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Club News FAR Scholarship News
Stephen M. Sciarini – KC8IDJ, son of
Mike (WA8MKH) and Carol (KB8IMH) Sciarini was recognized with a
Scholarship sponsored by The QCWA Silent Key Memorial Scholarship
as well as the Robert E. True Memorial Scholarship sponsored by
Mrs Shirley True Banning. These scholarships will certainly help defray the tremendous cost of a College education. Congratulations to Stephen on this fine achievement! LST 325 - (Large Slow Target) From the October MARC Newsletter
Our own Perry Ballinger, W8AU, is the Chief Radioman aboard the LST-325 which this past September sailed up the Illinois River to Peoria to display the WW II Transport ship. They were to leave Peoria on September 5th but high river water delayed them for about a week. The main idea was to sail down the river to Alton, IL and stay there from September 6th through the 11th and then sail back home to Evansville. If nothing else, Perry got some quality "radio" time in including a contact with club newsletter editor Gary Kline, WC8W and of course Rodger Trompower, KA8FTS and others on the club MRN net. Perry has been very active from the LST-325 over the past several years and his travels have been covered in both the club newsletter and on the website. You can review some of his past adventures by clicking here. Another Great MARC Field Day !
From setup Saturday morning to teardown Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed yet another great weekend communications exercise. As always lots of great memories are generated with each Field Day and many of which are captured in "Kodiak Moments". I hope you enjoy this special Field Day Memories Page, I have also included a few pictures from the archive from past Field Days ! We also wish to thank the Canton Repository and staff writer Denise Sautters (denise.sautters@cantonrep.com) for the great story they did on our Field Day exercise. The story appeared in the Sunday, June 24, 2007 edition of the paper in the LOCAL section. Click on the Field Day graphic to go to our annual Field Day webpage. I also have a whole bunch of great Field Day pictures from several club members including Gary - WC8W, Jason - KC8LIN, Don - W8DEF, Ric - K8RIC including some of my own that I hope to post as time allows. Jason currently has many pictures posted from Field Day on his website. Go directly to www.kc8lin.com to have a look ! A special thanks to everyone who participated in this years event, if you didn't make it this year you missed out on another great Field Day !. Have a look at our Field Day page to see what all you missed ! MARC Field Day 2007. The results from Field Day 2007 have been made official and are posted below. CW CONTACTS
PHONE CONTACTS
Total CW Contacts were 716. Total Phone Contacts were 454. There were 5 Satellite Contacts, 8 Digital (RTTY) Contacts for a total of 13 Digital Contacts. We had 101 GOTA Contacts. This totals to 1,912 total QSO Points with a multiplier of X2 equals a claimed score of 3,824 points. We are claiming total bonus points of 1,260 (our best ever). This figures out to a Grand Total of 5,084 Points ! The final results are usually published in the December issue of QST Magazine. MARC in Memorial Day Parade
A special thanks to club members Perry Ballinger - W8AU representing the US Navy, his son Bob Ballinger - N8KXO representing the Marine Corps, Perry's grandson Brent Shriver - KC8EBE currently an active member of the USMC and Jim Farriss - WA8GXM representing the Air Force Reserve.
The MARC in the Memorial Day Parade
It was a great turnout with eight hunters testing their skills to find the elusive fox. The Fox turned out to be hiding in a corner of Massillon Community Hospital buried in a pile of mulch. Nearly everyone found the general area of the fox but only half actually found the buried transmitter. Congratulations to Gary, WC8W who was the first to find the Fox !. The other Fox Hunters were Tom - KC8QOD, Rodger - KA8FTS, Dan - N8DZM, Don - W8DEF, Linda - K8MOO, Perry - W8AU and Scott - N3JJT. More Fox Hunting is scheduled for Field Day weekend. We will be hiding multiple transmitters somewhere in Petros Park on the Fox frequency of 145.62 Mhz. Get your Fox Hunting gear ready to go as we expect lots of participation. Remember since you are only receiving, anyone can participate, even non-hams. Just an HT or scanner is all that is needed and your wits ! Make sure you join us this year ! De Dan - N8DZM, MARC Foxmister.
The Spring Fox Hunters ! Tech Talk - Are You Connected ?
A recent item came in from a ham named Davis, KA3SNY who asked the 'Doctor' what maximum power limits can reliably transmit through a BNC connector? The Doctors answer - BNC connectors are rated at 500 V peak. That translates to 5,000 Watts peak in a 50 Ohm system with a 1:1 SWR, although most folks run less power through them, typically 500 watts or less. One problem is that the cables that are typically connected to BNC connectors are usually rated for 500 Watts maximum. That got me to thinking about the various RF connectors we depend on to connect our antenna's to our radio equipment. You would be surprised how many installations are using top notch antennas fed with expensive grade coax cable yet connected with improper connectors that aren't properly installed. But that sounds like the subject of a future column. For now, lets talk about some commonly used RF connectors.
The BNC is designed to operate up to 11 GHz and typically yield low reflection through 4 GHz. Ham's typically use them to connect up to our handhelds, ATV and oscilloscopes. The next connector used in nearly every ham shack is the
venerable old UHF connectors are rated at up to 500 volts peak (same as the BNC) but with a frequency range of only up to 300 MHz aren't suitable for the true UHF amateur spectrum we use today. Despite this, the connector is routinely used on most of the Dual-Band mobiles being sold today.
There are two families of Type N connectors: Standard N (for coax cable) and Corrugated N (for helical and annular cable). Their primary applications are for the termination of medium to miniature size coaxial cable, including RG-8, RG-58, RG-141 and RG-225. RF coaxial connectors are the most important element in the cable system. Corrugated copper coaxial cables have the potential to deliver all the performance a system requires, which is why Hams use this type of cable/connector in most repeater systems both VHF & UHF. This also helps to hold down intermodulation distortion. They are also easily installed using simple hand tools in the field and are highly resistant to pull off. Thanks to a solid 50 Ohm impedance, a frequency range of from 0 - 11 GHz and a voltage rating of up to 1,500 volts peak, it is the connector of choice for most of today's high power amateur and commercial systems. There are lost of other RF type connectors in use today, but these are the ones most often used by the amateur community. Now that you know a little more about them, we can all make sure we pick the right connector for that next antenna project !. If you would like to learn even more about RF connectors, review Amphenol's website at http://www.amphenolrf.com.
