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The HOTLINE |
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Special May Meeting Location! |
by
John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
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(Click map to enlarge) |
The
May HOTARC meeting will be at a special location: the Salvation Army Church,
located on the southbound I-35 service road at 12th Street (see
map). From I-35, take the 4th-5th Street Exit, and make
your way to the southbound service road.
The Church is on your right just after you cross under the 12th street
overpass. At this month’s meeting we will plan and discuss the June Field Day
special event. Please make plans to attend!
In
addition, we will be concurrently holding one of the Technician class sessions.
The HOTARC trailer will be on site for the students to witness and experience.
So members are encouraged to interact with the students before and after the
meeting.
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Did you know
that you can renew your FCC license online at no cost?! In this month’s
HOTLINE we’ll show you how! |
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QRV? (Are You Ready?) |
by
Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT |
The Next Big Event…
It’s May and that means that Field Day is just around the corner! I
want to encourage every member to take part in some way during this year’s
event by:
· Helping in
preparation before the event;
· Taking part in
setup on Saturday morning;
· Joining in and
operating during the event;
· Helping
everyone cleanup and take down the stations.
Everyone is needed and every job is important to the success of
the event! So—just drop me an email and tell me what YOU can do to make this
another banner year for HOTARC on June 26-27!
A special note to our new hams… Your “life” as a ham radio
operator will be marked by your participation in Field Day. I can think of no
other event that takes place during the calendar year that will impact you as
much. It is simply because you will learn, laugh and even cry sometimes due to
what will take place during the 24+ hours for Field Day. Mark your calendar now
and begin a lifetime of great memories that you will fondly look back on this
year!
See you Thursday!
73
Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
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HOTARC Meeting of Members
April 22, 2004
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The
Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart
O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 3,117.36 Income Dues $ 105.00 Cap sale 7.50 WWWC Donation 500.00 Interest 0.56 TOTAL Income $ 613.16 Expenses P.O. Box rental $ 38.00 TOTAL Expenses $
363.00 Ending
Account Balance $ 3,367.52 Outstanding (as of 5-16-04) Submitted by |
The April meeting of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club was called to order by Ed Middlebrook KC5NT at 7:04 pm in the Kultgen Automotive Building on the TSTC campus. Present were eighteen full members, one family member, and one visitor: Joan Roach KA5MND (wife of J.W. Roach W5AYX).
The Minutes for the March meeting were approved as published in the HOTLINE, following a motion by Ray Read AD5CK, second by Otto Hackfeld KI5QT, and unanimous vote by the members present. The March Treasurer’s Report as published in the HOTLINE was also accepted, following a motion by Rusty Keyes AD5JY, second by AD5CK, and unanimous vote by the members present.
KC5NT recognized KD5UEW’s recent promotion to Extra class.
Committee
Reports
· ARES: Rodney Baden K5YKC reported that the Assistant E.C. to oversee the ARCHES/Hospital project was still open. KC5KNI presented Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW with a certificate for his appointment as Assistant EC to oversee CERT.
· Trailer: Nothing to report.
· Repeater: Norris Martin KB5SLI reported that we were still waiting on a tower crew to work on the 145.15 antenna.
· Web Page: Justin Martin KC5KQL reported that all is well.
· ATV: John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that the Skycam was working, albeit with the video camera accidentally stuck in “demo mode.” Another trip to the Hilton rooftop should be able to easily fix that.
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KC5UOZ ATV Van…Wow!
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· Education: KC5NT reported that the team of teachers for the Tech Class (KC5NT, AC5CV, KD5UEW, and K5YKC) met to plan the sessions (as published in the HOTLINE). The classes will begin May 6 and continue for 6 (or maybe 7) consecutive Thursday evenings, from 7-9 pm at the Salvation Army Church at I-35 and 12th Street in Waco. HOTARC members are invited to visit and contribute. The May 27 HOTARC meeting will meet at the Salvation Army Church, with the HOTARC trailer “in attendance,” too, concurrent with that night’s class session.
· P.R.: Nothing to report.
· Special Events: AC5CV thanked everyone for the excellent support of the Race for the Cure on April 3. He also presented to the Club a letter of thanks and a $500 donation from the Waco Wild West Century (WWWC) organization, in appreciation for our support of that event last year (September 2003). The Secretary will send a letter of thanks to WWWC.
