THE SPARK GAP

A monthly publication of the Meridian Amateur Radio Club May 2010

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 Bible Verse

Phil 4:4-7 / Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

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coaxial

Next Business Meeting

< NOTICE: Business meeting location changed >

Next business meeting will be held on Saturday, June 5th, 2010 (10 AM) at Ryan's Family Steak House, 207 S Frontage Rd, Meridian, MS Road just past Harley Davidson.

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coaxial

FIELD DAY 2010

< NOTICE: Field Day location has changed  >

June 26-27, 2010 / ARRL Field Day is the largest on-the-air operating event in Amateur Radio. It draws tens of thousands to the airwaves each year, bringing new and experienced hams together for a weekend of fun!

This year MARC Field Day location will be held at the LEMA office on 14th Avenue, Meridian, MS. In addition some club members have decided to meet at Lake Tom Bailey just off of Hwy 80, EAST of Meridian (see note below). Be sure to visit both. Come join us!

Hey guys, I am hosting a Field Day (June 26 - 27, 2010) event this year at Lake Tom Bailey! I am very excited about it and I want to invite every one to come. I know MARC will be at LEMA but if you want something different to look at except four walls then come on out. I want all to understand I am NOT trying to take anyone from the event at LEMA; I just want everybody to understand my event is for everyone that wants to come. It is NOT a private event! I would normally be the club event myself but I don't know if I can sit boxed in and work the radio for that long. I need fresh air!!

Anyway, anybody and everybody is WELCOME!

73s, Eldon, W4IOS

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coaxial

Hurricane Preparedness Week

History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster. Hurricane Preparedness Week during 2010 will be held May 23rd through May 29th. The goal of this Hurricane Preparedness Web site is to inform the public about the hurricane hazards and provide knowledge, which can be used to take ACTION. This information can be used to save lives at work, home, while on the road, or on the water.

Hurricane hazards come in many forms: storm surge, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding. This means it is important for your family to have a plan that includes all of these hazards. Look carefully at the safety actions associated with each type of hurricane hazard and prepare your family disaster plan accordingly. But remember this is only a guide. The first and most important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use common sense.

You should be able to answer the following questions before a hurricane threatens:

  • What are the Hurricane Hazards?
  • What does it mean to you?
  • What actions should you take to be prepared?

Visit the NOAA Coastal Services Center Historical Hurricane Tracks Website to learn about historical tropical cyclones occurring in different areas located throughout the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. The Website provides information about U. S. coastal county population versus hurricane strikes as well as links to various Internet resources focusing on tropical cyclones. The interactive mapping application allows you to search the National Hurricane Center historical tropical cyclone database and graphically display storms affecting your area since 1851.

For detailed information please visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml

In that we are in the midst of Tornado Season in Mississippi and Hurricane Season is ahead, it would be a good idea for all Mississippi Hams engaged in emergency response to review the Mississippi Section Emergency Operations Plan.

 

coaxial

Five Things You Always Wanted to Know about Hail . . . but were Afraid to Ask"

Over the years CoCoRaHS has become one of few repositories of hail information in the nation. Thanks to your observations, we are able to catalogue hail reports from all fifty states. As we strive to become more 'hail aware' here are five things you may or may not know about hail and maybe were afraid to ask!

1) Hail comes in many shapes and sizes, ranging from rice-sized pellets (1/8") to giant softballs (4 1/2"). Hail can be clear or white or a combination of the two. Hail can be hard or soft. Wind patterns usually form hailstones into balls, but they can also appear in other shapes, such as cones, discs, stars, pyramids, or just strange looking pointy blobs. We've even had reports of donut shaped stones!

2) On June 22, 2003, the largest hailstone ever recorded in the United States in terms of maximum circumference and length fell in Aurora, Nebraska. The stone had a diameter of 7.0 inches with a circumference of
18.75 inches and weighed 1.3 pounds. No one was injured. This eclipsed the former record, which had been held by Coffeyville, Kansas where on September 3, 1970 a stone with a circumference of 17.5 inches, 5.5 inches in diameter and 1.67 pounds struck the earth at 105 mph.

3) In North America, hail is most common on the High Plains just east of the Rocky Mountains. For example where Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming's borders meet just east of Cheyenne, WY there is an average of 9 to 10 hailstorms each year. Hail in this region occurs between the months of March and October mostly during the afternoon and evening hours, with the bulk of the occurrences from May through September.

4) Hail suppression has been tried by many over the years including silver iodide cloud seeding and types of rockets. "Hail cannons" whose "LOUD" acoustic burst is believed to break-up hail while it is just forming, are still being used in some areas where fruit and vegetables are grown extensively.

5) Hail is found in many countries around the world, such as China. In June 1932 a hailstorm killed an estimated 200 people, and injured thousands more there. Other countries with frequent hailstorms include southern and western Germany, northern Italy, northern India and Croatia.

From CoCoRahs

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.coaxial.

Have a great month

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