The official results are currently posted in the December issue of QST Magazine and if you look at page 83 you will see that we made it in their annual Field Day review with a picture of our might Field Day Blimp. This marks the first time the club has been included with both a mention and a picture from our Field Day event. The story is also covered on the ARRL website. Thanks to lots of hard work by many club members Field Day 2006 was another great success with everyone enjoying good company, really nice weather, lots of contacts, great Field Day food and a whole bunch of FUN !. Click Here for the complete details of this years event. (Jul 10, 2006) -- Late Addition - W8NP Field Day included in the ARRL Webpage Contest Soapbox. Click Here to Read it all !
Only a part of the 2006 MARC Field Day Crew !
Attending and operating the club's Ecomm Trailer were Perry Ballinger-W8AU, Anne Ballinger-N8GAF, Don Finley-W8DEF and Wade Huthmacher-WD8MIU. The main topic of the day was Emergency Communications. The mast was extended and an inverted V was hung from the mast. Four groups (about 15 people each), stopped by throughout the day and visit the trailer station along with many other activities scheduled at the Akron Test Facility. We supplied the volunteers with lunch and after we wrapped things up for the day, I took the group on a tour of our test lab. All in all we had a great time, and again a big thanks to the volunteers for spending their entire Friday donating their time and putting the MARC in the eyes and minds of others. 73's De Scott, N3JJT. The Massillon Summer Time Festival
As part of this years event, club historian Perry Ballinger - W8AU along with friend Ed McHugh and assistance from Igor - K8INN and Scott - N3JJT demonstrated an authentic Western Union telegraph station. Adorned in typical telegrapher atire, Perry setup a morse key and sounder sending messages to Igor and Scott across the street at a receiving station. Many people stopped by hearing the unique sound of the sounder. Also on display this year was a Spark Gap Transmitter replica that could have easily been used on the early ocean going liners. The unique sound of the Spark Gap attracted numerous visitors to witness first hand what communications were like in the very early day's of radio communications. A special thanks to Perry, Igor and Scott for braving very warm weather and participating in this community event.
The "Telegrapher Crew" on duty
at the Festival Click Here for some additional pictures ! W8NP Contacts Space Station
The Official QSL Card of NA1SS issued to Dan - N8DZM
Congratulations Dan for making the great contact for the club ! Green Keys and Hams
The story brings back many fond memories of my early days of RTTY operating during the early 1980's. Some of you may remember a short lived splinter special interest radio club around during that time called "The Stark RTTY Group". During it's peak it had about 25 members as I recall, some of which are still around, and held monthly meetings at the old Canton Mellet Mall General Officies. I held several positions in the club over the years including newsletter editor. I still have some of the old newsletters around today and I bring them out to reread every now and then. "Green Keys and Hams" spotlights the mainstay hardware teleprinters used by RTTY operators during that era. The mighty Model 28 ASR was a technological masterpiece of it's day. You weren't a serious RTTY operator unless you owned one of these serious Teletype machines. During my early years just getting started in RTTY I bought a Model 15 Teletype machine. This smelly, noisy clankity clank machine weighted in at about a ton and needed a special high voltage loop power supply to operate. I spent many an evening fascinated by its many moving parts typing away messages over HF. Eventually I upgraded to a Model 28 ASR, state-of-the-art RTTY Teletype Machine and finally I was running with the big dogs. I even added a gear shift so that I could run eith 60 or 100 Words-Per-Minute (WPM). This was big time operating. It was email before computers. Through the use of an autostart circuit, you could leave your equipment on and it would sit quietly and listen for someone to fire up on our old RTTY frequency of 145.75 Mhz simplex. Suddenly my Model 28 would automatically fire up and type out the message. During those days I still lived at home and my radio room was on the second floor right above my parents bedroom. I can still remember their dismay when someone decided to send out a message (darn that Joe Ebner!), at about 2 AM and the whole second floor ceiling would begin shaking like an earthquake had just hit. I think my parents were a little worried that suddenly my 300 pound teletype machine would come crashing through the floor onto their heads ! RTTY had just started to develop into a full blown digital mode during these days. This was the days before personal computers so many of us used the "Green Keys" to enjoy this mode. Nothing could compare to the sights and sounds of a Model 28 Teletype Machine pounding out the latest ARRL Bulletin at 100 WPM. The machines were widely used as part of both the Military MARS system and the National Traffic System (NTS). They were the defacto standard at that time to send messages. There were a number of RTTY Magazines that sprouted up during that time and many of us couldn't wait for the annual CQ RTTY issue each year. Another favorite pastime during those years was the printing of pictures using our Teletype machines. The paper was on a continuous roll and we routinely sent and received pictures that were anywhere from 3 to 5 feet long. My favorites were the scantily clad cleverly posed swimsuit models, amazing what detail you could print out using a typewriter ! Some of us were lucky enough to have pictures on pre-punched paper tape. The tape was fed through the Teletype Machine just like film through a projector. We even had a windup roll on the other side. As years progressed new equipment manufactures began producing some very nice and expensive commercial equipment to run RTTY. This was just at the beginning of the use of personal computers in ham radio and paved the way I think for the modern methods of digital operating we know today. Each year at Dayton Hamvention we would always drool over the newest high tech RTTY equipment introduced by many manufacturers like HAL and Infotech. It's only been a few years ago that I finally decided to get rid of my venerable Model 28 Teletype Machine. It had quit working many years ago and try as I may I couldn't get it repaired. I still have some of my old pictures still rolled up in small film canisters but they too have dried up and probably wouldn't run through a machine these days. Like so many others I eventually succumbed to a modern desktop computer and a Television style monitor to operate RTTY. Many of us still have very fond memories of operating the "Green Keys" long before the ease of using a PC. I encourage you to check out Stan's article and explore the several links he has included on the page. I don't think RTTY is nearly as popular as it once was with the dozen or so other more advanced digital modes that populate the amateur bands today. But lest we not forget it all began with the golden sounds of an old Teletype machine clanking away in many a hams radio room. Now that was Real Radio !
