M ay we as American and human beings mark the day in our
Transcription
M ay we as American and human beings mark the day in our
Utica Shelby Emergency Communications Association, Inc. Volume 28, Number 7, September 2012 USECA BOARD MEETING MINUTES June 2012 Club Officers President, Larry W8SOX Membership Sec., Ray K8RDJ Board Member, Walt WB8E Vice President, Pete AA8GK Recording Sec, Rob NY8W Board Member, Chuck N8ZA Treasurer, Gary Simms WA8FEA Past President, Bill N8SA Board Member, Alec NF8X NOTE: Name in RED indicates absent Meeting called to order @ 6:53 p.m. by W8SOX Larry. With no corrections, Gary made a motion to accept the May board meeting minutes as printed in the Express. Ken seconded and the motion carried. Gary read the Treasurer's report. Ken moved to accept the treasurers report, Larry seconded and the motion passed. 143 members Swap: Chuck reported having a prospective venue for our swap. This place would furnish and set up tables and save us $500. The date would have to be moved to earlier in October. We will need to scout out the location during an event over the summer. Fundraising: N8WTT Gary reported that next week's general meeting raffle will feature 11 prizes. Field Day: The board discussed approving a budget. Walt made a motion to approve $2000 for Field Day. Ken seconded and the motion passed. There was some discussion about how we should charge for non-participating attendees. At this time Gary made a motion to adjourn Ken seconded and the meeting concluded at 8:05 pm T ragic events all have their major anniversaries: the first, the tenth, the twentieth, etc. Last year, marked the 10th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11. Somehow, I just don’t think the media will hype the eleventh anniversary as they did last year. M ay we as American and human beings mark the day in our hearts, thinking of the helpless people in the airliners, in The Twin Towers, and the Pentagon. May we remember the brave firefighters who died coming to the aid of others, even though they knew the buildings were physically compromised and failing. May we remember the Port Authority Police Officers in and around The Twin Towers, directing people away from the site, trying to maintain some semblance of order. May we remember the brave utility workers who assisted the fire department in getting the power turned off to affected floors. May we remember the brave passengers on United Flight 93 who recognized what was happening, formed a plan, then fought for their airliner, saving only God knows how many people on the ground. May we remember brave Betty Ong, a flight attendant aboard American Airlines Flight 11, who called her company using an flight phone, alerting them to what was happening on her plane. Respectfully Submitted, Rob Lifton NY8W, Recording Secretary. May we never forget the tragic events of 9/11. Next Meeting: October 8, 2012 (Click Here for Map of Meeting Location) Our 28th Year! 1 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. VHF / UHF Nets Officers and Committees DAY BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Larry Stocking / W8SOX (586) 294-7718 Vice Pres. Ken Coughlin / N8KC [email protected] Recording Secretary Rob Lifton / NY8W (248) 797-2264 Treasurer Gary Simms / WA8FEA (586) 322-3124 Membership Sec. Ray Anderson K8RDJ (586) 979-4456 Board Member Walt Gracey / WB8E (586) 596-9547 Board Member Alec Beardsley / NF8X (586) 873-8841 Board Member Chuck Perushek / N8ZA (586) 557-4983 Past President Bill Chesney / N8SA (586) 468-0106 COMMITTEES ARRL Liaison Bill / N8SA Awards Manager Bob / N8ZY (586) 978-1682 Door Prizes –OPEN– Editor Pete/ AA8GK (248) 433-7724 [email protected] Field Day Chair Bill / N8SA, Steve / N8XO Health & Welfare Rob / NY8W (248) 816-2222 Historian Jerry / K8CFY (586) 791-4484 Mailers/Sorters Joe / N8KA Net Manager Bob / N8ZY (586) 978-1682 Photographer Wes / KD8DHS Program Director Dan / N8ZBA Public Relations Officer Ken / N8KC (248) 652-1187 Refreshments Walt / WB8E Repeater Trustee Ken Coughlin / N8KC Swap Director Larry / WB8SJD [email protected] Technical Director Jim / W1IK (586) 771-4135 Technicians N8SA, W1IK, N8ZA, K8RDJ, W1SKU VE Testing Alec / NF8X (586) 873-8841 Webmaster Bob / N8ZY (586) 978-1682 CONTROL OPERATORS (*Phone #’s Above) Jim / WY8I Alec / NF8X Rob / NY8W Chuck / N8ZA Jim / W1IK Dan / N8ZBA PROGRAMMERS Jim / W1IK Brad / N8VI USECA VE Testing Testing will be the THIRD Monday of the month from September thru June. Alec, NF8X, is the Contact VE. Pre-registration is encouraged. Test fee is $14.00 cash (exact change only). Examinees need to bring Xerox copies of current license and un-expired CSCE's, if any. There is no copy machine at the test site. Official starting time is 7:00 PM. Walk-ins are welcomed. Test site is at the Mt.Clemens Elks Club (179 S.Main St. in Mt.Clemens). Other VE test sessions can be arranged— contact the Contact VE for