2008 Officers
President: Doug Stevenson KD5GBQ
Vice President: Darrell Hover W5MAV
Secretary: Bill Robinson KB5ASR
Treasurer: Debbie Hover KD5JYJ
Treasurer Report
Membership dues have been good starting off the 2008 year. Thank you for your support. Please bring your 2008 dues to the Checker Board Restaurant on Saturday mornings or mail them to the address below. Dues are:
- $23.00 per Year per Member
- $25.00 per Year for Family
- $15.00 per year if 65 or older
MARC
c/o Debbie Hover
11785 Nancy Drive
Collinsville, MS 39325
73, KD5JYJ
Lauderdale Repeater Group w5LRG
146.970 - ki5fw/R (pl 100hz)
444.500 + w5LRG/R
GE to all: As some of you already know that it is the time of year for both the Lauderdale Repeater Group and Meridian Amateur Radio Club to jointly pay for Liability Insurance to cover both groups and repeater sites. This years premium remains the same price or $325.00 for a one year policy. Both groups will pay half of the premium ($162.50 each). I urge everyone to help pay for this expense. If you use any one of / or both repeaters just remember these things do not stay on the air all by themselves.
All donations will be greatly appreciated.
--... ...--, Dennis ki5fw
Contributions can be mailed to:
Lauderdale Repeater Group w5LRG
c/o: Dennis Carpenter
7760 Vanzyverden Road
Meridian, MS 39305
The EM PHILOSOPHY "FIRST RESPONDERS?"
We don't know who first promoted the idea that public service ham radio operators fall into the category of "first responders". Whoever they are, they are way off base. And this myth still continues to be promulgated. Of course, many licensed amateurs serve in some "first responder" capacity such as an EMT, fire-fighter, reserve deputy, etc. And, upon rare occasions, they may use amateur radio during an emergency incident when normal public service radio or cell phone service has failed.
Amateur radio emcomm is not about flashing lights, sirens, badges, etc. If that is your forté, we suggest that you join a local fire department, become a reserve law enforcement officer, or EMS worker.
When we say emcomm, we are talking about a volunteer amateur radio service, capable of providing emergency communications
(TACTICAL or FORMAL message traffic) on the amateur bands, on behalf of a third party. It may be for a government agency, a private relief organization, or the general public. The last time we reviewed the NIMS/ICS structure, communications is still under LOGISTICS... a support function. Let's let people know what our mission actually is and not let our egos become over-inflated.
EMCOMM IS BORING
Being prepared for a communications emergency is very boring.
You check into the HF net almost every night, same NCS stations, same poor band conditions, same check-in's, and very little traffic passed. Also, the VHF net. Same check-ins, nothing exciting to report, no traffic, just the same ole boring net. You look around your shack. There's the spare HF rig you bought, sitting on the shelf gathering dust. There, in case you need it, but so far you have not. What about the generator you have in your utility shed? You could buy another HF rig for what you paid for it! Then there's the extra antenna you put up. Hardly ever use it but the birds like it. Also there's that blankity blank Packet rig. It just sits on the desk taking up space. Usually has nothing to say, perhaps a BURRRP every now and then. Do you really need to tie up a good 2 MTR rig? You could use it in another vehicle and then you would be able to hit the repeater from all your vehicles.
Being ready for Emergency Communications is EXPENSIVE as well as BORING.
Then it happens. Big blow on the coast. Evacuees crowding the interstate. Shelters open in Meridian. You go to a shelter to see if perhaps you can handle some Health and Welfare. You meet a young lady, with 2 small children, new to the Gulf Coast, never had to evacuate from anywhere before. Anxious about her husband who remained in Biloxi to do Salvation Army relief work. He has no idea where she is because there is no phone service to Biloxi. You take a message from her to her husband. Her anxiety is immediately relieved because she has given a message to a ham operator and she knows he will deliver the message. She can now direct all her attention to her young children knowing her husband will not worry about her.
Guess what, some other ham on the coast has also been bored just like you. He has checked into the boring nets each day, tested his generator monthly, built his quick and dirty antenna to be thrown up in case his main antenna is taken down by the big blow. He has even occasionally used the packet radio that goes Burrrp every now and then. He has developed relationships and has a good understanding of the paths he should use to deliver your message. The message is delivered. What a relief for the husband, to know his wife and children are off the interstate, being cared for in a shelter. He will have a broader smile when he gives out those SA meals.
Now, all things considered, how boring is it to be involved in EMCOMM? What value can be placed on the service you just provided?
Fred WB5BNV
Newton County ARES Repeater
Hello to all. We have finally got the repeater up and going. The frequency is 147.240 with a tone of 103.5. We have moved the Newton County ARES net to the new repeater on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm. This is an open repeater so any Ham can check in the and use the repeater. It is a repeater we can be proud of.
FRED WB5GUD
Online Repeater Guide
My friend Kevin, N2AM, sent me the link below for an online repeater guide. I’ve yet to check it out thoroughly, but a mention in the newsletter or a link from the website might be worth looking at. http://k5ehx.net/repeaters/qrepeater.php
Thanks, Russ, W5RB
Next
Month
February 2008