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BIARC Newsletter September 2004
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
The successful work on the Kulani repeater, completed
by Robert Schneider, AH6J, and Ralph Fontaine, AH6RF, is greatly appreciated.
They were assisted by Ron Phillips, AH6HN, and Ed Breen, NH6HT, who went to the
Jagger Museum in Volcano National Park where they tested frequencies and made
sure that the link was working between Kulani and Na’alehu. It has made a big
difference in the reception on 146.76. We have had hams from Punalu’u on our 2
meter net the past couple weeks. Ted Ross, AH6GD, of Hilo was so pleased with
the improvement that he sent BIARC a check to cover the cost of the new
antenna. A special thanks to Ted for this donation and a special thanks to the
men who did the work.
As we anticipated, the Volcano Rim Run was a big
success. All nine aid stations were covered by volunteers. We have determined
that we need improved maps for the volunteers as some found it difficult to find
their station. We also need a training session for proper radio use during
events like this. Radios with rubber duckie antennas do not do a good job from
some areas.
There was a testing session at the Volcano Rim Run location in
which three hams tested (all three passing.) BIARC member Josh Stueber, NH7SW,
is now an Extra class. Way to go Josh! Have heard Josh on the air and he is
handling those pileups like a pro. I hope he allows his Dad Sean, NH7SA, and
his sister Elisa, NH7SX, to get on occasionally.
Hurricane Charley has been
quite traumatic for the residents of Florida. The eye of the hurricane passed
directly over the retirement community of Southport Square in Port Charlotte
where my parents are living. All the residents have been evacuated and it may
be 6-7 months before the facility will be repaired and ready for re-occupancy.
Our family is very lucky, in that my daughter Judy from Lake City, Florida was
able to go down to Port Charlotte and move my parents to North Florida. Like my
parents, age 89 and 91, many of the people living in that area are retirees and
many are living (or were living) in mobile home parks. I imagine quite a few of
these mobile homes were unoccupied during the storm as many people from the
North descend on that area come wintertime. Since electric and phone are still
out in many areas, the ham radio operators are probably being kept quite busy.
Congratulations to John Buck, KH7T ,for accepting the appointment of
District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) for the northern part of the Big Island.
He will be assisted by Norm Cohler, NH7UA, who will be taking the position of
AEC.
The Aloha Chapter of 10-10 International net held on Monday evenings at
7 PM local time on 28.485 has had only Hawaiian stations checking in recently.
That is, until August 16th when I was shocked to hear YB0AWA, David from
Jakarta, Indonesia, checking in with a good 59 signal. We all got a chance to
talk to him. We would appreciate getting more of our Hawaii hams checking in on
Monday evenings.
At our last Board meeting it was decided to try a new
format for our General meeting. After Introductions and Announcements we will
have our program, followed by refreshments/social time and end with our business
meeting. It seemed to work well at our meeting on August 14th where Ted, NH6YK,
presented his excellent program on Dxing on a Shoestring. Ted made mention that
BIARC members might want to consider doing a DXpedition to Kalaupapa in Kalawao
County (USA’s rarest county for County Hunters around the world) on Molakai, or
to an Island on the Air DXpedition on one of the islands in the Northwest
Hawaiian Archipelago, or Pacific, or a DX entity DXpedition to one of the other
entities in the Pacific. Possibly an area easy to get to, low in cost, but full
of fun and excitement could be found. Anybody else have any other ideas?
Speaking of DXing there was recently a DXpedition to Aves Island off the
coast of Venezuela. This is a very low island so when a storm headed their way
the hams had to leave after only 58 hours of operating. A few of us were lucky
enough to get contacts with YV0D
Chester Zynel, KH6G, a silent key from
Hilo, had requested that his radio equipment be donated to the club. Ron
Phillips is handling the sale of this equipment, which if not sold, will be
taken to the Swap Meet in October. We’d like to thank the Zynel family for
contacting us about the equipment.
At our program next month we will have
astronomer Christian Villet as our guest speaker. Hope to see many of you
there.
Barbara Darling NH7FY
NEXT MEETING
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11th 2:00 p.m. At the Kea’au
Community Center located behind the Fire Station on Old Volcano Road.
At the
last Board meeting it was decided to start with the program, then refreshments,
and then have our short membership meeting.
Our guest speaker this month
will be astronomer, Dr. Christian Villet.
Anyone interested in ham radio is
welcome to attend.
