THE SPARK GAP
A monthly publication of the Meridian
Amateur Radio Club
June 2008
Bible
Verse
1 Samuel 12:24 King James Version Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.
VICE PRESIDENT REPORT
Field Day 2008 is rapidly approaching. Setup will begin June 28th, Saturday morning around 8 AM, with operations for score starting at 1 PM. Location will be the same as the past six years --- "Coot's Crossing" Pavilion #2 at Bonita Lakes Park in Meridian. Talk-in will be on the W5FQ repeater (146.700). Please see map below.
Debbie (KD5JYJ) has ordered up BBQ Chicken and BBQ pork from our local Piggly Wiggly. Last year it was very good. Serving time will be around 6 PM on Saturday evening June 28th. As in years past, many of you have brought along a dessert. This has always worked out well and many of us will appreciate you doing so again this year. Please keep in mind that this is only a suggestion and not a requirement.
We hope to see all of the MARC members and encourage you to invite a friend. Non-member hams from the area are always welcome to come operate with us as well.
73, Darrell W5MAV
REPEATER UPDATE
MARC has chosen to add a 100 Hz sub audible tone to the 146.700 repeater in Meridian. This is intended to cut down on the machine being keyed by intermod from nearby broadcast transmitters and to minimize interference to and from other ham repeaters that share our frequency pair.
It is not intended to keep anyone from using the repeater and all properly licensed amateurs are welcome, as always. We expect to make this change by the end of June, so please program your radios now so that you'll be ready when the change happens. We will be transmitting the tone as well, so that those of you who presently hear other repeaters on the channel will have the option of filtering those out of your receiver. The ID announcement will announce the tone, so that we don't leave anybody in the dark.
Russ, W5RB
4 TESTED / 4 PASSED
Meridian's ARRL Volunteer Examiner team conducted testing for all license classes on June 14th at the Lauderdale County EOC on 14th Street. Participating examiners were Rick, AE5FE, Jim, W5ED, Donna, KD5GWM, and myself. Four candidates tested, and all passed the elements for a Technician license. Paperwork has already been sent and we should be hearing these folks on the air before Field Day. Hats off to Rick for a 100% success rate on the prep classes he organized recently. Three of the new licensees are his students from the 3-week course.
Russ, W5RB
FIELD DAY 2007
Speaking of Field Day, it's almost here. We'll be at the Coot's Crossing pavilion at Bonita Lakes Park again this year. Coffee will be on by 7 AM, with setup to follow. We'll be transmitting by 1 PM. Talk-in will be on the 146.700- repeater. The site is listed on http://www.arrl.org as well.
Call any inactive hams you know and invite them out or any interested family, friends or neighbors. Extra Class control ops will be present, so everybody can operate with Extra privileges. Even the unlicensed guests can get some on-air time, with a control op sitting alongside.
Come early and help set up. It can be a learning experience. Make it a point to do some operating or at least help an op by logging for him or her. Be sure to be there at dinnertime Saturday, you will see some old friends and make some new ones.
There's no rain in the forecast (as of yet), around 90 degrees for a high, 70 at night. There's usually a breeze that keeps the pavilion comfortable. Bring a sleeping bag and stay the night, if you like. And you can endear yourself to the diehard crew forever by showing up Sunday morning to help take all the gear down and pack it up. Field Day is all the best parts of ham radio, rolled into one event. Don't miss it.
Russ, W5RB
OTHER COMMENTS
I plan to bring my TS-50, big antenna tuner, solar panels, deep cycle battery, and the spider antenna and push up pole. I don't plan to bring the vertical this year because it is hard to set up and take down. If you can think of anything else I need to bring please let me know.
I do not have coax cable so if someone could supply it that would be great.
Some of you indicated that you have items you would be willing to donate to the LEMA tower project such as 3/16 guy wire, antenna wire and the like. Anything you have that you think we could use, including cable clamps, guy wire tensioners, and other things of that sort, would be greatly appreciated. Bring it to FD and drop it off.
73, Jim, W5ED
Have a great month
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