Bible
Verse
Philippians 2:9-11 --- Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
President's Report
Good day all, it looks like we are seeing a preview of what to expect this winter. I would suggest you make preparations to have a back up in case the weather does get real cold. These cool nights this early are a sign that we can expect snow and ice. Also with the storm in the eastern Caribbean that may turn our way, we could see some rain and wind from that.
One of our topics for discussion during our meeting at the Western Sizzlin this Saturday at 11 will be where do we want to keep having our meetings... Western Sizzlin or move them to the truck stop. Hope to see you there, everyone is welcome.
73 Charles
Next MARC Business Meeting
The next business meeting will be held at the Western Sizzlin Restaurant located on North Frontage Road on Saturday, November 4th beginning at 11 A.M. Come join us for some awesome sweet tea, lunch, and fellowship.
** PLEASE NOTE: We will meet in the MIDDLE room toward the back of the restaurant.
Meridian ARRL Volunteer Exams
Below are our newest test dates.
- Nov 11, 2023
- Jan 13, 2024
- March 16, 2024
- May 18, 2024
- July 20, 2024
Location: Lauderdale County EOC (LEMA)
2525 14th Street
Meridian, MS 39301
Pre-Registration preferred. Please call or email Eldon Richardson if you are interested in testing: Email or call
(601) 227-6690
ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program
The ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program, in effect since April 19, 2022, will cover the one-time $35 application fee for new license candidates younger than 18-years old for tests administered under the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) program. The $35 FCC application fee will be reimbursed after the ARRL VEC receives the completed reimbursement form and after the new license has been issued by the FCC. The reimbursement check will be mailed to the fee payer. Also, candidates younger than 18-years old would pay a reduced exam session fee of $5 to the ARRL VEC VE team at the time of the exam. The $5 fee is for all candidates under the age of 18, regardless of the exam level taken. Proof of under 18 status is required at the session. Visit the ARRL web site for the program instructions and reimbursement form at: www.arrl.org/youth-licensing-grant-program.
Parks on the Air
Congratulations N5VBK --- Parks on the Air 100 Hunter Award.
Updating the Amateur’s Code
by Dan Romanchik, KB6NU
There have been several versions of the Amateur ’s Code since it was written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928. Here ’s the version that currently appears in Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur, Edition 3, June 2009:
The Radio Amateur is
CONSIDERATE… He never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.
LOYAL… He offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, the IARU Radio Society in his/[her] country, through which Amateur Radio in his country is represented nationally and internationally.
PROGRESSIVE… He keeps his station up to date. It is well-built and efficient. His operating practice is above reproach.
FRIENDLY… He operates slowly and patiently when requested; offers friendly advice and counsel to beginners; kind assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the marks of the amateur spirit.
BALANCED… Radio is a hobby, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.
PATRIOTIC… His/[Her] station and skills are always ready for service to country and community.
Well, now the IARU is updating Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur, and I ’m part of the group that ’s working on the update. One of our tasks is to make the text more gender-neutral. The ARRL has a somewhat gender-neutral version of the Code, but really all they did was to replace “he” with “he/she.”
That being the case, I ’ve taken it upon myself to create not only a gender-neutral version of the Code, but to also clarify some of the language. Here ’s what I ’ve come up with so far:
The Radio Amateur is
CONSIDERATE… The radio amateur never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.
LOYAL… The radio amateur is loyal to and supportive of other amateurs, local clubs, and the IARU Radio Society in their country.
PROGRESSIVE… The radio amateur ’s station up to date, well-built, and efficient. Their operating practice is above reproach.
FRIENDLY… The radio amateur operates slowly and patiently when requested and offers friendly advice and counsel to beginners. They are also cooperative and considerate of the interests of others.
BALANCED… Radio amateurs realize that radio is a hobby and never allow it to interfere with their duties owed to family, job, school, or community.
PATRIOTIC… The radio amateur ’s station and skills are always ready for service to country and community.
Not only do I think that my version is clearer, I think that it is more parallel than the previous version.
I posted this to my blog and got some great feedback from my followers on LinkedIn and Mastodon. For example, Jesse, WB2IFS, pointed me to his version of the Code, which he published on his blog in September 2022. I particular like his rendition of "progressive:"
PROGRESSIVE…An Amateur is curious. An Amateur is enthusiastically and continuously learning new techniques, technologies, countries, and cultures with the understanding that everyone is an Amateur.
I got quite a few comments on Mastodon. Several folks wanted me to reconsider the use of the term "patriotic." Christopher, M0YNG, said, "I'm not a massive fan of "patriotic" and wonder if it could be more "humanity focused" rather than country[-focused]? Not sure on the words though." Jevid, KE8DET, opined, "Patriotic is often conflated with, and co-opted by nationalism, which contains an inherent aspect of 'my country first.' This sits in opposition to amateur radio being a means to foster international good will."
Andreas, DJ3EI, had a number of comments, but this one I found to be the most appealing. He says, "The old Code requires 'operating practice ... [to be] above reproach.' I highly recommend [a change] to 'always be eager to try something new.' You'll enjoy! I certainly do! Learning+studying is one of the official goals of our hobby! Thus, we may become beginners on a regular basis, bound to make beginner's mistakes. An 'above reproach' angst only hinders."
Sam, N9MII, says, "Perhaps focus on safe and well-considered operation? As in something that doesn't spike all over the band and whatnot." I think that safety is something the the Code is surely missing.
Onno, VK6FLAB, also weighed in. In his version of the Code, he changes the word "patriotic" to "supportive." He writes, "The Radio Amateur is SUPPORTIVE...knowledge, station and skills always ready for service to country and community." I'm not sure that's quite the right word, either, but the idea is that the radio amateur is ready to pitch in when needed.
As you can see, there’s still some work to be done here. If you have any comments on this, please feel free to email me directly or to add a comment on my blog.
—————
Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, is the author of the KB6NU amateur radio blog (KB6NU.Com), the "No Nonsense" amateur radio license study guides (https://KB6NU.Com/study-guides/), and often appears on the ICQPodcast (https://icqpodcast.com). When he ’s not writing about amateur radio, he tinkers with electronics projects and operates POTA and works CW on the HF bands.
Lauderdale Repeater Group w5LRG
146.970 - ki5fw/R (pl 100hz)
444.500 + w5LRG/R
145.410- no5c/R w/100hz tone access
GE to all: It is the time of year for both the Lauderdale Repeater Group and Meridian Amateur Radio Club to jointly pay for Liability Insurance to cover both groups and repeater sites. This year’s premium remains the same price of $325.00 for a one year policy. Both groups will pay half of the premium ($162.50 each). I urge everyone to help pay for this expense. If you use any one of / or both repeaters just remember these do not stay on the air all by themselves. All donations will be greatly appreciated. Dennis NO5C
Contributions can be mailed to:
Lauderdale Repeater Group w5LRG
c/o: Dennis Carpenter
7760 Vanzyverden Road
Meridian, MS 39305
Quote of the Month
Any person capable of angering you becomes your master.
Epictetus (Greek Philosopher)
Have a BLESSED month!
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Month
November 2023 
