And we know that all things work
together for good to those who love God, President's
Report OK, I really WILL keep it brief
this month The October meeting has been moved a week
earlier, to avoid conflict with the SET on October
4th. We'll make final plans for the ARRL Day in the
Park at Bonita Lakes and do whatever other business
needs doing on the 27th of September. I'll be out of
town for the SET, but I urge members to contact Donna,
KD5GWM or Michael, N5VWS for details on how to help in
this exercise. It'll take place between 0800 and 1100
local time October 4th, on the 40 meter band,
primarily.
Day in the Park promises to be a
fun one, with attendees from all over Mississippi.
Thanks to the membership for stepping up and doing
what it takes to host this one. See this month's QST
or the MARC
website for
details.
Speaking of stepping up.... it's
nearly election time. We need to nominate officers
during the November meeting and have elections in
December. So, if you're interested in serving or have
a friend you want to draft, make your plans early.
I'll close with a gift idea for
the holidays; how 'bout giving or asking for an ARRL
membership for a year? It's not cheap, but it IS
reasonable, and members get QST magazine and a LOT of
benefits. See the arrl.org website for details.
Now... let's be sure we call
every ham we know and be sure they're personally
invited to Day in the Park. See you all there.
W5RB
Vice
President’s Comments I think that fall is finally in
the air. We have several events coming up this next
month and I hope that everyone will get involved. I
know that we will all have a good time and see people
that we have not seen since the Jackson hamfest.
Please remember that our
business meeting will be Saturday, September 27, 2003,
due to a conflict the first Saturday in October. The
meeting will begin at 10:00.
Wayne is home and doing pretty
good. Thanks to all of you for thinking of him. Please
remember Mrs. Margie; hope she will get home soon.
Just remember that it takes all to have a good club,
not just one person. May God bless you all. Remember
God loves you and so do I. Joyce KD5TOI
2003
Section Emergency Test (SET) The Louisiana, Mississippi, and
South Texas ARRL Sections will conduct a joint
Simulated Emergency Test (SET) on October
4th beginning at 0800 on
7285 KHz (tactical) and 7280 KHz (health/welfare)
lasting until approximately 1100. Note that the SET
may last past 1100 depending on the tactical and
health/welfare (H/W) traffic volume. The focus of the
SET will be to (a) practice communications for a large
area emergency event that would impact the Gulf South;
(b) to coordinate with local and state emergency
response agencies; and (c) to provide an opportunity
for ARES and NTS to practice together in supporting an
emergency event.
The Mississippi SET Scenario
scripts for the past five years have been "close hold"
meaning that very few participants knew exactly what
would happen. This year we will take a different
twist. Everybody will know what is going on at the
state level.
District Emergency Coordinators
and Emergency Coordinators will develop their own
district/local scripts in step with the movement of
the simulated emergency. The only secrets will be what
the DEC/EC hatch up in their scenarios. All of the
action on 7285 (tactical) and 7280 (H/W) (and locally
on 2 Meters) will largely be dependent on what the
DEC/ECs have cooked up.
Saturday, October
11, 2003 starting at 9 AM until
Bonita Lakes Coot Crossing
Pavilion, Meridian, MS
Date:
Saturday,
October 11, 2003
Time:
9 AM
until
Place:
Bonita Lakes in
Meridian, MS (see
map)
Hamburgers and
Hot Dogs provided
Start serving at
11 AM
Tailgating and
Door Prizes
9 AM
until
Guest Speakers
and Proclamation by Mayor
Time to be
announced
Talk-In:
146.700 / -600
(no tone)
You are invited
to bring a covered dish
optional and not
required
Point of Contact: President of MARC
- Russell Brown, W5RB
w5rb@arrl.net
or call: (601)
934-2816 LEMA
PAGERS If you are a LEMA member and
have been inactive for more than ninety days the LEMA
Director would like you to turn in your LEMA pager so
that they can be reissued to people that need the
pagers. W5ED
FIELD
DAY We had 231 contacts that can be
counted for Field Day. We scored 480 points for
contacts made and 500 points for setup and operations.
This is unofficial of course and we will have to wait
and see what they allow us when they publish the
results in QST. W5ED
CAP
EXERCISE The Meridian Civil Air Patrol
Squadron, LEMA S&R, and some of our local HAMS
participated in a search and rescue exercise on 26
July 2003. The exercise kicked off at about 0830 and
we searched for an ELT Beacon, a simulated downed
aircraft, with the CAP Squadron performing a photo
mission after conclusion of the S&R portion of the
exercise.
Prior to the exercise several
members received training in the use of ELT locating
receivers. Bill (KB5ASR), Doug (KD5GBQ), Tom (KC5NMB),
Russell (W5RB), and Jim (W5ED) helped to set up a
portable antenna and test their radios prior to the
exercise. These two functions were necessary to insure
the exercise had a chance of success.
Three ground search teams went
into the field; KD5GBQ was on Team One and KC5NMB was
on Team Two, the third team consisted of CAP Cadets
and adult leaders. The CAP also had one team airborne.
Tyler (KD5MUC) manned the CAP radio at the operation
center in the hanger on Key Field. Donna (KD5GWM),
Michael (N5VWS), and Bill (KB5ASR) manned the radios
at the LEMA Operation Center in downtown Meridian.
Bad readings early in the
exercise caused the search teams to get a slow start
but all three teams did find the ELT Beacon. Poor
communications made it tough at times to get messages
to and from the field teams. This was expected and was
managed well by the two operations centers.
Lack of proper training caused
some problems, we found out that we need more training
with the ELT finders, a better communications system
needs to be worked out, and we need better maps and
the training to use them properly.
Overall the exercise was a
success. CAP Officers and the LEMA Director were both
impressed with our ability to communicate and put
qualified people into the field. All the LEMA search
team members enjoyed themselves and all expressed a
sincere desire to do another exercise ASAP. The HAMS
participating expressed a desire for more training and
a position swap (so they can see what the other
members did) and another exercise soon. The CAP folks
indicated that they had several exercises (going to be
held outside Lauderdale County) coming up in the next
few months and would like to see us participate.
One learns by doing; we did, we
learned.
W5ED
ARRL News:
September 10, 2003
Louisiana
Purchase special event set:
The Benton Amateur Radio Society (BARS) and the
Arkansas ARRL Section will sponsor a special event
station to commemorate the bicentennial of the
Louisiana Purchase. Special event station W5P will
operate October 6-15, 2003. The ARRL Arkansas Section
Web site has full details.
September 2003
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 NKJV
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