A great old Model 28 ASR Teletype Machine just like we used to use ! MARC Attends Multi-County Meeting
The meeting included nearly 30 attendees representing about seven southeastern counties as well as several ARES Emergency Coordinators, Assistant EC's and District Coordinators. Additional MARC members in attendance included Net Manager Michelle Gill - KC8ZEJ and husband Bob - N8DVS. Club representatives reported on their current activities and ARES coordinators also reported on their current public service activities. Discussions also involved the need for ARES volunteers to become familiar with FEMA's Incident Command System training courses. Most important were ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-700 and ICS-800. After a short break Stark County Winlink Coordinators gave a slide presentation on our Stark County Winlink Initiative. The meeting was well attended with a lot of information shared with all attendees. The next Multi-County Coalition Meeting is scheduled to be held on Sunday, July 23rd at 2:00 PM in Coshocton. Massillon Radio Net (MRN)
This CW net is designed to provide new operators with the basics of traffic handling techniques and other message training. All area operators are invited to participate in this open and informal net. The code speed is kept at about 5 wpm to make it more comfortable for new operators to take part in the net. The net is operated in the spirit of the National Radio Emergency Network (NREM). The NREM is designed to provide a 24 - hour emergency communications capability for fixed, portable, or mobile stations. It is sponsored by the Michigan Net, QMN. It is the goal of the QMN organization to promote high-quality public service and emergency communications activities. You can learn more about the National Radio Emergency Network on their website at http://68.43.101.244:81/nren. You can learn more about the Michigan Net, QMN, and its programs at their webpage at www.qsl.net/w8ihx. In keeping with the training directives of the NREN, a recent training topic is covered in the November issue of the MARC monthly newsletter FEEDBACK. Authored by Jim Wades, WB8SIW, General Manager of the Michigan Net, QMN, it covers setting up a radio station designed for ARES or Traffic Handling work including a few useful accessories for traffic handling. If you didn't get a chance to read this excellent story, it is currently posted on this website. Click Here to check it over.
Jim was severely injured when Kip's old tower gave way crashing to the ground with Jim was near the 40 foot mark. Jim had to be extracted by emergency service personnel and was hospitalized for over a week following the accident. It took several months but Jim is nearly back to his old self. With the old tower fully removed and Jim back in shape the installation of the new tower began several months ago with Jim leading the project. Despite some chilly fall weather and with winter snows pending Jim was able to nearly complete the job thanks to the assistance from Kip, Scott - N3JJT and Don - W8DEF. Kip was also able to arrange for a bucket lift truck on several occasions thanks to his brother-in-law that really made a big difference. Aside from some finish work the job was completed just after the Thanksgiving holiday. We have several pictures courtesy of Don - W8DEF and Terry - N8ATZ that help to tell the story but they don't do justice to this huge tower. Now we won't say this tower is tall but it's only thanks to Kip's rural location near Dalton that meant tower lights weren't necessary !
All towers are built from the ground up which is true for Kip's tower too except it measures about 18 feet apart between each of the four legs.
Ladders and Gin Poles help out a lot during tower projects but can only reach so far. Were at about 30 feet up so far.
Jim, WA8GXM slowly builds the tower one leg at a time just like a huge Erector Set.
Finally help arrives in the form of a bucket truck.
Jim slowly fits each tower piece in place secured by several bolts. This tower had over 500 pieces to fit together !
At about the 90 foot mark, they are finally reaching the upper most sections. Almost at the far reach of the bucket truck.
The project was delayed by weather and the need for a higher reach bucket truck. Kip's brother-in-law was able to arrange for an even taller reach truck. How tall ? You don't even want to know !
At over the 100 foot mark, Jim literally stands inside the tower at the very top to secure the antenna mast to the rotator. The ever careful Jim always belts himself in place. There's room in the bucket truck for another helper - any volunteers ?
The finished tower with beam in place. Now this signal we should be able to hear ! National Radio Emergency Network NREN Training Topic Walk into the average Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or mobile communications trailer and one is often confronted with an ARES radio installation more suited to DX contesting or casual operating than emergency communications. In some installations, the radio equipment is the focal point of the installation, consuming significant desk space, while at the same time, some basic “traffic handling” tools are often overlooked. Of course, this situation is to be expected as 90 percent or more of our time as radio amateurs is typically spent having fun! In this week’s training topic, we will discuss “key stations,” which are typically located at club facilities or served agencies. However, many of the same rules apply when setting up a home station for ARES or traffic-handling work. Likewise, we will discuss a few useful accessories for traffic handling. What type of radio? When selecting communications equipment for an EOC or club station, one should select equipment that offers good performance with a minimum number of “bells and whistles.” For example, in the case of a High Frequency radio, features that are advantageous for the DX contester are often of little value for the public service communicator. In most emergencies, one places a transceiver on a particular frequency for long periods of time. It is unlikely one will require the use of multiple VFOs for split operation, spectral displays, and the like! Furthermore, newer radios, with complex “menu-driven” controls are difficult to master in a short period of time. As such, operators arriving from outside the area to assist or even local operators who may use the radio only a few times a year during drills or exercises, may find it difficult to learn or ”relearn” a complex menu structure. For High Frequency communications, a basic radio, with volume, a simple VFO and a few filters is usually sufficient for reliable communications. VHF radios should likewise be simple. It is often best to program local and surrounding ARES frequencies into the memory so that all one has to do is rotate the knob until the desired repeater frequency appears. Therefore, when selecting radios for an EOC or similar facility, select a simple, reliable unit that is easy to master with just a few minutes briefing-time. Dual band radios are often encountered in the field. However, a single ”dual band” radio is not recommended. A failure involving a key component can result in both bands being unavailable at the location. However, when two dual band radios are present, they offer some limited redundancy by insuring both VHF and UHF are available on site. Ultimately, the basic rule is to select simple, reliable radios that are easy to master with just a few minutes briefing-time. Radio Placement Unlike chasing DX, the primary activity of a traffic handler or emergency communicator is the management of information. As such, adjusting the radio is not the focal point of one’s activity. Desk space must be available for logs, message forms, and the like. Radio gear can be placed above the writing/work surface using mobile mount brackets or a solid shelf. In the case of mobile command posts and similar facilities, all equipment must be solidly secured to withstand an emergency stop or sharp maneuvers that may occur when avoiding accidents. When possible, it is best to separate voice positions with digital or CW positions in the radio room. This prevents voice operators from slowly and subconsciously increasing the volume and “talk level” as they compensate for ambient noise. All operators, voice or CW should have headphones available. A CW station should always have a straight key available, as well as a few adapters, which permit operators to bring a favorite “bug” or personal paddles/keyer from the outside. Computers and Peripherals The computer is an integral part of many modern communications centers, whether as part of a digital communications system or a simple administrative tool for transcribing messages and keeping radio logs. Regardless of the computer application, it is important to remember these basic rules: 1. Software should be simple and standardized. ARES groups throughout a Section or region should attempt to standardize software so that most operators are at least minimally familiar with a particular application. This again minimizes the “learning curve” for operators arriving on-scene. 