September Birthdays
- Dennis Carvalho 10th
- Joyce Carlson 14th
- Don Bartron 21st
- Maureen Fontaine 29th
Happy Birthday to all !!
EAST HAWAII NET
The East Hawaii Net meets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
mornings at 8AM, local time, on 146.76 mhz-, Sign on and check us out !!
BIG ISLAND AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Minutes of the Membership Meeting
Saturday, August 14, 2004
The Big Island Amateur Radio Club monthly membership meeting was held in the
Kea’au Community Center building on Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.
President Barbara Darling, NH7FY, welcomed the 24 members and guests that were
in attendance. The sign-in sheet listing those in attendance is made a part of
these minutes.
The President explained to the membership that at a recent
Board of Directors meeting the membership survey was discussed. The survey
revealed that the members were interested in seeing some changes in the way the
meetings were conducted. It is because of these survey findings that the Board
suggested a change to the format of this meeting. President Darling, NH7FY, told
the members that the agenda would be: 1) Welcome, Announcements and
Introductions, 2) Introduction of the program and Speaker/s, 3) Refreshment
Break and lastly 4) Business Meeting and Adjournment. (Aside: She hinted that
if enough members didn’t stay for the meeting the format could change.)
After all of the membership and guests Introductions were made, President
Darling, NH7FY, welcomed the speaker, Ted Brattstrom, NH6YK. Dxing on a
Shoestring was the title of his presentation. He shared with us his experiences
through some of his travels and encouraged members to Plan Ahead and try Dxing
themselves. He displayed a table of just what items he took with him and
cautioned everyone to do their “homework” ahead of time. Mr. Brattstrom, NH6YK,
again, gave an exciting presentation that was thoroughly enjoyed by all. He
agreed to Barbara Darling’s, NH7FY, request to come back again in 2005 with
another of his programs for BIARC.
The President invited all to enjoy a
break and the refreshments that were provided by Gloria Whiteley, BIARC’s
Hospitality Chairman.
Call to Order
The August 14, 2004 BIARC monthly
membership meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m.
The Minutes from the
last membership meeting held on Saturday, July 10, 2004 were approved as
published.
Treasurer, Ron Phillips, AH6HN, reported that BIARC now has 90
paid members. He reminded those in attendance that new members could join until
December 31, 2004 by paying only ½ the regular membership dues. The Board’s
goal is to have 100 members by the New Year, 2005. The Treasury has not
increased since his last report. The total Cash on Hand remains $1,244.73.
Committee Reports:
- Repeater Committee: Ron Phillips, AH6HN, Chairman of
the Repeater Committee reported that Bob Schneider, AH6J, Ralph Fontaine, AH6RF,
and Ed Breen, NH6HT, and he had worked for 8 hours on the Kulani repeater. The
Committee still has some electronic work to do to complete the job. Ron
mentioned that the repeater at Pepeekeo, the oldest repeater, is noisy and in
need of repairs. Ron reported that he had recently received a very generous
donation to the Repeater Fund in the amount of $150 from Ted Ross, AH6GD. The
Board of Directors and membership applauded Ted Ross’s generosity for covering
the cost of the antenna placed on Kulani, which increased his receiving ability.
- HamFest Committee: Reporting for Bob Schneider, AH6J, who was unable to
attend this meeting, Ron Phillips, AH6HN, reminded the membership that the
HamFest would be held on October 9, 2004 at the same location as last year, in
the Waimea Intermediate School Cafeteria. John Buck, KH7T, welcomes helpers to
set up the HamFest at 8:00 a.m. The actual trading will not begin until 10:00
a.m. This will give the members a chance to view all the items available. The
unsold items that were donated to the club will be available at the HamFest.
- Christmas Party: Chairman Dennis Carvalho was not in attendance. The
Christmas Party will be held at the Seaside Restaurant on the second Saturday in
December.
- Health and Welfare: President Barbara Darling, NH7FY, thanked the
Chairman, Nancy Parry, NH7RT, for the Get Well card Dick Darling, AH7G, recently
received. She reminded the membership to contact Nancy Parry, NH7RT, and advise
her of any members that are ill so that the club can send their best wishes to
them 808 982-6219.
