM version also
requires that you have software that can play MPEG files
installed on your computer.
Info for
Mississippi Amateurs
The week of February 17th through
21st, 2003 has been designated Severe Weather Awareness
Week in Mississippi. The National Weather Service and the
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are again asking
for your help in spreading information to the public
about the threat of severe weather and the life
threatening measures to be taken when severe weather
occurs. Severe weather watches and warnings are
ineffective if the public does not receive the message or
is not knowledgeable of the safety procedures to follow.
The purpose of Mississippi Severe Weather Awareness Week
is to provide people with the knowledge necessary to
protect their lives when severe weather threatens.
Whether in the form of severe
thunderstorms, tornadoes, or flash floods, severe weather
can develop very quickly. Once a tornado approaches, or
flooding develops, it is too late to start working on a
preparedness plan.
When severe weather develops, and
warnings are issued, we must take immediate action to
protect ourselves. Preparing for severe weather is the
theme of this program.
So how does one prepare for severe
weather? For a severe weather preparedness plan to be
successful, it must include the following: knowledge of
terminology such as watches and warnings, a thorough
knowledge of safety rules to follow when severe weather
strikes, a reliable method of receiving emergency
information, the designation of an appropriate shelter,
and drills to test the plan.
The best way to ensure the success
of a preparedness plan is to test it. The National
Weather Service will conduct a statewide tornado drill on
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19th. During that morning there will
be a special test of the Mississippi NOAA Weather Radio
alarm system. Please make every effort to participate in
this drill.
The drill will give everyone in
homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses the opportunity
to test their readiness in the event of an actual tornado
event. In many areas emergency management officials will
test local sirens when the practice warning is issued.
Should the weather be threatening that day, the drill
will be postponed until the following day, or later if
necessary, to avoid confusion.
Please continue on this page for
materials which will be useful to you during the Severe
Weather Awareness Week campaign. You are also invited to
contact the National Weather Service for interviews,
information, or answers to any questions you may have. In
many instances, we are also able to present severe
weather awareness programs to civic and industrial
organizations, schools, amateur radio clubs, and hospital
staffs. For more information, contact the following: Jim
Butch (Warning Coordination Meteorologist) or Alan Gerard
(Meteorologist-In-Charge) at the National Weather Service
Office in Jackson, MS (601-936-2189) or Amy Carruth at
the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
(601-352-9100).
The Jackson NWS will be taking part
in this drill. Monitor normal frequencies and on HF
monitor 7.285
Wm. Robert Sekul, N5XXX
110 Shenandoah Estates Cir.
Brandon, MS 39047-7777
Ph 601-829-2206 Home
Ph 601-940-7470 Cell
Ph 601-929-1491 Pager
The Copiah
County Amateur Radio Club
(CCARC) is sponsoring Storm Spotter
Training, February 27th, 7 to 8:30 PM, at Charlie's
Restaurant in Crystal Springs. Mr. Jim Butch, Warning
Coordination Meteorologist of the National Weather
Service (NWS) in Jackson, will conduct the training.
The training is open to the public.
Special focus will be on having attendance from volunteer
fire departments, as well as public safety, sheriff's
department, Red Cross, municipal government, and public
and private school personnel and Amateur Radio Operators.
This one and a half hour training
will focus on severe storm definitions and severe storm
structures and recognition. We will discuss spotter
cooperation and reporting procedures.
Contact Graham Bell, (601) 750-4054
or email ac5y@bellsouth.net
with the number planning to attend. At present we are
limited to 150.
The Laurel
Amateur Radio Club
LARC will be sponsoring a General
Class Upgrade Course starting Thursday, February 20, 2003
at 7:00 p.m. It will be held in the conference room of
the new Jones County EOC Building at the corner of Mason
and Magnolia Streets in Laurel. The class will last from
7:00 until 9:30 p.m. each Thursday night through April
24. The course is free, but you will be required to buy
your study guide and code tapes/CD. Both are from the
American Radio Relay League and can be bought either at
the Jackson Hamfest on January 31 and February 1 or
directly from the ARRL Web Site at: http://www.arrl.org/catalog/lm/
or call toll free at 888-277-5289. The book we will be
using is "The ARRL General Class License Manual" (4th
Edition Copyright 2000-2001) item #8004 for $15.00. The
code tape/CD is "Your Introduction to Morse Code". The
cassette is item #8322 for $14.95 and the CD is item
#8314 for $14.95. If you are interested in taking this
course, contact Alan Clark, N5PA, at n5pa@arrl.net
or phone 601-426-0090. There will be a special test
session for the upgrade class on Thursday, May 1, 2003 at
7:00 p.m."
Have a
great month
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