2. A computer is worthless without a printer. As mentioned in an earlier training topic, public safety officials do not have time to linger over an amateur’s shoulder trying to read a packet radio message before it scrolls away on screen. Be sure to have extra paper, printer cartridges and the like on hand. A “generic” printer driver should be resident on the computer hard-drive so that any available printer can be pressed into service for basic text printing in the event of a primary printer failure. 3. Be sure the computer has a floppy disk drive and CDROM drive, which permits served agency officials to prepare a document on their own lap-top and then provide it to you on disk for up-load and transmission to a nearby facility. Message Forms The beginning traffic handler will likely use the yellow “radiogram” forms extensively for traffic work. These are an excellent first choice because they walk one through the process of constructing the message. However, for the experienced traffic handler, who is intimately familiar with radiogram format, other options exist. A favorite is the Adams “Rapid Memo” pad stock number SC-1158. These pads, available at Office Max and similar retail outlets provide a carbonless form perfect for emergency use in the field. The top form can be removed for delivery to an official, whereas the bottom “yellow” form allows one to retain a carbon-copy of all messages handled. The form is set up with “text boxes,” the top box can contain the service information, a “To” box contains the address, and a single large text box is available for the text and signature. The cost for a pad of 50 is less than seven dollars, and the booklets containing the message forms are small enough to be placed in a small “go-kit” or portable station case, making them ideal for portable operations. When a computer and printer or a typewriter is available for transcribing messages, one may wish to consider the use of QMN Form 9701, downloadable from the NREN page. One can change the header to reflect the name of your local net or ARES group. Either way, this form allows one to place a blank form in a computer printer and print a neat copy of a message for delivery to a served agency either directly or via FAX. Tally Counter A useful tool for fixed or portable operation is the “tally counter.” This is a small device that allows one to keep track of outgoing message serial number simply by pressing a button each time a message is drafted. Two simple versions are available from the “Ben Meadows” Company (www.benmeadows.com). These are the desk-mount version, stock number 102996, and the handheld version, 102954. Cost is approximately 12 dollars each. By the way, the Ben Meadows company, while catering primarily to the Forestry and Natural Resources community has a wide variety of items that may prove useful to the emergency communicator, ranging from arborists “throw bags” for tossing antenna line over tall tree limbs to back packs designed for GPS and surveying that are ideally suited for use in man-pack communications configurations. Best of all, their customer service is outstanding! Printed accessories The NREN Web Page has a variety of downloadable forms available. As mentioned before, the QMN form 9701 can be printed or used as a template for the printing of messages for hand delivery or facsimile transmission to a served agency. The Form 9805 radio log, “borrowed” from the Air Force, offers a simple, easily duplicated format for keeping an accurate radio log. The ARRL also offers some useful forms, such as the FSD-244 Disaster Welfare Message Form, the FSD-212 “Pink Card,” and similar items. Be sure to have a variety of these available for use in time of emergency. Delivery Options Today, served agencies use FAX machines, the Internet, and similar facilities as part of doing business. As such, the delivery of messages via these methods is considered both desirable and normal. These resources, when available in a key station or shack permit one to deliver neat, printed messages to a served agency. Just make sure they are told to expect the delivery via these methods. Otherwise, you may find out your message sat unread on a fax machine’s output tray for a couple of days until long after the emergency situation passed! Review and Preparedness Steps 1. When selecting communications equipment for a key station, select simple, reliable equipment that is easy to use and master in a short time. 2. Place radio gear above or adjacent to your work area. Work areas should be open for handling paper work, radio logs, and message forms. 3. Address issues of ambient noise. Separate voice positions with digital or CW positions. Provide “cans” (headphones) for operators. 4. Make sure adequate message forms are available. Use the option best suited to the circumstance. Portable operators may wish to use simple carbonless two-part pads, which are ideally suited to field deployment. Fixed stations may wish to use forms suitable for insertion in a mill (typewriter) or computer printer. 5. In the case of a key station or even a well-equipped home station, give some thought to alternate methods of delivery, such as FAX and e-mail delivery. These are part of the modern business environment and serve to improve accuracy and eliminate misunderstanding in the delivery process. A final thought! Remember that the quality of customer service is more important than the technology. Most public safety and relief agency officials care little about how you send or receive their traffic. Rather, they care about how well you send and receive their traffic. When an operator is well trained and messages arrive in a neat, timely, and consistent manner with all of the required information, Amateur Radio will be valued and highly sought-after. From the perspective of a served agency, we are first and foremost, a service, and not a conglomeration of technologies. WB8SIW (article submitted by Perry, W8AU) September Safety Break News
This was our only Safety Break this year and provided a great service to both the community and our club. It is always difficult to gather enough volunteers to staff our Safety Break station for an entire weekend, especially when it also occurs over a holiday as well. This year 26 club members along with YL's and XYL's comprised our very dedicated team and we manage to complete a successful event. The results won't be known until the October club meeting but we believe we did well considering a slower than normal holiday weekend freeway crowd. A special thanks to the following club members for their volunteer spirit in staffing our safety break this year. They were -- Ed Clinger-WA8DRT, Rodger Trompower-KA8FTS, Joe Herrick-WD8BGW, Dan Anastis - N8DZM, Mike Sciarini-WA8MKH and his XYL Carol-KB8IMH, Igor-K8INN, Scott McCamish-N3JJT, Saundra Becker-N8TZB and Shelby Foss-N8XEO who worked a double 12 hour shift !. Terry Russ-N8ATZ and XYL Lynnette, Ralph Bugg-K8HSQ, Steve Hall-KD8ACF, Rich Ross-KA8ZQH and XYL Martha, Gary Kline-WC8W, Larry Fierstos-KC8RKU, Jerry LaRocca-KF8EB, Matt Kraner-K8MAT, Stan Smith-WA8NZE, Bob Ballinger-N8KXO, Byron Berger-KF8UN, Sandy Muirhead-Gould-K8FUN, Don Finley-W8DEF, Perry Ballinger-W8AU and Jim Farriss-WA8GXM. Our apologies if we omitted anyone !.. This also includes everyone who took time to run and bag the donuts, all the cookie bakers and volunteers who kept our refreshments well stocked over the weekend ! W8AU Part of Summer Time Festival
As part of this years event, club member and historian Perry Ballinger - W8AU, along with friend Ed McHugh and club member Don Guisinger, demonstrated an authentic Western Union Telegraph station. Adorned in typical telegrapher uniforms, Perry setup a morse key and sounder and transmitted messages to Don across the street at a receiving station. The demonstration was very well received with many visitors stopping by at the sound of the telegraph sounder. Perry's wife Anne - N8GAF was also part of the Summer Time Festival staffing an old fashion cotton candy concession booth.