Old Business
- Audit Completed: The Audit Committee
consisting of Ron Phillips, AH6HN, Bill Parry, NH7RQ, and Nancy Parry, NH7RT met
on Monday, July 5, 2004 to audit the books of the 2003 Treasurer. Barbara
Darling, NH7FY, was the club Treasurer during that term. She was in attendance
at the meeting to answer any questions regarding her work. The Committee
completed the audit and did not find any exceptions. Barbara Darling, NH7FY,
was complimented on a job well done.
- Volcano Rim Run: Ron Phillips, AH6HN,
reported that the Volcano Rim Run was handled very well. The run is the
toughest run in the world forcing the runners to run on uneven lava trails. All
the Ham stations were covered. Comments from the floor: Prior to the run make
sure that Hams bring the right equipment. Hams should bring better antennas,
perhaps a J-Pole. Maps to their station location could be improved and made
easier to read.
- Donated Radio Equipment: The disposal of equipment that was
donated to the club, radio equipment and antennas, was discussed. The equipment
will first be offered to the membership. The HamFest will then feature the
remainder of the equipment for sale. The membership volunteered their ideas to
the Board for the disposal of the equipment. The Board will take the ideas to
their next Board meeting. One idea submitted by Nancy Parry, NH7RT, under
consideration is to raffle off items by selling tickets at each meeting, until
the amount needed to pay for the item is reached. Perhaps the tickets would
sell for $5 for 6 tickets. Funds received would be used for the maintenance of
the repeaters. Another idea presented was to advertise the equipment for sale
in the Newsletter and in Newspapers Island wide.
New Business
- World
Radio Subscription: MOTION: By Ron Phillips, AH6HN, That BIARC purchase a one
year subscription to World Radio in the amount of $65 that entitles the club to
advertise and receive ten free subscription. Seconded: Bill Parry, NH7RQ,
CARRIED.
- Nominating Committee 2005: President Barbara Darling, NH7FY,
appointed Mary Brown, K6FK, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, with Bob
Schneider, AH6J, and Ron Phillips, AH6HN, on her committee.
The meeting was
adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Nancy Parry, NH7RT.
CERTIFICATES
After the August meeting the BIARC Emergency Coordinator,
Harry Nishiyama, KH6FKG, awarded the following members of BIARC a BEAUTIFUL
certificate for completing a short Message Handling course on 12 June at the HHC
classroom. Ron Phillips AH6HN Ken Cutting KH7ZJ Clarence Smith
AH7A Barbara Darling NH7FY Richard Darling AH7G James Adams NH7UH
Harvey Motomura AH6JA
Pacific Section SM Report
18 August 2004 Except for the heat, the
weather has been tolerable this last month. We did see some rain and flooding,
but I have not received reports of extreme hardship. However, gearing up for
emergency communications continues. Just read the following reports: Saipan:
Bong Malasarte, WH0X, DEC, will be inducting several new Assistant Emergency
Coordinators (AEC). We congratulate them and will announce their names and
callsigns as soon as Bong confirms the listings. He recently conducted a basic
amateur radio emergency communications training course under the auspices of the
MDX Amateur Radio Club of Saipan. Bong, also, plans on visiting Rota to help
them with strengthening ARES there. You can join them on their ARES net on
Echolink on Mondays at 0930Z (Sunday 11:30pm, HST) on node 51302 WH0ABP-R.
O'ahu: Numerous volunteers led by Wayne Jones, NH6K, helped support the
American Heart Association's Heart Walk on Saturday, August 13, 2004. As usual,
some stations had difficulty getting into the repeater. Telescoping antennas
with gain and higher power helped. The Big Island of Hawai'i: The Big
Island Amateur Radio Club (BIARC) supplied communication support for the Volcano
Rim Run event held on 31 July 2004. There are actually four races; a marathon, a
10K, a 5K and a 5K walk. BIARC support was mostly for the marathon which is
classified as a "Wilderness Run" and is considered one of the toughest off road
marathons in the world. Unfortunately injuries are common.
Sixteen members of BIARC participated. The 26.2 mile race has 9 stations
located along the race route. BIARC members manned all nine stations with 2
meter equipment using the Kulani 146.76(-) repeater. The marathon started at
6AM which means BIARC members had to arrive before 5:30AM. Some members at the
more remote sites had to hike in the night before and camp on site.
The number assigned to each runner was reported back to the control station
located at the finish line. This allowed the race officials to keep track of all
runners and to make sure all persons are accounted for. In addition to providing
communications for the event, BIARC gave license tests to three people. All
three passed, with one getting a Technician, the second a General, and the third
an Extra.
