|
|
The HOTLINE |
|
|
|
|
|
Out With the Old; In With the New—Sunspots! |
by Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW |
Good day and happy New Year. As the first meeting for the year is about
to take place, I wonder what I have got myself into! I have one presentation
planned and a few more ideas. The problem I have is what to do for eleven meetings!
The only thing I can hope for is suggestions from you—our Club’s members. If
that happens, I hope to stay ahead of the month to month planning
Now, for this month, Ed Midlebrook is going to speak on propagation and sun spots. I suspect it will be informative and even entertaining. Ed is probably going to talk about the end of the cycle and the start of a new one. I think we will also have a visit from Doug Loughmiller, candidate for our ARRL Section Manager. I have not received conformation, but he has been invited.
In future months I plan to have programs about antenna building and a multitude of other things. I would remind you again: I need the input to enable me to plan the programs. Thanks in advance!
|
President’s Corner |
by Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC |
|
|
|
Wayne, KD5SMC |
It seems like only yesterday that I became a member of—what I now realize is—one of the best service groups I have ever known. Having had a background of disaster services, I found myself right in the middle of ARES—and right at home. I have only been an amateur radio operator for a few years, but cannot think of anything that gives me more pleasure than to know that my fellow HOTARC members really “come through” when needed.
At a very young age I was into short wave radio with my antenna running all the way across the top of our house: a wire and connectors. I really had a station! Well, now, many years later, I have moved up—to actually talking over the air waves!
In this coming year as we work together to educate and serve, I know that together we will stand tall with the challenges ahead of us. I hope to see you at the January meeting.
Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC
HOTARC President
|
It's time to renew your HOTARC membership! Dues for 2007 are due by March 31, but don't wait until then...send it in now! ...And please complete the Membership Renewal Form, too! Thanks!! |
|
For the Record... |
HOTARC Meeting of Members
November 30, 2006
HOTARC’s Annual Meeting was called to order by President Rodney Baden K5YKC at 7:01 PM at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Present were twelve full members, two visitors. Visitors were: Bill Gill KE5HKS of Waco and Bob Hill KE5KOB of Gatesville.
|
The Treasurer Reports... |
|
|
|
Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 4,625.75 Income Dues 213.00 Interest 1.93 TOTAL Income $ 214.93 Expenses 1 yr P.O. Box rent $ 40.00 Flowers N5XAK 33.56 TOTAL Expenses $ 73.56 Ending Account Balance $ 4,768.12 Outstanding (as of 1-19-2007) Submitted by |
Ed Middlebrook KC5NT opened the meeting with a prayer.
The Minutes for the October meeting were approved as published in the HOTLINE, on a motion by Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, second byRay Read AD5CK, and unanimous vote by the members. The October Treasurer’s Report was also accepted as published in the HOTLINE following a motion by KD5UEW, second by AD5CK, and unanimous vote by the members.
Announcements
· None.
Committee Reports
· ARES: K5YKC encouraged all to take advantage of the free NIMS courses available and very important for the coming year’s emergency communications support. (See our web site for links.)
· Trailer: No report.
· Repeater: KB5SLI reported that December 11 is scheduled for DPS tower work: hardline and antenna installation. KB5SLI and K5YKC plan to be there to monitor.
· Web page: John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that the web server and email list are working well.
· ATV: David Bush KC5UOZ reported the ATV repeater is working well. Skycam is still needing work.
· Education: K5YKC reported that there is still no commitment from HOTCOG regarding the Amateur Radio Training Class. We are ready to move when they commit. KC5NT suggested we also consider a class to prepare for the General license exam for area Technicians. Roger Miles WB5MBO suggested assembling a mailing list of area Technicians and contacting them directly. The Education Committee agreed to pursue these ideas.
· Public Relations: No report.
· Special Events: About 24 have sent RSVP’s for the Christmas luncheon scheduled for December 9 (at Uncle Dan’s BBQ on Lake Air Drive in Waco).
Old Business
· None
New Business
|
2007 Officers and Directors (minus
one) |
· Nominating Committee: The Committee (Terry Williams KD5KJU, Ray Read AD5CK, and John Curry K5IMC) submitted candidate’s names, as published in the November HOTLINE. It was noted that Mike Ross N5MVL was absent, but gave permission to be nominated for the Director (2008) position.
· Annual Elections: A motion to close the nominations was made by WB5MBO, seconded by AD5CK, and unanimously approved by the members present. A motion to accept all the candidates nominated for all the positions, and for the Secretary to cast a single vote for each position was made by Bill Cox W5JRM, seconded by AD5CK, and unanimously approved by the members present. The Secretary consequently voted for and elected the following officers and Directors for 2007:
|
President: Wayne Branscum KD5SMC Vice Pres: Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI Director (2007): Terry Williams KD5KJU Director (2008): Ed Middlebrook KC5NT Director (2009): Mike Ross N5MVL |
A motion to adjourn was heard from AD5CK at approximately 8:00 pm. There was no special program this evening.
Submitted by:
John Chamberlain AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
|
SKYWARN 2007 |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI, |
Waco Convention Center — Saturday, 10 Feb 2007
Make your plans to attend
SKYWARN 2007 at the Waco Convention Center’s Bosque Theater on Saturday, 10 February 2007, from 9:00 AM to about 4:30 PM.
Gary Woodall and staff from the Fort Worth Office of the National Weather
Service will travel to Waco (McLennan County) to present the annual severe
weather training program. Both Basic and Advanced programs will be presented.