Western Union Telegrapher Perry Ballinger - W8AU at Summer Time on Fourth Street Festival Ten-Tec Co-Founder Al Kahn, K4FW, Silent Key
Ten-Tec holds a special place with the Massillon Amateur Radio Club. A Ten-Tec radio is believed to be one of the first solid state transceiver's ever used during our annual Field Day club activity as well as our main radio at our club station, W8NP, currently located at the Massillon Senior Citizens Center. Ten-Tec's were also usually a main prize at our annual Hamfest, where many ham operator would discover the pure joy and simplicity of owning and operating a Ten-Tec radio. They had the unique ability to produce amateur transceivers that had the true "look and feel" of classic amateur radio. They also pioneered several of the innovations thirty years ago that are the defacto standard even today. CW operators especially liked the full break-in feature which allowed the receiver to operate in between the CW signal. Their transmitters are also rated continuous duty at full power output, something SSTV and digital operators have long appreciated. Long before current manufacturers built in SWR protection, Tec-Tec's unique design protected the finals by simply shutting down the radio with high SWR. Experimenters and builders could even buy enclosures that were patterned after their HF radio transceivers. For the first time you could build your own accessories in enclosures that would look like your main station. Quite an innovation that is still going on today. Even their equipment names envoked visions of spectrum domination among radio operators. The Argonaut, Century, Trition, Centurion, Titan, Orion and Jupiter make up only some of the names from their famous line up over the years. The club has always owned several Ten-Tec products as well as many of our members. Ten-Tec's continue to hold a special place in the history of many ham radio operators and always will thanks to founder Al Kahn, K4FW. Click Here to read the ARRL announcement of Al's passing. Some additional historical information can be found on the N9VV Ten-Tec history page. Current Ten-Tec products as well as their other offerings are available on their website at www.tentec.com. MARC Part of Summer Time Festival
Telegrams were used for everything that we now do by telephone, fax and e-mails; for example, holiday messages, business transactions, birthday greetings, train movements, stock reports and perhaps the saddest duty during World Wars I and II - the announcement of the deaths of service members to their loved ones. The telegraph was also used to operate synchronized clocks and alarm systems and send news and sports reports. For over a century, the telegraph office on election night was one of the most popular places in town as voting results came in. In the 1920's and 30's, before the advent of long distance telephone lines, telegraphs were even used to "broadcast" baseball games. An operator in the press box at the baseball stadium would send the results of each pitch and play to a radio station by telegraph. At the station, a broadcaster would "recreate" the game for the radio audience based on the telegraph messages. HOW TELEGRAMS WERE SENT You couldn't send a telegram yourself so you would go to the local office of one of the large companies that operated telegraph networks - e.g., Western Union or the Postal Telegraph, fill out a message form and pay a small fee for each word transmitted. Your telegraph office would transmit the message to the local office at its destination where it would be written down and given to a bicycle messenger for delivery. Massillon had its own local telegraph office for almost 120 years. The first office opened in 1851, and for many years was located in the Opera House building. Western Union finally closed their office in Massillon at 25 City Hall Street SE in 1969. The telegraph companies used a special language called Morse Code (named after an inventor of the telegraph - Samuel F.B. Morse) to send messages. Morse Code was not a voice language but instead used electric pulses (specific dashes and dots for each letter), to communicate. Morse Code was sent by an operator through a telegraph "key" over wires using electricity. A good operator could send 30 or more words per minute. When the electric impulses arrived at their destination, a "sounder" translated them into audible dots and dashes for transcription into letters and words by another operator. MASSILLON'S OWN - JESSE H. BUNNELL A Massillon native, Jesse H. Bunnell, was one of the most prominent men in telegraph history. Born in Massillon in 1843, just a year before the telegraph was invented, he became a messenger in the local telegraph office at age 11, and a full fledged operator by the age of 13. At the start of the Civil War, he joined the Union Military Telegraph Service and worked under the legendary Andrew Carnegie. In 1862, he became the personal telegrapher of General George McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac and later served with General Rosecrans in Tennessee and Georgia. After the War, Jesse founded the J.H. Bunnell Company, which became the largest manufacturer of telegraph equipment in the United States. Bunnell died in New York in 1899. Although he did not return to Massillon after the Civil War, Bunnell's brother, a livery stable operator, continued to live in Massillon until the 1900's. A Special Thanks to Ed McHugh For The Above Historical Information. Some Additional Pictures from the Festival
The "Telegrapher Crew" on duty
at the Festival
The replica of an original Spark Gap Transmitter
Scott-N3JJT (L) and Igor-K8INN receiving messages from Perry
Perry sends a message from a young visitor to the receiving station LST-325 Plans Amateur Radio Operation During Cruise With W8AU Aboard Courtesy of the ARRL
NEWINGTON, CT, May 3, 2005 -- The LST-325, a 327-foot World War II vessel designed to transport and deploy tanks and troops during coastal beach landings, will have Amateur Radio aboard when she cruises up the East Coast and back this spring and early summer. The historically significant vessel is officially a cruising museum ship, but she still carries the USS LST-325 name and World War II marine radio call sign NWVC. For this voyage, LST-325 will be on the Amateur Radio bands as WW2LST. "Her radio room features functioning vintage receivers and transmitters that are true to the models she carried into battle during the 1942-1945 time period, including the RBB, RBC and TCS-12 receivers, plus the TDE and TCS transmitters," says Tom Pendarvis, W0MTP, LST-325 radio operator. "The ship's radio room also carries modern marine and Amateur Radio transceivers for routine communications." Pendarvis will share LST-325 radio room duties with Perry Ballinger, W8AU. Both are US Navy veterans and Navy-Marine Corps MARS operators. They also split duties working the radios during the LST-325's two-month cruise of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in 2003. Where applicable, AM and CW operation will occasionally use the LST's WWII-vintage transmitters and receivers. Phone-patch traffic will be handled on Navy-Marine Corps MARS frequencies and via the ShipCom Coast Radio station WLO. During these periods, WW2LST likely will be off the air due to antenna logistics. Crewed primarily by US Navy veterans--including some who served on LSTs during World War II--the ship will depart her home port of Mobile, Alabama, on or about May 17, bound for Alexandria, Virginia, where LST-325 is expected to arrive May 26. The vessel will depart May 30 for Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, arriving on or about June 3. From there, the ship will sail to Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard, arriving on or about June 8. On June 11, the USS LST-325 will lead the column of ships with the USS Constitution. On June 18, Capt Robert D. Jornlin and crew will participate in the 60th anniversary salute to WW II veterans sponsored by the US Department of Defense. Her final port of call will be on or about June 20 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The vessel will set sail for home on June 22 and arrive back in Mobile on July 4. A detailed--and still tentative--itinerary is on the USS LST Ship Memorial Web site.