The marathon winner was Matt Stevens from Oahu who finished the course in
3:07:51. This was 20 minutes ahead of the number two person however it is still
only the fourth fastest time for the race. This year 152 people started the
marathon. There were 143 finishers. Number 143 finished in 7:44:34. (Hawaii
Tribune-Herald 8/1/04) Also on the Big Island: Congratulations go out to
John Buck, KH7T, for accepting the appointment to District Emergency Coordinator
(DEC) for the northern area of the Big Island. He will be assisted by Norm
Cohler, NH7UA, who will be taking the position of AEC. Congratulations go out to
Norm for this appointment and for recently completing the ARRL ARES Emergency
Communications Course EC001. In his studies, Norm found an excellent training
resource and passed on the link to me. Check out
http://www.cupertinoares.org/preparedness/FieldCert.html. The 146.72-MHz
repeater on Mauna Kea was tested again. Some stations on O'ahu checked in.
Please come up on September 7, 2004 at noon to 1:00 pm for the next testing and
report your findings to Bob Schneider, KH6J, ASM, by email at his callsign at
@arrl.net. Final word: Emergency Communications is taking a step forward
with the continuing implementation of Winlink 2000 (http://winlink.org). This
mode of communications allows a user to utilize his/her own email account (e.g.,
Outlook) to send messages that are delivered over HF and/or the internet. Please
take a look at this. We will be talking about it more in the future. 73
& Aloha, Kevin, AH6QO SM/SEC Pacific
HAM RADIO "ONLY RELIABLE COMMUNICATION" AT HURRICANE CHARLEY GROUND ZERO
Once again, Amateur Radio has proven its value in an emergency. With
conventional telecommunication systems unreliable and power still out after the
Category 4 Hurricane Charley blasted across the Florida Peninsula August 13,
Amateur Radio has proven to be a communication mainstay. "The only reliable
communication we have here is Amateur Radio," ARRL West Central Florida Section
Manager Dave Armbrust, AE4MR, told ARRL earlier this week. He was one of the
three dozen ARES volunteers at the Charlotte County command post. "We're out in
the field trying to handle so many different things that it's almost
overwhelming," he said five days into the activation. By week's end, the need
for additional ARES volunteers in the Hurricane Charley relief and recovery
effort had stabilized. Communications and Warning Officer John Fleming, WD4FFX,
of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) told ARRL that ham radio
volunteers already on duty in the five most severely affected counties were
holding their own in maintaining necessary emergency communication. But he
advised Amateur Radio volunteers to remain at the ready, just in case, and
recommended that ARES teams, clubs and individuals work through their ARES
Section Emergency Coordinator. The FDEM says Hurricane Charley caused two dozen
deaths and nearly 4000 injuries, and almost a quarter-million residents were
still without power at week's end. Other reports indicate that as many as 10,000
homes were badly damaged or destroyed. The most severely stricken communities
are in largely rural areas of western and central Florida made up of smaller
towns. Among other storm relief duties, hams have been part of an effort to
check on residents and determine what they need and to "make sure everyone's
okay," Armbrust said. Amateur Radio operators have been handling emergency
traffic and assisting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in setting
up HF communication to the state emergency operations center in the capital of
Tallahassee. ARES also has provided communication for search-and-rescue teams
and supported American Red Cross and The Salvation Army humanitarian relief
efforts. In addition, ARES operators handled outgoing health-and-welfare traffic
from storm victims now taking refuge in shelters, provided or supplemented
public safety communication and even took on some dispatching duties. Amateur
Radio volunteers also deployed to hospitals, some of which have experienced
spotty communication. Several VHF and UHF repeaters have been buzzing with
emergency traffic all week. Armbrust emphasized that Hurricane Charley cut a
broad swath across Florida, and the devastation was widespread. "This looks like
a war zone," he remarked. Hot, humid weather has aggravated the relief effort,
especially for emergency medical service personnel who not only are dealing with
storm-related health issues but with those resulting from the heat. ARES teams
from Florida Miami-Dade, Martin, St Lucie, Broward, Okeechobee and Palm Beach
counties deployed to relieve or assist the amateur operators on duty in the
affected communities. In Sarasota County, Ron Wetjen, WD4AHZ, has been working
at the county EOC and assigning volunteers to assist in neighboring Charlotte
County, where Armbrust has been holding down the fort. "We've had offers of help
from guys in Montana, Ohio, and New York!" Wetjen said August 19. "We have a
