THE SPARK
GAP
June - July 2000
President’s
Comments
Field Day - Thanks to all that participated in MARC Field Day
2000! We had loads of fun and made plenty of contacts. A special
thanks to Dennis Smith and the Don Quixote QRP Club for executing
a brilliant plan that included a joint effort with MARC to silence
some bold statements originating in Clark County.
MARC Member Roll - some of you have requested a list of paid up
members in the Meridian Amateur Radio Club. If you are a member of
MARC and would like a copy of this list, please send an e-mail to
k5xc@aol.com
Phone Patch- The club will vote next business meeting to keep or
eliminate the phone patch. Be sure to show up for the vote.
73' Gary Galloway, K5XC
VICE PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS
Sorry that I missed the July business meeting. Still have not
recovered fully from Field Day.
There will be a Technician Class License Course taught starting at
1000 hours July 15 at the LEMA building. Please get the word out
to those that were interested in the last course but could not
make it. Especially those members of LEMA that are trained storm
spotters that do not have amateur radio privileges. They would be
a great asset to our ARES unit.
Thought that FD was a big success. Hope to hear you on the Tuesday
Night Net which has moved to 8:00 p.m. for the summer. The number
of check-ins has doubled since we moved the time back. Thank you
for your response to the time change.
In business it costs ten times less to keep your regular customers
coming back than it does to recruit one new customer. In this
hobby of amateur radio, we lose 50% of the new hams during their
first year. Many of you go to great lengths to get a friend to
come into the hobby. We all need to do what we can to make them
feel welcome and keep them interested. Many of us feel that with
the spectrum being auctioned off that amateur radio will lose
space in the future unless we populate those frequencies above the
HF range. There is strength in numbers.
WB5OCD
Thoughts from your Editor
I thank each and everyone that prayed for
AC5OH (Gary Drake from Philadelphia) and KC5THA (Steve Blackwell
from Meridian). Many of you responded with positive comments. I am
happy to report that both have been released from the hospital -
Gary was released on June 27th, and Steve was released on July
10th. Both are doing GREAT!
From my own experience, I commend these two gentlemen for their
courage during their struggles. They are another example of how
prayer can help the body to overcome what seamed like hopeless
situations. THANK YOU for your PRAYERS. AMEN.
The last couple of months have been busy, so there was no June
issue sent out and this month is running later than I like for it
to. Thank you for your patience. Have a good month and please be
careful in this heat.
73, W5MAV
ARES OPS
Thanks to each and everyone of you that
participated in this years Field Day. It was great. WX was a
little hot but much nicer than having to worry about the antennas
getting hit by lightning and drowning in the mud and water like
last year.
Initial count showed something like 220 phone contacts and an
unknown number of CW contacts. With the message to the Section
Manager, class operation, and other bonus points we should score
higher than last year. If an award for best operator was given
this year my vote would be for KD5GWM, Donna Harrison. Donna
really was a driving force in our making contacts and logging.
WB5OCD
WX UPDATE
Hope you have enjoyed the rain as much as
have I. No real severe weather to report in this area. The
lightning has made for a lot of noise and maybe a few fires but
has not caused any injuries to date. If you are near a
thunderstorm cell stay inside if possible. Inside your car is
good. Don’t use the phone (cordless is OK) or take a shower
or bath because you may become part of the ground system if there
is a nearby strike. Enjoy the rain it sure feels good after all
the months we have been short. WB5OCD
Don Quixote Field Day Supplement
“The Don Quixote Field Day was deemed
an overwhelming success,” says Don Quixote QRP Club President
Dennis Smith, N5HGN. Smith announced that the earlier cancellation
of the DQ Field Day was a well planned move to throw rival QRP
clubs in the area off guard and to better position his club for a
grand takeover. The move, secret to all but a trusted few in the
DQ organization went off without a hitch.
The members of MARC were taken totally by surprise with the DQ
groups arrival and joining forces with them shortly after Field
Day was already underway. The new right hand man in the DQ group
said, “The most difficult part of any clandestine operation
is keeping the information leaks from destroying the op. This did
not happen in our organization. It was a brilliant
stroke.”
Smith said, “We needed to streamline the organization and
downsize to make ourselves more competitive in this battle of the
‘LITTIE BITTIE RADIO CLUBS.’ Some of our senior members
were not recruiting the kind of talent we need to be viable.
“
“Other senior members in charge of fund raising projects were
just not securing the funds necessary to keep their ‘Beloved
President’ in the the style in which he had grown
accustomed,” said the new right hand man. “After all,
Our Beloved President was expecting a new Lear Jet, two week
vacation to Rio, and a new home on the Florida coast. Instead, due
to the lack of serious fund raising, he had to settle for a pink
Cadillac, one week vacation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and his
old house next to the Mississippi Highway Patrol Office in
Meridian. “
In addition, Smith added, “After this realignment we are
stronger and in a better position than ever before. The rumors and
e-mails reporting the demise of the DQQRPCI are totally fictitious
and not deserving of an answer. In a move that rivals the FBI/HRT
raid on the home of Elian Gonzolez’s Miami relatives, our
covert FD operation caused the MSQRP to self destruct from within.
They lacked a foe, could no longer focus, and just folded into a
smoldering heap.”
It was also noted that the President of DQQRP was truly one of the
highlights of the MARC Field Day operations. A very unique and
compact QRP setup was provided by N5HGN for this special history
making event. Much catching up was done, old fences mended, and
even some recruiting went on. In addition to the fun and
fellowship, several QRP contacts were made under the W5FQ
umbrella.
Please contact N5HGN for membership details at the DQ
Headquarters. He is always interested in A FEW MORE PROFICIENT CW,
QRP OPERATORS.
(author wishes to remain anonymous)
ARES in Action
Hancock County Gets New Communication Tower
Hancock County emergency officials have a
new way of keeping in touch. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) has constructed a new VHF radio emergency installation. A
recent ARES disaster drill at Stennis Space Center convinced
amateur radio operators (hams) that they needed a way to transmit
from remote parts of the county. Because VHF radio is line of
sight, hills, terrain, trees, and buildings often hamper
communication. VHF radio is often used by hams during emergency
situations because VHF units are physically small and don't have
problems with static.
On top of the new 100 foot tower are a repeater and antenna that
can automatically receive and retransmit information
simultaneously. The repeater allows hams with hand held
transceivers or in automobiles to communicate with each other and
emergency operation centers. The repeater can transmit across
Hancock county as well as parts of Louisiana, and Pearl River,
Stone and Harrison counties in Mississippi. The repeater will
provide back up communications for public service agencies such as
the Red Cross and Civil Defense during emergency situations.
About $2500 went into constructing the tower/repeater/antenna
installation using entirely donated materials.
- - from the WLOX News Web Page. Hancock County Emergency
Coordinator Jerry Leake, K5DMC, and his ARES Unit made this all
happen.
Have a great month