While in port, the radio operators will attempt to maintain a reduced operating schedule while also giving ship tours and participating in port activities. Any additional operating information or changes will be posted on the USS LST Ship Memorial Web site. Updates also may be listed as bulletins with the Maritime Mobile Service Net (MMSN). Bob Wilder, AF2HD--a retired USAF veteran with sea duty experience--again will serve as "mission control" for Amateur Radio operations during the May, June and July cruise. He also will handle QSLs when an SASE is supplied. QSL to USS LST 325 Amateur Radio Club, 6032 Idlemoore Ct, Theodore, AL 36582-4117. LSTs--or Landing Ship Tanks--typically had no names, just numbers. They were strategically pivotal in many Pacific and Atlantic assaults, and LST-325 made landings in Sicily and Salerno as well as at Normandy. Following WW II, LST-325 was on loan to the Greek government, which handed it over to the USS LST Ship Memorial Inc at the beginning of the new millennium. In 2001, and showing manifold signs of age and neglect, LST-325 completed a 4200-mile journey from Crete, Greece, to Mobile, Alabama. Operating as WW2LST/mm, Executive Officer Jack Carter, KC6WYX (SK), was on the air throughout the voyage. On board were more than two dozen sailors--men in their 60s, 70s and older and most of them retired US Navy veterans--who were determined to deliver the ship, built in 1942 in Philadelphia, to a permanent berth in Mobile. Volunteers from all over the US have completed substantial repairs and updates to the ship since her arrival in the US in 2001. After returning to Mobile this July, LST-325 expects to be moving northward to a new freshwater home port on the Ohio River--Evansville, Indiana--where many LSTs and P40s were built during the Second World War. There's additional information on the USS LST Ship Memorial Web site W1FEZ visits W8AU on board LST 325
W1FEZ and XYL visited the USS LST 325 on it's 2005 East Coast Cruise while it was anchored at the Massachussetts Maritime Academy, in Buzzards Bay, MA on June 7th. We had a nice visit with our Chapter 21 crew member Perry Ballinger - W8AU, who is one of the two radioman (and main radio tech). The photo below shows Perry alongside his "pet project", the restoration of the Navy TDE Transmitter. From there the LST will proceed to Boston Harbor to participate in the once a year sail around the harbor of the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides". Perry had sent us an email with a brief description of the voyage to date, these experiences will certainly make a great program for a future club program. You had to be there to see all the work Perry has done on the old radio gear and the sea going antenna farm, including a foldover mast.
Perry along side the TDE Transmitter on board LST 325
You don't need to be an experienced antenna builder to construct this folding J-Pole antenna. In fact it's a great first antenna construction project for those new to the hobby. I've discovered over the years that you're not really considered a bonafide ham radio operator until you've built something ! This useful antenna project should take care of that myth and officially pronounce you a seasoned ham operator ! Having been a home owner for about 15 years, I've already had the honor of working with copper water pipe, learning by trail and error the secret to joining two pieces of piping together by soldering or sweating as its called by tradesmen. It really isn't all that different from soldering electrical components together, it just takes a lot more heat usually provided by a propane torch. Another useful tool you might want to have is a simple copper tubing cutter. Mine came from Home Depot for under ten dollars. My plumbing junk box is usually pretty empty so starting this project meant a trip for parts. Most of the article material's list is available at your favorite hardware store. Here's my first tip for this project - my little subcompact car doesn't carry anything very long without hanging it outside the window. I discovered that you can probably buy the copper pipe in five foot long sections, much easier to carry. Two pieces will do it with a little scrap left over. Here's my second tip - the list calls for five feet of 5/16" bungee cord. Easier said than done ! I relentlessly searched several stores looking for a five foot long bungee cord only to find that the longest standard length I could find was only four foot long including the hooks. Try as I might, this would not stretch enough to fit in the antenna, just too tight. Thanks again to Don - W8DEF, he found bungee cord on a spool for only about .37 cents per foot at Demmer Hardware. Just what the project needed. Don was also kind enough to provide me with a piece of 1/4 inch thick Plexiglas needed for the feed point assembly. This can also be a little hard to find locally. I've decided to add it to my Dayton Hamvention want list. With materials in hand it's time to cut the copper tubing and begin assembly. Follow the article for this phase and you won't go wrong. There are ample pictures and assembly drawings that make it easy. I had the basic pieces cut and ready to assemble in about 30 minutes. Clean the area of the pipe to be soldered with a light grit sandpaper to ensure a good joint. Heat the connection with the propane torch, remove it and let the connection draw in the solder. The connection doesn't have to be water tight, just enough to make a good connection. The heat will discolor the fitting and make a dull looking connection, use a wire brush with your battery drill to buff it back to a bright finish. Solder only the pieces referenced in the article. Construction of the eyebolt assembly into the pipe end cap is a bit tricky but is still easily done. I did discover that I needed a third hand to hold the eyebolt assembly steady while I soldered it into the end cap. Make sure you follow the article instructions to use only brass bolts with the eyelet or it will never hold. With some concern, I was able to convince my wife to hold the bolt with a pair of insulated pliers while the end cap was clamped into my bench vise. This left my hands free to carefully solder the eyebolt into the cap. Fill the cap with enough solder to cover the two nuts. Be careful, one slip of the torch here and I could have easily ended up in divorce court !.
The last section to complete is the feed point assembly. Thanks
again to It is important to point out that this antenna is only for short term portable use, not permanently mounted for long term exposure to the elements. The connections are not waterproof although the article gives a few suggestions on this as well. A short length of one half inch Sch 40 PVC pipe stuck in the ground makes a fine mounting for this antenna, I used two small diameter hose clamps to hold the antenna to the PVC.
A close up of the bungee cord inside the antenna. Ream the cut ends of the pipe smooth to avoid cutting the cord. How well will it work in the long term ? Hard to say. I don't intend to leave it up for long periods in the weather but for short duration public service events where you need more than your handheld rubber duck this should do the trick. I am looking for a suitable case to store the antenna as well as a short length of feed line. I only need something about 23 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. Any ideas ?. This was a fun project and cost only about $15.00 including all parts. Not bad for such a neat folding antenna. If you decide to build one, let me know how it works out or if you need any help.
The finished antenna on a temporary mount in my front yard.