Old Business
· IRLP: KC5KNI reported that they were just waiting on Internet access to be provided by Time-Warner. There was an option to install both IRLP and EchoLink on the donated computer. It was decided to accept the offer to install both, even though the clear preference is for IRLP.
· Donation of RV: KC5NT reported that the Directors have not yet had a meeting to discuss this issue, so there was nothing new to report.
New Business
· Field Day: Hearing no one volunteering to serve as Chairman for this event, KC5NT and K5YKC agreed to co-chair the planning of the event.
· Bills/Invoices: The Treasurer reported that we’d received a bill for the P.O. Box renewal in the amount of $126/year—the rent for the large box we’d been assigned. It was agreed we could do well with a smaller, cheaper box, despite the fact that we’d have to deal with a revised mailing address with a new box number. The Treasurer and Secretary will make it so. The Treasurer also reported the bill for Insurance in the amount of $325/yr, which all agreed he should pay.
KC5NT heard a motion by KD5UEW to adjourn the meeting at 7:43 pm.
The program this evening was a tour and demonstration of the KC5UOZ ATV van. David demonstrated his van’s versatile antenna arrays and towers, in support of the van’s ATV and SSTV capabilities. We were awed, David!
Submitted by:
John Chamberlain AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
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Do You Have an “FRN”? |
by
John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
The FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS)
now requires an FCC Registration Number (FRN), which is obtained from the
Commission Registration System (CORES). These services are available online. Go
to the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) web site:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/
If you’re not sure if you have an
FRN, click the “LICENSES” button to search for your call sign. Enter your call
sign and click “Submit” to return the current ULS record. If the FRN field is
not blank, you’ve just discovered your FRN! If that field is blank, then you’ll
need to get a FRN to use the ULS (for example, to renew your license—see the
next article in this HOTLINE). 
Here’s
how to get a FRN…
1. Back at the UL:S home page (the link above), click the CORES/CALL SIGN button.
2. At the FRN/Call Sign/ASR Registration screen, select “Register Now” and click the “Continue” button.
3. On the FRN Registration screen, select “An individual,” “Yes” (your address is within the U.S.” and click the “Continue” button.
4. On the next FRN Registration screen, complete the information fields as requested, select (and remember!) a password and hint, and click the “Submit” button.
5. On the final FRN Registration screen, you will receive your official FCC Registration Number (FRN): a ten digit number. Print this screen, or write your FRN somewhere where you won’t lose it. But, you’re not done yet! Below the box summarizing your just entered information, click on the link for the “FCC Universal Licensing System” to associate your FRN with your call sign.
6. On the “Choose a Destination” screen, click the “Call Sign/ASR Number registration” button.
7. On the “FRN/Call/Sign/ASR Registration” screen, your just-issued FRN should already be entered for you. Enter your password, and click the “Continue” button., and then click the “Enter Call Signs” button.
8. Enter your amateur call sign in field 1, and click the “Submit” button.
9. The confirmation screen should report that “your FRN/Call Sign/ASR information has been submitted.”
Now you’re ready to really use the ULS! For example, you can renew your license. See the following article on how to do that!
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Renewing Your FCC
License |
by
John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
If you
have the good fortune to be alive and an amateur radio operator, sooner
or later you will be faced with the need to renew your FCC-issued amateur radio
license. (Check your license for your expiration date.) The chances are good
that you’ll receive several offers of folks wanting to help you. All they need,
so they say, is a few pieces of information from you and a small fee of $5 or
$6, or so. It couldn’t be much easier right?
Well, as it turns out, it really CAN
be easier…and cheaper! You can now renew your license online at the FCC
web site, and there is absolutely no fee! You can do it for FREE in about 5
minutes. Here’s how!
1.
Go to the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) web
site: http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/
2.
Click
the ONLINE FILING button, and enter your FRN and
password. (See the preceding article to learn how to find or set up your FRN.)
3.
If
you are eligible for renewal, click the link for “Begin the renewal process.”
4.
Read
over the information on the next couple screens and click “Continue” to advance.
5.
If
all your information is correct, click the “Continue to Certify” button.
6.
