NEWSLETTER OF THE
ST CLAIR AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
PO BOX 94 BELLEVILLE, IL 62222
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2002
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MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES
The show and tell
meeting program in August produced six volunteers and was well received.Harry,
W0KXP captivated the audience with an account of the use of a Millian Varion
VFO to protect transmissions during WW II.He
did so well with his presentation that he was called on in September to
pinch hit when Bob Heil canceled because of short notice overseas travel.Harry
brought his early receiver projects from the 50’s and gave a great account
of building and using the devices which got him going in ham radio.
The October meeting
program will be on contesting in preparation for club members to participate
in the ARRL SSB Sweepstakes on November 16th and 17th.Individual
scores from home stations are added together for a club submission.
The November meeting
WILL BE ON THE 21ST due to Thanksgiving falling on the last Thursday.The
program for the November meeting is still being worked.
In December there
will be a club holiday dinner on the 12th at Eckerts Country Restaurant,
951 S. Greenmount Rd, Belleville.Arrive
by 7:00 PM and order from the menu.Bring
a guest and enjoy holiday fun.
TECHNICIAN LICENSE CLASS
The club is planning
to sponsor a license class on Saturday December 7th.If
there is sufficient interest, the class will start a 8:00 AM at the Douglas
Grade School, 125 Carlyle Ave in Belleville.A
review and VE test session will follow the next weekend on the 14th.The
class will use the ARRL video instruction materials, and club instructors
for discussion and review.Now is
the time for those interested to start studying a technician license study
guide available locally at Radio Shack stores.This
is a great opportunity to get folks started in our hobby.Spread
the word!For information and reservations,
contact Ted, K9HUH at his business 233-1313 or at home 235-6152.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Len Peak, N9HKG,
first became interested in ham radio while working in a MARS station during
an Army tour in Korea.With that
exposure, he got his ham license in 1988.Being
a ham, Len is in the enviable position of enjoying our hobby while making
a living.As the operator of an over
the road 18 wheeler he enjoys the company of an Icom 706 MK IIG in the
cab.This transceiver combined with
an Outbacker mobile antenna system gives his signal a good boost.While
on the road Len enjoys rag chewing including spending a lot of time on
the 20 meter National drivers frequency of 14305.5KHz.Len’s
home station includes XYL Jan, N9NJW, the 706 MK IIG transceiver and a
Mosley TA-33-JR tri-bander beam for an antenna system.Also,
if ever needed at home or on the road, Len has a 600 watt solid state amplifier.Other
operating interests of Len’s include WAS, some DX, 10-10 and a goal to
work the Islands on the Air (IOTA) program hard.Also,
while at home he enjoys working old friends and making new friends on area
2-meter repeaters.Len’s work schedule
usually keeps him away from club meetings.So
to catch him to learn more about his on the road ham experiences, look
for Len on the repeaters or at area hamfests which he and his XYL often
frequent on the weekends.
REPEATER ACTIVITY
First off your
editor needs to correct last newsletters repeater news.While
the old 2-meter system antenna was repaired, it was removed for a spare
and the new purchased antenna was installed.All
club repeater systems continue to be up and running; however, for the 2-meter
system there is 60 cycle interference primarily in the early evening.Several
times it has been so severe the system was temporarily shut down.W9TJ
has a couple of volunteers and a 5 element beam, provided by WA9MGX, that
will be equipped to try to pin point the cause.Finally,
our repeater committee has been advised that a Missouri repeater on 147.05
MHz input has been relocated to within our 2-meter systems coverage.Our
committee will give conditional coordination approval provided any problems
found being the relocated repeaters responsibility to fix.
NEWS BRIEFS
Welcome to recently
signed up members John Sullivan, KE0YI of Belleville and Gordon Anson,
WB9TGB of Fairview Heights.
The ARRL Central
Division web site has been established at http://www.central@arrl.org.The
site includes a newsletter, a link to the W9 QSL Bureau site and the Central
Division State SCM sites.
VE test sessions
are scheduled on the second Tuesday of each month.A
session is held if at least one reservation to test is made.For
information and reservations contact Ted, K9HUH at 233-1313 or 235-6152.
Pat Ryan, KC6VVT
of Tonica, IL has been appointed as the new Emergency Coordinator for the
ARRL Illinois Section.
Farewell to Ralph
Branstatter WB9VFD who is on his way to a new QTH in Florida.
It’s not too early
to start thinking of paying annual club dues.Full
member dues have been the same for many years and are a real bargain at
$25 for individuals and $30 for families.Pay
at club meetings or send to the treasurer, Bob Thurgood, at 5 Seven Iron
Ct, Belleville, IL 62220.
Know of a need
in the emergency business that needs lots of backup power?Harry,
W0KXP, was contacted that there are used 60KW and 100KW units available.Information
on the units is through Larry Newsom at 632-6856.
The SCAN is published
six times a year and distributed during even months.SCAN
distribution is made from the treasurers membership listing.When
you renew this years club dues be sure any change of address is included.
Our club has had
a long association with the area American Red Cross.They
provide a place for us to meet.We
provide a resource for emergency communications, and through our classes,
we have trained and licensed many Red Cross volunteers.Support
the Red Cross with donations of money and hours.
Thanks to Mallo’s
Pastries for their continued support of our club by providing complimentary
deserts for monthly meetings.
Remember club business
meeting dates of October 31st, November 21st and December 12th.November
and December are changes from meeting the last Thursday of the month.Mark
your calendar now and see you at club meeting.