details. Click here for the ARRL audio news. Our 28th Year! TIME NET FREQ SUN 1:00 PM USECA / Information 147.180 +100 PL SUN 8:00 PM USECA / Traders/Tech Support Net 147.180 +100 PL SUN 9:00 PM HPARC / Info 146.640 +100 PL SUN 9:00 PM Garden City ARC 146.860 +100 PL SUN-SAT 10:15 PM S. E. Michigan Traffic Net 146.76 +100 PL MON 7:30 PM SATERN 147.180 +100 PL MON 8:00 PM MECA / Info 147.200 +100 PL MON 8:00 PM GMARC 443.075 +123 PL TUE 8:00 PM Digital 145.550 TUE 9:00 PM Motor City Radio Club 147.240 WED 9:00 PM ARPSC / Info 145.490 THU 8:00 PM Macomb County RACES / ARES THU 8:30 PM LCARC / Info 147.200 +100 PL 147.080 HF Nets DAY TIME NET FREQ MON 7:30 PM LCARC / 15 Meter CW 21.165 MON 8:30 PM LCARC / 15 Meter Phone USB 21.395 TUE 2300 UTC USECA / 75 Meter Phone LSB WED 7:00 PM USECA / 6 Meter Phone USB 50.140 THU 7:30 PM LCARC / 10 Meter Phone USB 28.435 THU 9:00 PM USECA / 15 Meter CW 21.140 FRI 9:00 PM USECA / 80 Meter CW 3.570 FRI 10:00 PM USECA / 10 Meter Phone USB 28.425 3.830 +/- QRM Click above image. “...soon as we could see clearly through our big, black eye, man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July.” -Toby Keith 2 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. Our 28th Year! 3 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. USECA Support of Camp Ozanam By Larry, W8SOX As many of you know the last few years a group of us from the USECA club have been working on a GMRS repeater for the CYO Camps in Port Sanilac, MI. It Started out with the Donation of a Repeater from KC8WWE (Pete) and was built up around that. With Cell Phone coverage very minimal near the camps, there was a need to get working radios with good coverage so that in the event of an emergency someone could call for help and get someone to call 911 from a working phone. It also helps the camp counselors to keep track of everyone or when they need supplies. Using mostly donated equipment and time, we were able to get the repeater working in good order this summer just after the summer camps got started. A big thank you to: KC8WWE, Pete N8ZA, Chuck WB8F, Don WB8SJD, Larry N8WTT, Gary KD8NCN, Paul K8RDJ, Ray W8IC, Phil AA8GK, Pete Maintaining and making the repeater better will be our goal now. With no budget we will have to depend on donated equipment. If you have commercial UHF radio equipment or know of someone that is getting rid of there commercial UHF radio equipment please let us know or let them know if they would like to make a donation. We can provide a donation form for tax purposes. Camp Ozanam is an awesome organization that provides underprivileged children with a great camping experience. Won’t you, please, consider helping them with a charitable donation? CLICK HERE TO HELP CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO JOIN EITHER THE ARRL OR AMSAT ARRL AMSAT® 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111-1494 1-860-594-0200 Our 28th Year! 850 Sligo Avenue, Suite 600 Silver Springs, MD 20910 1-800-322-6728 4 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. QST: Hazel Park Amateur Radio Club Licensing Classes Technician License Class – Fall, 2012 Location: Macomb Intermediate School District Building 44001 Garfield Road Clinton Township, MI 48038 (North of 19 mile on west side of Garfield) Park on the north side of the building. Area map Starting Date: Monday, September 10, 2012, for 10 consecutive weeks Time: 7 – 9 pm Technician License Manual: The book can be purchased from the instructor the first night of class. The retail cost is $29.95 discounted to $25.00 – exact change would be appreciated. Exam: The FCC exam will be held on the last night of class. The cost is $15.00 cash only – exact change would be appreciated. Pre-Registration: Desirable, so that we can order the proper number of manuals. Instructor and Contact: Rich Urbano, KC8WPW, [email protected] General License Class – Fall, 2012 Location: City of Southfield Emergency Operations Center 26000 Evergreen Rd., Southfield, MI (Basement of the Parks & Recreation Center, end of the Municipal Complex). Area map, Civic Center map, Directions North Starting Date: Monday September 10, 2012 for 12 consecutive weeks Time: 7 – 9 pm Technician License Manual: The book can be purchased from the instructor the first night of class. The retail cost is $29.95 discounted to $25.00 – exact change would be appreciated. Exam: The FCC exam will be held on the last night of class. The cost is $15.00 cash only – exact change would be appreciated. Pre-Registration: Desirable, so that we can order the proper number of manuals. Instructor and Contact: Wallace Murray, KE8HR, [email protected] Thinking about getting your ham radio license? There are lots of online and downloadable study guides available for free! CLICK HERE to see just one of them! Our 28th Year! 5 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. The Beginning of USECA Compiled by Richard Brege, K8QLM, and