The antenna folded down and ready for storage. DE Terry - N8ATZ
Since their adoption as the ARES defacto standard power connector hams have been using these new universally recognized connectors. Here in Stark County many of our members have been converting to these new connectors on both mobile and base station equipment as well as on their spare equipment making it very easy to quickly power up their equipment whenever and where ever needed. The Massillon Amateur Radio Club has already converted our Emergency Communications Trailer power connections using the new PowerPole system. Why is this being stressed so heavily around the ARES community ? Several Reasons.... The primary reason for a common ARES connector is that it will allow ARES members to connect their equipment to any available power source in an emergency situation. This could be a fellow ARES members home or vehicle station, a shelter, fire station, hospital or any other location where we might be called upon to setup a station. They also provide high current capacity. The standard connector is rated 30 amps, which is sufficient to power VHF and high power HF transceivers. The connectors are simple to install, the terminals may be crimped or soldered together. One piece of advise if you intend to crimp the terminal, purchase the RECOMMENDED crimp tool. Otherwise you could improperly crimp the connection making a potentially unreliable connection. A poor crimp may also not fit properly into the plastic housing creating yet another problem. After heeding a word of advise from fellow ham Jim Farriss, WA8GXM, I now solder all of my connectors and have had no problems with them. I went one step farther with my home shack as seen in the picture below. My original rats nest of wiring was the result of years of adding and changing equipment, splicing in to the power supply as needed. I did take a step in the right direction when I built a simple multiple powertap using plastic construction box and added a few banana plugs. This helped but did not clear up the clutter nor did it provide any additional protection to the equipment.
At the Dayton Hamvention several years ago I purchased a Rigrunner multiple PowerPole strip from West Mountain Radio along with a supply of 30 amp PowerPole connectors. The Rigrunner is a 5 outlet strip rated a total of 40 amps. A short time later I also purchased their PWRGate PG40 backup power system. This is a 12 volt backup power system that can supply up to 40 amps continuously from either a power supply or a battery. It also provides a modest battery charge to maintain a backup battery. Any connected equipment will instantly switch to battery power during a power failure. After waiting far to long (over a year!), I decided it was time to install the system. Armed with about 30 PowerPole connectors and some 12 AWG red & black power wire also picked up at a hamfest, I proceeded to install the connectors on all of my station equipment and made up several jumpers to go from the battery to the PWRGate and to the Rigrunner multi outlet box. Looking back on it, I wish I would have bought the next size Rigrunner box. I have already run out of spaces on this one !. Oh well, Dayton is right around the corner !. I used a 35 watt soldering iron which heated up the connector fairly quickly making for a easy job. One important note to mention. West Mountain Radio strongly recommends installing a fuse as physically close to the positive terminal of the battery as possible. A short circuit in a battery wire, connected to a large battery, will instantaneously cause the wire to heat sufficiently to possibly cause a fire, not a good situation. They did NOT put in a fuse in the PWRGate as it would NOT protect the wire itself against a short. The picture below shows the installation of my PWRGate PowerPole backup power system. The battery is a Douglas Maintenance free type that should provide about 24 hours of backup service in the event of a power failure. Larger shacks with lots of equipment might want to consider a larger capacity battery but this one should power my meager shack very nicely.
So have you converted your equipment to the new PowerPole style connectors yet ? Now would be a great time to begin. The connectors are always available at nearly all area hamfests and many commercial outlets. Installation tips are available from several websites also. Check out Anderson Power Products main home page. It lists a lot of technical information about the terminals, suggested wire gages, etc. Anderson Power Ideas has some nice tips on actually installing the connectors and assembling the plastic housing to the connector. It needs to go on the proper way to lock the connector in place in the housing. West Mountain Radio carries the Rigrunner boxes and the PWRGate backup power system. This might make a good club project or maybe for Field Day weekend. Either way now is the time to consider updating your equipment to these new style connectors.
That’s quite a milestone considering the
fact that it’s only a small amateur radio club sponsored website
that was originally established as a means to keep members aware
of our club’s activities and to raise awareness of our club and
our hobby to the general community and beyond. So far so good! It’s hard to imagine that the site went
“On Line” in October 1999. We used QSL.Net as our first
hosting service mostly because it was free and supported only by
donations. This was a great hosting service owned and operated by
a ham radio operator who wasn’t in it for the money, only to
help protect the future of the Amateur Radio Service in his own
way. We kept this service up until two years ago when it was
decided to move the site to a hosting service that provided a
greater level of features and service at minimal cost to the club.
This allowed us more bandwidth which allows the site to operate
much faster and has greater reliability than ever before. The site averages from 5 to 10 “hits”
every day and it currently about 100 Megabytes in size. Pictures
occupy a large part of the site; the World Wide Web is as much a
visual medium as it is text. I’m just now learning the secret to
posting pictures that look pretty good and don’t require a lot
of space. Maintenance of the site is purely a labor of love with
emphasis on the labor. There are only two people who maintain the
site, Dan Anastis – N8DZM and I. The site is managed using
Microsoft Front Page software which works very well and is easy to
use. I originally created the site using only a text editor and
html commands, a feat that took a lot of time. Standard file
transfer protocol (FTP) software is used to upload the site to the
server. This secure password protected system keeps the system
secure and prevents someone making unauthorized updates to the
site. One thing we have discovered since setting
up the website. It’s much easier establishing a website than
maintaining one. We try to add something new to the site each
week, usually on Saturdays or Sundays. We devote about five hours
or more per week maintaining the site. Adding new information,
removing obsolete material, pictures, stories, etc takes up a lot
of time. We are always open to ideas for improving the website and are happy to hear from you. At least we know that it is being looked at! We hope you like the site and its contents. Maybe you even find some of the information useful in your enjoyment of the hobby. If so then I believe we have fulfilled our mission. Your webmasters work very hard keeping it that way. I hope you like what we have done. Ready for New Years Resolutions ?
1.) Take at least the ARRL Emergency Communications Level 1 Class. 2.) FEMA and the Red Cross also offer training, most of it free. Pick one that sounds interesting and see it through. 3.) Attend the Skywarn Spotter Training Seminar this year and commit to helping during 2005's severe weather season. 4.) Have you kept your ARES Registration information current ? Have you ever filled one out to register yourself with us ? Click Here to download an Adobe pdf registration form. 5.) Do you have a shirt or jacket that can identify you as an ARES Volunteer ? How about a magnetic sign for your car ? Do you have an authorized Stark Co ARES namebadge ? 6.) Is your Go Kit packed and ready ? Do you know what a Go Kit is ? 7.) Do you know how to operate your hand held ? Could you change frequencies or add a different PL tone while assisting with a public service event ? 8.) Make this the year you become familiar with digital communications. This will be used more and more this year during ARES operations. 9.) Do you regularly check in to our Tuesday night ARES Net ? I don't mean just listening each week, let us know you are there by checking in with net control. Perhaps even consider volunteering as a net control operator for our net, it's a great way to build your skill. 10.) Volunteer ! Help us make the Stark County ARES stronger by volunteering your time for public service events. These provide valuable training that help prepare you for emergency situations. Throughout this year I'll discuss these 10 Resolutions in depth and how you can complete these goals to become a better ARES volunteer and I hope have some fun in the process ! ------------------------------------------------ Ready
For New Years Resolution Number One ?
