THE SPARK
GAP
May 2000
We had a nice turn-out at the truck stop for our monthly business meeting. Our leader was absent from the meeting due to his father having passed away. Our condolences go out to Gary and his family.
Field Day preparations are still under way. Discussion about the type antennas to be used was held. We have a Butternut available and some folks are talking about an ANTRON 99 because it can be easily tuned. Cold drinks will again be provided for the operators this year. A large meal will not be prepared as was done last year. With all the eating places around the FD site the operators can take a break and get food from one of the many sources. You can also use the Hibachis located at the site if you desire to grill something.
Sounds like the LEMA bus will be with us again and that is good. Parking may be a slight problem and that is one of the considerations for not having a single big meal on site.
Address labels for counties surrounding the Meridian area have been provided by the "League" and we are hoping to get letters sent out that will invite local hams to join with us in our SKYWARN program and as members of the MARC. Members voted to help pay for the stamps from the club's treasury.
The June meeting will be held on June 10 due to a party at the truck stop.
Have a great month. WB5OCD
ARES OPS
There has been some interest shown in having another Technician Class course taught. This one would be done on the weekend so that night shift workers could attend. Many of the people are trained storm spotters but are not hams and do not have the ability to communicate with us during a net. They want to get their tickets. If you know someone that would be interested in such a class please let me know.
The antennas are now installed on the tower at LEMA. Thanks to all that participated. WB5OCD
WX UPDATE
Not much new in the weather in the last month. It was hot and dry for the most part with the last few days being very nice. Water those plants and maybe the tomatoes and peppers will grow. Just want to remind everyone that we may be in the storm evacuation route if hurricanes move into the Gulf of Mexico this summer. Hurricane Season officially starts June 1 so get ready now. WB5OCD
by Jim Hale
Just finished a RTTY QSO with Vilnis, YL2KF with my new TrueTTY V1.5 software.
He was CQ'ing and I answered him with 700mW. He gave me a 599, and we had a normal QSO, until I told him my power. Then he asked me if I could lower my power more, so I did. ;-)
At 500mW still he still had perfect print, so he asked me to go lower. I hit 65mW, and still good copy, he asked for 10mW, and I came back with 10mW, and he copied that power, but said there were many print errors, but ok for a QSO at that level.
I worried abt QSB so raised my power to "QRO" 100mW and we chatted back and forth more. At one point he mentioned QSB and losing me for a few seconds, so I raised my power to 500mW. We chatted on some more, and I finished back at 800mW to say bye bye.
At 700-800mW, keyboard to keyboard RTTY communications were 99-100% solid copy for our path, & band conditions.
This was at 16:40Z 5/20/00 on 21.092.2LSB - My equipment, Elecraft K2 XCVR, 2 el quad 10/15M at 70ft, Ten Tec 290 Step attenuator, and Oak Hills Research QRP WM-2 watt meter. Toshiba notebook computer 450mHz, & standard sound card. He had a pretty decent system there and FB yagi beam aimed at the USA.
Band conditions (Mother nature) gets most/all of the credit though.
I added on to my "Links" web page. More psk31 links, and a link to download Spectrogram. This is the free ware for setting up the filters on your K2 or other rigs.
There is also a link to get a free trial copy of TrueTTY. The trial version is pretty good!
73's de Jim KJ5TF
"All milliwatts, All the time"
Milliwatting
Editor ARCI QRP Quarterly
http://www.madisoncounty.net/~kj5tf/
Join/renew membership
QRP
Amateur Radio Club International
http://www.qrparci.org/arcijoin.html
AR QRP#2 - Kingston, Arkansas
35.94N 93.47W
email: kj5tf@yahoo.com
A BIG Thanks to K6MG for sending this article
Upcoming Events
Field Day 2000
June 24-25, 2000
Meridian Amateur Radio Club
will conduct Field Day
operations from Bonita Lakes
beginning on Saturday
June 24th @ 1800 UTC
What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved. There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency, that wouldn't be remedied if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride. That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home... a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved. Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun. And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse! People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust and bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience. Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk. For your mail, you walked to the mail box.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rides on Daddy's shoulders... and you learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody. At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.
Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole. At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out. Usually you got a dollar ... always you got a new friend
... at the end of a Dirt Road.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
* King James Version
Have a great month