Dick Mason, KA8BDG H ave you ever wondered as you looked around the room at one of our meetings just how all this came about? Did you know that at one time we had a CB Division? Or perhaps, you had the same thoughts as you read through the pages of The Express and saw the names of the founders / charter members and honorable charters who are, or in some cases were, the people who had the vision to begin the club we have today? Someone - and we can’t remember who - once said, “You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” So, take a trip with us as we turn back the pages of history to when it all started. We would like to thank all the members, both past and present, who furnished helpful information so that we could put it all together. We do not claim that we have put the facts in the proper order and we may have missed talking to someone who might have had additional historical information. What you see here has been obtained from personal accounts and old records. I n the early years of USECA, 1981 to 1984, many Utica area hams were active members of the L’Anse Creuse Amateur Radio Club. During that same period, a number of members from that club from the Utica area suggested that a new amateur radio club should be organized for several reasons, including the distance to the Mount Clemens meeting site. D uring an after-meeting coffee clutch at a Utica restaurant one night, a small group of L’Anse Creuse club members discussed the matter of organizing a new amateur radio club in the Utica area. The proposal was well received by those present. Additional meetings were scheduled and it was then resolved under the direction of John Moor, KA8KTV. A search was instituted for a suitable meeting site for the fledgling organization and the new club moved forward. A fter scanning many pages of historical documents given to us by several members, we found the minutes of the January 25, 1985, meeting and they shoed the election of officers. Elected were: John Moore, KA8KTV, as President, Richard Brege, K8QLM, as Vice President, and John Wuestewald, N8FNO, to Secretary / Treasurer. Our club’s name was selected, the annual dues set, and decided that the club meetings would be held at Faith Lutheran Church on Shelby Road in Shelby Township. On February 5, 1985, charter memberships were declared to be closed as of July 31, 1985. Our repeater frequency of 147.18 MHz (+600) had been monitored by John Moore and several volunteers for the previous year and it was found to be inactive. Two days after the year was up, John Moore notified the proper authorities of our intention to use the frequency pair for a new repeater operated by the newly formed Utica Shelby Emergency Communications Association. Membership was by invitation only and each new member contributed $100 to start the process of getting a repeater on the air. Those are the people named in The USECA Express club directory. Later, it was necessary to collect additional monies to complete the repeater system with the promise of a refund when the club became solvent. The additional money paid was later refunded following a motion made and approved at the October, 1987, meeting. Join. Prepare. Serve. Now. Click here to learn more. (Continued on page 7) Our 28th Year! -AA8GK 6 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. USECA History (Continued from page 6) I t has been said that john Moore’s home on 21 Mile Road contained more equipment than NASA headquarters and if lightning were to strike, it wouldn’t know where to hit! President Moore would have liked to have the repeater located there, but in order to do so, he would have had to move out. Member John Pizzuti, WB8NHT, and his wife, Erma, came to the rescue by offering their home at Burton and 21 Mile Road in Shelby Township as the repeater location. The necessary equipment was mounted on a desk large enough to land a 747, and heavy enough to require additional supports in the basement under the desk to stop it from crashing through the floor. The desk, which was in a bedroom, took up most of the room, but Erma was sympathetic to the cause and she willingly put up with the inconvenience. Erma had no faith, however, in John’s support system and it became necessary for him to take over the operation of the washer and dryer! Erma never again entered the basement as long as that desk was in the bedroom. The repeater antenna was erected in John’s Backyard by club members, and on April 3, 1985, the repeater, complete with phone patch, went on the air using the call K8QLM. A fter a few months of noisy repeater operation, it became apparent an equipment move was necessary. After exploring several locations, arrangements were made to house the repeater at the Messina Trucking Company, locating the antenna on their tower. Of the dozen members assembled on a Saturday morning to mount the antenna on the tower, only one would climb the