McLennan County will be the site of one of the only six Advanced sessions
presented this year. HOTARC will have the Club Trailer on display and will be
available to talk-in attendees on the 145.15 repeater. As usual, free coffee
and donuts will be provided. Plan to attend—even if you have attended in the
past. A refresher on storm spotting and reporting techniques will benefit
everyone and will serve to prepare the spotters of the Bakers Dozen Weather Net
for another storm season—not to mention, representing amateur radio at the
sessions.
Bakers Dozen Weather Net
activation procedures remain the same. The National Weather Service office will
request spotter activation when observed or potential severe weather threatens
the area. The net is automatically activated any time a severe thunderstorm or
a tornado warning is issued for McLennan County. As the storm
season nears, please maintain an awareness of conditions that could lead to net
activation. Monitor local television, radio, and the National Weather Service
Weather Radio for potential severe events. The net will be activated from the
Waco-McLennan County EOC, or by one of the ARES Net Control Stations until the
EOC can be opened.
Things can happen fast when spotting. As activation is a result of a warning, reports should relate directly to the type of warning issued. For severe thunderstorms: winds of more than 50 mph and any size hail (using coins for size) should be reported with exact location and time of occurrence. For tornados: wall clouds, wall clouds with rotation, funnel clouds, and tornados on the ground should be reported—again with exact location and time of occurrence. In the case of an actual tornado on the ground, direction and speed of movement are needed. Report any visible damage and/or injuries associated with either type of storm. All other weather related reports should be held until requested by net control.
Good training and continued excellent spotter participation should see us through the severe weather season.
|
Weekend Technician Classes |
by John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
The Education Committee is happy to announce that we are preparing to
assist prospective hams by holding two weekend training sessions. If you know
of anyone interested in earning their amateur radio license, tell them to run (don’t walk!) to our web site and register for
this class! This is their best chance to make good on that New Year’s
resolution and actually get their license before the Spring storm season
arrives.
Full details are available on our web site (during the weeks prior to the classes). In a nutshell, students need to pre-register for the class to obtain the reading materials and a study guide that must be completed prior to the training sessions. We are using the Gordon West Technician Class book and instructor’s guide. During two eight-hour sessions (February 17 and 24), we will provide lively demonstrations, hands-on activities, and discussions of the test questions to prepare students to pass the Element 2 exam. Following the second session, the HOTARC/BARC VE team will administer the exam.
|
Farewell to Morse Code Requirement |
from ARRL Letter Online |
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 19, 2007 — The ARRL has learned that the FCC’s Report and Order (R&O) in the “Morse code proceeding,” WT Docket 05-235, is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register Wednesday, January 24. Assuming that occurs, the new Part 97 rules deleting any Morse code examination requirement for Amateur Radio license applicants would go into effect thirty days later, or Friday, February 23, 2007. Note: this date is tentative, pending official confirmation and publication.
In the Morse code R&O, the FCC remarks: “This change
eliminates an unnecessary regulatory burden that may discourage current Amateur
Radio operators from advancing their skills and participating more fully in the
benefits of Amateur Radio.”
Rules and regulations that appear in the Federal Register constitute their official version. Publication in the Federal Register starts a 30-day countdown for the new rules to actually go “on the books.”
Deletion of the Morse requirement is a landmark in Amateur Radio history. Until 1991, when a code examination was dropped from the requirements to obtain a Technician ticket, all prospective radio amateurs had to pass a Morse test. Once the new rules are in place, Amateur Radio license applicants will no longer have to demonstrate Morse code proficiency at any level to gain access to the HF bands.
Here are just two of the ramifications of this important change:
1) On or after the effective date of the new rules, an applicant holding a valid Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) for a higher license class will be able to redeem it for an upgrade. For example, a Technician licensee holding a valid CSCE for Element 3 (General) could apply at a VEC exam session, pay the application fee (which most VECs charge), and receive an instant upgrade to General!
2) The new rules also mean that all Technician licensees, whether or not they’ve passed a Morse code examination, will gain HF privileges identical to those of current Novice and Tech Plus (or Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees without having to apply for an upgrade. Currently, Novices and Technicians with Element 1 credit have CW privileges on 80, 40, 15 meters and CW, RTTY, data and SSB privileges on 10 meters. (See the U.S. Amateur Band chart included in this issue.)
3) And probably the most obvious consequence will be that, with the Morse code requirement lifted, there will likely be a large number of Technician Class license holders motivated to study for the Element 3 (General) and Element 4 (Extra) exams to gain significantly greater voice and data privileges on the HF bands.
For more information about this important Part 97 rule revisions, visit the ARRL web page “FCC’s Morse Code Report and Order WT Docket 05-235.”
The HOTLINE is the monthly newsletter of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club (HOTARC), Inc., a nonprofit corporation, chartered by the State of Texas and principally located in Waco. It is permissible to use any of the original material contained herein, provided proper credit is given to the source.
Edited and Published by John Chamberlain AC5CV, AC5CV@arrl.net
|
|
|
2007 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2007 Board of Directors
President: Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, 857-3964, wbscum@grandecom.net
Vice Pres: Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, 756-1397, bfeltenb@swbell.net
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV, 855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Director (2007): Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Director (2008): Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Director (2009): Mike Ross N5MVL, 836-1083, N5MVL@juno.com
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.88 MHz (input at –600 kHz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session is Saturday January 27, 10:00 AM. Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg (#63 on the map), Room 109. Bring: 1) testing fee of $14 (cash only); 2) current license and photocopy of it; 3) a photo ID (two for first-time licensees), and 4) photocopy of any relevant CSCE. Contact: Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting NoticeThe monthly meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday January 25, 2007 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Meetings generally last about 75 minutes consisting of fellowship, general Club business, and an interesting program. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
No more Morse code
requirement!
Tell someone about it!