(1) Take at least the ARRL Introductory Emergency Communications Course. Since their inception in 2000, the ARRL Emergency Communications Certifications were designed to raise awareness and provide additional knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer. The Level 1 course has been designed as an Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communications. The course has 23 lesson units, normally takes approximately 25 hours to complete over an 8-week period. The course introduces the volunteer to the many facets of emergency communications from our relationship with served agencies, net operation, basic skills, message handling procedures, deployment to a disaster scene, equipment considerations plus many other basic principles of emergency communications. I believe all ARES members can substantially benefit from the basic training provided by the Level 1 course. Another advantage to consider is the $45.00 registration fee is currently being reimbursed after successful completion of the course. This has been made possible thanks to a generous grant provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation. This year will be the last year for the grant-subsidized courses. Since grant-subsidized courses began, 4,000 amateurs have had their training reimbursed. If an eight week online course doesn't fit your schedule you can order the Level 1 Study Guide through the ARRL for only $ 12.95. Most area VE test sessions are now offering the ARECC certification examinations. If you already have experience in ARES operations this is a great way to obtain your certification. As amateur radio emergency communications has continued to evolve, it has become apparent that some form of formal certification was necessary in order to assure that we | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Jul 21, 2008) -- I always make it a point to review the
ARRL website this time of year to have a look at the winners of
the annual Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) Scholarship winners
in hopes of spotting a local callsign. I am very happy to report
one callsign from our own club as the recipient of several
scholarships this year.
(Jun 3, 2007) -- The
MARC participated in the annual Massillon Memorial Day parade
using our Emergency Communications Trailer decorated to suit the
holiday with flags representing the Armed Forces along the front.
Several of our honored club Military Service veterans rode in the
back as Ralph Bugg, K8HSQ pulled the trailer. 
(Jun 3, 2007) -- Saturday, May 12th the MARC held it's
annual Spring Fox Hunt in conjunction with CQ Magazine's National
Fox Hunt Weekend.
(Feb 1, 2007) -- Do you read QST Magazine? One section I
always like to read is their column called "The Doctor Is
In". This monthly column always has some interesting project
information covering a wide variety of topics.
First a bit more information about the BNC. Developed in the
late 1940's as a miniature version of the Type C connector, BNC
stands for Bayonet Neil Concelman and is named after
Amphenol engineer Carl Concelman. The BNC product line is a
miniature quick connect/disconnect RF connector. It features two
bayonet lugs on the female connector; mating is achieved with only
a quarter turn of the coupling nut. BNC's are ideally suited for
cable termination for miniature to subminiature coaxial cable such
as RG-58, RG-59 and RG-179 to RG-316.
UHF or "PL" style connectors. Invented in
the 1930's by an Amphenol engineer named E. Clark Quackenbush
(yes, I said Quackenbush!), UHF coaxial connectors are general
purpose units developed for use in low frequency systems from 0.6
- 300 MHz. Invented for use in the radio industry, UHF is an
acronym for Untra-High Frequency because at the time 300 MHz was
considered high frequency.
Lastly is the Type N Connector. Named after Paul Neill of Bell
Labs after being developed in the 1940's, the Type N offered the
first true microwave performance. The Type N connector was
developed to satisify the need for a durable, weatherproof,
medium-size RF connector with consistant performance through 11
GHz.
(Nov 24, 2006) -- The
ARRL has posted the official results from this years Field Day and
the club’s score of 4,872 points ended as our final score for
the event. I am pleased to say we placed 9th in Category 2A for
the Great Lakes Division this year, a solid effort. Ohio was a
very active state during Field Day this year, there were 117
submissions for Field Day, more than any other state in the U.S.
(July 4, 2006) -- On
Friday, May 26th Department 465e held its 2nd annual Safety Day.
This year I was approached and asked if the MARC would like to
participate. After quick discussion at the next club meeting, it
was decided that we would participate.
(Apr 18, 2006) -- Congratulations
to our resident Amateur Satellite operator Dan Anastis - N8DZM for
the great contact he made with the International Space Station on
behalf of the club. Using the club call W8NP, Dan made a contact
with the ISS last December 14th and has a QSL card to prove it.
(Mar 26, 2006) -- I'm a regular reader of ARRL
Contributing Editor Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU and his latest "Surfin"
report is titled 
(Dec 19, 2005) -- A nearly year long project to replace a
tower is finally nearing completion for club member Bob Kiplinger,
K8KIP despite several setbacks, one being the terrible fall of
Kip's old tower with our resident tower climber Jim Farriss,
WA8GXM hanging on for dear life.
(Jun 18, 2005) -- Albert
R. "Al" Kahn, K4FW passed away on June 15th at the age
of 98. An ARRL member, Kahn - together with Jack Burchfield, K4JU,
co-founded Ten-Tec following his retirement from Electro-Voice,
which he also founded and served as President.
(Jun 18, 2005) -- Canton
Amateur Radio Club member Joe Vignos - W1FEZ recently visited
Perry Ballinger on board the LST - 325 during it's stop at
Massachussetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, MA. Our thanks to
Joe for sharing his visit with us and is reprinted here.
With
the J-Pole assembly complete the next part was to fit the bungee
cord through the eyebolt loop and tie it into a knot. Oops, one
problem, the resulting knot was so big it wouldn't fit into the
pipe. After a few attempts, I simply bent it around itself and
used several small wire ties to hold the assembly together. Where
would we be without wire ties !. Finish one side and then feed the
bungee through the remainder of the antenna to the opposite end
cap. Stretch the bungee cord to provide sufficient tension to hold
the antenna together while still allowing it to be pulled apart
for disassembly. Repeat the eyebolt loop at this end and test out
the tension. 
my buddy
Don, I already had a cut-to-size piece of Plexiglas ready to drill
and mount. Find the center of the piece and use a 3/4" hole saw for
the SO-239 connector. Surface mount the connector with the rear of
the connector centered over the hole. You can use one of the four
mounting holes to secure the connector to the plate. Head for the
junk box and find some hardware to finish the connections as noted
in the article. I used some 14 AWG stranded building wire with
crimp on ring terminals to wire the connector to the antenna and
radiator section. My antenna used the pipe clamps as stated in
Mike's article. With the pipe clamps set at 3 inches from the
bottom of the radiator I measured an SWR of about 1.5 to 1 at
146.00 Mhz. It even tuned up pretty decent on UHF although not
really designed for this purpose. A J-Pole is a third harmonic
antenna on 70 cm and will work on this band just not very
well. 