On
the “Certification” screen, read over the statements, enter your name in the
fields at the bottom of the page, and click the “Submit Application” button.
That’s it! You’ve just electronically submitted an application for renewal with the FCC. If desired, you can click the “Print Application” link to print a copy of the application for your records. You should receive your new license in the mail in just a few days!
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ARES
Update: CERT Training |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI,
McLennan County Emergency Coordinator |
The first Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT) training class is almost complete. Three ARES members (KC5KNI,
KD5KJU and KD5UEW) are attending the class. We also have one prospective member
enrolled in the current Technician classes also taking the CERT class. There
are a total of about 30 individuals enrolled. Classes cover Disaster
Preparedness, Fire Safety, Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search and
Rescue, CERT Organization to include the 
Incident
Command System used in managing disasters, Disaster Psychology, Terrorism and
CERT, and culminate with a course review and practical disaster simulation.
Those that complete the training will be provided equipment to use in a disaster situation and will be provided “Identification Documents” that will identify them as emergency response personnel in a disaster situation. Additional training courses will be offered as well as follow-up training for current members. CERT Teams will be integrated into disaster operations assisting police, fire, medical, and emergency management personnel.
CERT training is both classroom and hands on. We have extinguished fires, bandaged simulated wounds, splinted simulated broken bones, and have removed a victim from a damaged structure. Communications, between teams, team members, and the command structure, is one area that needs to be addressed. I anticipate that ARES members would be assigned to individual CERT teams in order to facilitate communications. The ideal situation would be for every CERT team to have an ARES member assigned and for this ARES member to have been through the CERT training class.
CERT training is a step in the right direction. In the case of a major disaster situation, police, fire, and medical personnel may be spread very thin or even physically blocked from reaching the disaster site. CERT teams in cities, towns, and neighborhoods will have to provide what assistance that they can until professional help does arrive. This is “getting involved in your community.” Classes have started or are planned for other communities within McLennan County. I encourage you to take the time and get involved.
Also, remember that the ARRL Emergency Communications Courses are still available on line and are still being subsidized by a grant. In other words, this is FREE training folks! For more info, go to http://www.arrl.org/cce/ and click the links for EC-001, EC-002, and EC-003.
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Mark Your Calendars! Ham-Com 2004: June
18-19, 2004 in Arlington, TX HOTARC Field Day: June 26-27, 2004 at Hewitt Park |
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Ham-Com 2004 |
by
Barry A. Goldblatt, WA5KXX Chairman,
Ham-Com 2004 |
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Haven’t registered for Ham-Com 2004 yet? There are a lot of reasons to do it N-O-W! You can register on-line via http://www.hamcom.org and save money. On-line registration discounts are only available for a short time, so act quickly to lock in your savings.
The keynote speaker this year is Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, of the Federal Communications Commission. Mr. Hollingsworth and Jim Haynie, W5JBP, ARRL President, will also co-chair a special one-hour panel on the current license restructuring NPRM.
Check out the complete list of sessions, schedule of events, and so forth at http://www.hamcom.org. Make plans to attend!
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
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2004 Board
of Directors |
HOTARC 2004 Board of Directors
President: Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Vice Pres: Rodney Baden K5YKC,
857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV,
855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI,
829-2138, NMartin@tstc.edu
Past-Pres.: Rusty Keyes AD5JY,
662-1461, RustedKey@aol.com
Director
(2004):
Bill Cox W5JRM, 863-5149, W5JRM@aol.com
Director
(2005):
Ed Hynan KC5KNI, 666-4873, KC5KNI@arrl.net
Director
(2006):
Scott Shafer KD5MLY, 848-5888, ScottShafer@clearchannel.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)
Regular schedule: 10:00 am on the fourth Saturday of the month at Baylor’s Rogers Engineering Bldg, Room 109. Bring: 1) testing fee of $12 (cash, please); 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 Notice
This month’s
meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday May 27, 2003 at the
Salvation Army Church on I-35 and 12th Street in Waco. Meetings
generally last about 90 minutes consisting of fellowship, general Club
business, and an interesting program. Visiting hams, family members, and
prospective hams are welcomed! |
NOTE: HOTARC has
a new mailing address!
Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio
Club, Inc.
P.O. Box 32
Waco, TX 76703-0032