tower. Club member, Chuck Young, KA8WOT, made the 156 foot climb, hauling the ropes and pulleys needed to hoist the antenna to the desired location. Chuck remarked that he thought he was in a wind tunnel, and that he could see downtown Pontiac. Meanwhile, a large crowd had gathered at Erma’s Custard Stand, everyone munching on Erma’s best custard while watching Chuck. The new antenna was safely raised and secured before dark. Installation of the antenna was completed the following morning with Erma’s owner reporting record weekend profits. The repeater was moved to the Messina location during the week of August 13, 1985. A s we cruise through the pages of the archives, we find many notations of memorable entries which shaped the future of USECA. A motion at the meeting of Novermber12, 1985, split the Secretary / Treasurer job into two positions. Joe Paulson, WD8MFN, took over as Treasurer, and Richard Brege, K8QLM, became the Secretary, the minutes reflecting that he “was to do his own typing.” Around the end of 1985, the USECA treasury was in need of additional funds. During a club meeting late that same year, a motion was made and approved that USECA sponsor a pancake and sausage breakfast in order to bolster the club treasury. Following a search for a suitable location, it was decided to have the breakfast in the basement of the American Legion Hall on Cass Avenue in Utica. The planned all-you-can-eat breakfast was advertised in several area newspapers in advance of the event. Response to the breakfast publicity was very good and the receipts boosted the USECA treasury very significantly. 1986 saw the first issue of our newsletter and our first Field Day. Our first swap meet at the Eisenhower High School was a complete success. Expenses for our auto patch during the first month of operation came to $4.32 in long distance calls. The newly instituted Friday midnight Hoot Owl Net, originally intended to be comical in nature, was a good reason to stay up into the early hours of Saturday. P resident John Moore opened the May 13, 1986, meeting at 1930 hours. He had been seriously ill for a week and found it necessary to use a bull horn to make himself heard. A few days later, after being hospitalized, he passed away. The USECA Express for May and June, 1986, contained an article by the editor, Vance Dupris, WB8QNI, who asked if we remember the ‘Great White Father of USECA’. All of our members did, and we all knew he would be sorely missed. (Concluded on page 8) Upcoming ARRL Contests Sep 8-10 September VHF QSO Party, Click HERE for more information on this QSO party! Oct 15-19 School Club Roundup (SCR). Contact as many school radio clubs as possible. More HERE. Nov 3-5 Sweepstakes, CW. U.S. and Canadians make as many QSO’s as possible. More HERE. Nov 17-19 Sweepstakes, Phone. U.S. and Canadians make as many QSO’s as possible. More HERE. 11/30-12/2 ARRL 160 Meter Contest. W/VE stations make as many QSO’s as possible on 160. HERE. Our 28th Year! 7 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. USECA History, Conclusion (Continued from page 7) T he years following 1986 are a history lesson in their own right. Through the guidance and leadership of those elected to office, and because of the actions of our membership, USECA has developed into one of the finest and most active amateur radio clubs in the area. We are known nationally and shall continue moving forward with our active membership. O ur first president, John Moore, believed a goal for USECA was to have the membership number well over 100, and someday, have our swap at the Silverdome. The membership goal was reached long ago. Could the Silverdome be next? S pecial thanks to John Wuestewald, N8FNO, who—when he was Secretary, compiled the minutes and other important paperwork and kept it all these years. John has instructed us to turn historical documents over to our club historian where it will remain a part of USECA’s history. I would like to thank Ken Coughlin, N8KC, for getting me this article -Editor Over the last 4 years, your Second Amendment Rights have been threatened like never before. Therefore, this November, VOTE FREEDOM FIRST, supporting those candidates that support your right to defend yourself and those you love. Next, join the only organization in the country with the clout to stand up to anti-gun legislation, the NRA. Click on the above image to get started! Happy Rosh Hashanah! Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game. Click on the image to the left to learn more! Our 28th Year! 8 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. Meeting called to order at 7:27 PM by Ken as acting president (and a great performance it was, too! - Editor) Club Officers Ken took a moment to recognize the President, Larry Membership Sec., Ray Board Member, Walt kitchen crew, but just a moment as the food W8SOX K8RDJ WB8E really wasn’t that great. Vice President, Pete Recording Sec, Rob Board Member, Chuck AA8GK NY8W N8ZA New licensees and upgrades were recogBoard Member, Alec Treasurer, Gary Simms Past President, Bill nized, then ground into hamburger to be N8SA NF8X WA8FEA served before the September General MeetNOTE: Name in RED indicates absent ing. The microphone was passed around and all attendees introduced themselves, confessing whatever malefactions they’ve committed in their lives. N8TVI Scott made a motion to approve the May General Meeting minutes as printed in the Express, N8KDL Doug seconded and the motion carried. Gary summarized the financials, then absconded with the funds to Brazil. Don, WB8F, moved that we authorize $2000 for Field Day, KD8HIZ Andy seconded and the funds were approved. New Business: KD8HIZ Andy announced that we had a radio donated to the Packard Proving Grounds and it is set up in the radio room as there was no room in the lavatory. NF8X Alec announced the final regular USECA VE testing session before the summer break will take place on Monday June 18th at the Elks lodge. This will also be the last session using the current Extra class question pool before bleach is thrown into it. Rob made a motion that Bill's tagline be changed from "Who Cares?" to "Bite Me!" Chuck seconded and the motion passed unanimously. We still haven’t collected enough money to bail Bill out of jail. Please donate generously. Then again, ‘WHO CARES?’ 56 Attendees signed in because their wives threw them out of the house for the night. Does anyone read this damned thing? Andy, KD8HIZ, moved to adjourn and N8TVI Scott seconded. The meeting concluded at 7:48 pm U S E C A GENERAL M E E T I N G M I N U T E S June 2012 Respectfully submitted by NY8W Rob, Recording Secretary. A FREE WAY TO HELP CAMP OZANAM!!!!! PLEASE READE THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT A MOUSE CLICK CAN ACTUALLY HELP OUR FRIENDS AT THE CYO CAMPS!?!?! Our 28th Year! 9 The USECA Express 9 / 1 1 : never forget. Annual Membership Dues: Regular: $25, Family $35, Mailed Printed Newsletter: ADD $10.00 New Member applications MUST be mailed to: USECA, P.O. Box 46331, Mt. Clemens, MI 48046 MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: USECA ALL mailed-in applications MUST include a self-addressed stamped envelope Allow 4-6 weeks for processing USECA reserves the right to accept or reject New or Renewal Memberships Upcoming Events in 2012 Date Time Event Sun, Sept 9 8 am - 12 pm Findlay Swap Sun, Oct 7 8 am-2pm Location Hancock County (Ohio) Fairgrounds, 147.15 Talk-in. MAP HERE The NEW AND NEW LOCATION!!! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP Talk-in on the IMPROVED USECA USECA Repeater, 147.18 MHz, +100. MORE TABLES, MORE SWAP VENDORS, BETTER LOCATION, FOOD and FELLOWSHIP! The USECA EXPRESS is published monthly (except July and August), by the UTICA SHELBY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION, INC., of Macomb County, Michigan. Club meetings are held on the second Monday of each month (except July and August), 7:30 p.m., local time, at the Elks Club, 179 S. Main (between Church and Robertson), Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Visitors are always welcome. Articles for the EXPRESS should be submitted to the editor no later than one week before the club meeting for publication in the following month’s edition. The articles within are those of the author and not necessarily endorsed by USECA. Material contained in the EXPRESS may be reprinted provided credit is given to the USECA EXPRESS and the author, except material published by permission of a copyright holder. Our 28th Year! 10 The USECA Express “Oh, God…. Your ocean is so big, and my boat is so small.” Don’t Forget The USECA SWAP! Sunday, October 7, 2012, 8 am - 2 pm UFCW, LOCAL 876 Hall 876 Horace Brown Drive, Madison Heights, MI Talk-in, USECA Repeater, 147.180 MHz, +100 Hz PL ATION!!!!! Non-Stop CLICK HERE FOR GOOGLE MAP The USECA EXPRESS First Class Car, Seat 07A $25/yr reg. Memb., $35/yr reg. Memb. w/mailed Express This ticket for The USECA EXPRESS entitles the holder to another non-stop adventure in Amateur Radio via the September 2012 issue. The holder of this ticket is not, however, restricted from participating in one of the many great activities sponsored by the USECA organization!!! Fall is a great time to get outside, exercise, play radio, take in the fresh air, and be happy to be alive! 1 s t Class WARNING: Eating this ticket may cause injury or death. Offer not valid in Hawaii, Ohio, or North Korea. Use only as prescribed. Your mileage may vary. Call your doctor immediately if your enthusiasm for amateur radio lasts longer than 4 hours after reading The Express. Amateur radio and amateur radio equipment may cause dizziness, euphoria, dry mouth, hyperventilation, profuse sweating, hot flashes, bankruptcy and / or divorce. But, WHO CARES? After all, IT’S RADIO!!! 147. 180 MHz +100 PL NEW LOC