couple from Tennessee here now, with two more on the way for the weekend." The
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) on 14.265 MHz spent nearly
five days in continuous operation. It's also used Amateur Radio for its
logistical communications. The Salvation Army has been providing meals,
household necessities and other assistance to residents displaced by the storm
and has been relying on its own Amateur Radio resources. SATERN also has taken
on responsibility for health-and-welfare inquiries, both via Amateur Radio and
through its Web site http://www.satern.net/. In advance of the storm,
SKYWARN teams were active the Hurricane Watch Net and WX4NHC at the National
Hurricane Center cooperated to gather ground-level weather data and damage
reports. "It seems as if the Amateur Radio world is listening and waiting to
help when an event such as this occurs," observed SATERN National Director Pat
McPherson, WW9E, "and it's edifying to realize the positive impact of their
dedication to the task of helping others." (Reprinted courtesy of the ARRL
Letter)
ARRL TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH
During September, the
ARRL will be among dozens of organizations and agencies participating in
National Preparedness Month. "The Ready Campaign," produced by the Ad Council in
partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is aimed at
making citizen preparedness "a priority for every city, every neighborhood and
every home" in the US. The League is an official affiliate of Citizen Corps, a
DHS initiative to enhance public preparedness and safety. ARRL will combine its
role in National Preparedness Month--which starts September 9--with its own
"Amateur Radio Awareness Day" on September 18. "The two events offer great
opportunities for Amateur Radio to showcase its valued service to the nation,"
said ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO. She
encouraged ARRL-affiliated clubs and Field Organization volunteers to use the
occasion to set up public demonstrations of Amateur Radio and to present or even
demonstrate--under the banner of National Preparedness Month--the free services
Amateur Radio provides to communities. ARRL Club/Mentor Program Manager Norm
Fusaro, W3IZ, suggests that while displays should be informative, they also need
to be neat and simple. "This is also an excellent opportunity to recruit
prospective hams for licensing classes that clubs may be forming for the fall,"
he added. In addition, ARRL encourages all Amateur Radio operators to have a
family emergency communication plan in place in case of an emergency, such as a
severe weather event. "Get Ready Now" brochures are available. Visit the
Ready.gov Web site http://www.ready.gov/ for more information. On
Amateur Radio Awareness Day, September 18, W1AW/90 will be on the air from 10 AM
until 10 PM Eastern Time with ARRL staff members, new Section Managers in town
for the annual Section Managers' Workshop and volunteers from the Newington
Amateur Radio League as operators. White encourages amateur groups to invite
public officials, representatives of served agencies and first responders to
visit their public displays to discuss plans for their Simulated Emergency Test
(SET), typically in early October, or other drills. Some clubs already have
jumped on the National Preparedness Month/Amateur Radio Awareness Day bandwagon,
Fusaro notes--in some cases by taking advantage of already scheduled events
during September. The Middletown Amateur Radio Club--W2MAR--in New Jersey will
take part in Middletown Day activities September 18 with a public ham radio
display, information table, traffic handling and ARES/RACES displays. The club
expects some 3000 visitors in town, including state and local officials. In
Illinois, Amateur Radio Awareness Day falls on the same weekend as the three-day
Peoria Superfest 2004 Amateur Radio and computer show. The Peoria Area Amateur
Radio Club will have an all-day demonstration at the Exposition Garden
Fairgrounds on September. The Space Park Employees Association Amateur Radio
Club (W6TRW) in Redondo Beach, California, will have its emergency
communications team (ECT) van at the Northrop Grumman Space Technology open
house September 18. The ARRL has printed materials available for ARRL-affiliated
clubs, ARES groups and others to use for public exhibits and ham radio
demonstrations. Brochures may be downloaded free of charge from the ARRL Web
site http://www.arrl.org/htdig/?method+and&words=brochure. For a
small shipping fee, exhibit kits also are available. Contact Linda Mullally,
KB1HSV, "lmullally@arrl.org; to order. The League also offers a sample
news release http://www.arrl.org/pio/handbook/sample-news-release.html
that clubs and groups can customize to help spread the word. More information
about National Preparedness Month or Amateur Radio demonstrations in general is
available from ARRL "clubs@arrl.org;. (Reprinted courtesy of the
ARRL Letter)
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