The meeting was called to order at 7:30PM Progress on the repeater was discussed as above. LARC Winter Field Day was discussed.

Transcription

1 Volume XXV, Issue 4 Editor: Thomas Price; KC2PSC April 2018 March 8, 2018 Board Meeting The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM. Present were Peter AA2VG, Rich W2TMA, Neil KC2TAF, Neil W2NDG The recent progress on the repeater was discussed. We have a new repeater and controller donated by Bill Scheibel N2NFI. Bill has the first right of refusal if we decide to discard, sell or trade the equipment. There are still adjustments to be made but the signal improvement is dramatic. The board voted and passed a proposal to obtain an estimate of what it would cost to replace the hardline and top antenna for the repeater in the next several months. There was an offer from Eric, KE2EJ of LIMARC, to sell LARC a repeater. A board vote to hold off on any purchase was passed. We are grateful for the offer but will hold off for now. The board voted to thank Bill N2NFI for his vital help and his donation. We will also offer Bill a free membership to LARC. We discussed a final cleanout of the LARC trailer and obtaining a large cabinet for storage, tents and radios, to be placed in the repeater building. We also discussed meeting with our town Supervisor, Chad Lupinacci, regarding cooperation between LARC and the town. March 8, 2018 General Meeting minutes The meeting was called to order at 7:30PM Progress on the repeater was discussed as above. LARC Winter Field Day was discussed. Peter AA2VG presented membership. We now have 61 paid and honored members. Rich W2TMA discussed our VE session with one person obtaining his license. Steve N2PQJ sent an ARES/RACES April

2 report. We are working on Winlink connections with other Towns. Howard KC2OJO discussed Night timers. Usually 4 members attend. Presentation transceivers. His presentation included a slide show of the transceiver and kit, which included its evolution, cost and abilities. It is a small multiband SSB and CW radio sold at a very low price. He gave a demonstration of the radio s ability using a loop antenna to get on the air. Neil W2NDG presented BITX April

3 The Parachute Radio Kit. More than a Radio! Peter DeLuca, AA2VG This article was originally published in has a reading list with tons of information the April 2018 NAQCC NEWS published about these amazing radios. Oluf Reed by the North American QRP CW Club. Olsen a 21 year old Norwegian was not going to sit on the sidelines as the German army marched into his country in April A ham since 1993 I have always wanted to In the book Assignment Spy, an build my own radio. When I heard about abridged version of Two Eggs on My the Bayou Jumper from the Four State Plate Oluf takes you along on his daring QRP Group I knew that it was time to escape to England and return to Norway build. I received and built the radio. It was as a patriot spy radio operator. He was as advertised, a very good regenerative responsible for the sinking of many receiver, a crystal controlled transmitted German ships in the war that delivers 5 watts, a built in key and a effort. The life expectancy of a spy radio sharp looking face plate that I put in a operator behind enemy lines was about 6 wooden suitcase box. What I did not months as the Germans became proficient at fox hunting. Oluf survived to see his county obtain its freedom. In the short story The Suitcase Set Ted Hall describes his parachute drop behind enemy lines in Serbia. His paraset survived the drop but the gas-powered generator to charge his batteries had a hard landing, as its parachute did not open. Luckily he also had a bicycle generator. Since he was unable to get his Serbian resistance fighters to pedal he The completed Bayou Jumper acquired powerful quadricep leg muscles anticipate was the amazing history of this in order to charge his batteries and contact paraset replica, the thrill and challenge of his home base in Cairo, Egypt. He took making contacts and the fact that I could part in many missions but for me the most become an agent of the Clandestine exciting was the radio coordination he Wireless Operators.1 supplied in order to sink a tugboat at a critical narrowing of the Danube River. The Bayou Jumper is a transistor replica of the WWII paraset radios. They received This frustrated the Germans since they were not able to resupply their troops until their name paraset because they were the wreck was removed. dropped by parachute behind enemy lines in WWII. The Bayou Jumper Yahoo group Although I was born in 1950 (technically April

4 perhaps an old timer) I did not discover amateur radio until I was 43 sad isn t it! I heard about crystals and how the old timers used them in their radios. In the book Crystal Clear by Richard J. Thompson Jr. I learned that the development of the crystal oscillator industry is right up there with the atomic bomb and radar when it came to Allie advantage in WWII. The Signal Corps had shown that crystal controlled radios were by far more reliable than master oscillator Inside The Bayou Jumper Kit power amplifiers. There were two major problems with building crystal-controlled radios for the armed forces. The first was raw material. All of the crystals were mined in Brazil. The second was ramping up an industry that only supplied amateur operators with crystals. They not only solved the raw material issue but they also improved production from 100,000 units in 1941 to 28 million units in American ingenuity, can-do spirit and government intervention were the basis for this amazing increase in crystal production. Private First Class Irwin Gottlieb was a radio operator in France in June 1944 and was wounded in action. In later life, when asked how his unit defended itself against often-times much larger German units, Gottlieb would invariably reply we were heavily armed, and we had crystals. Clandestine coded CW behind enemy lines played a major part in the war but we must not forget about AM voice radio. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) was a beacon of hope for occupied countries. Although the Germans forbade AM receivers, residents of occupied countries hid their radios under floorboards or behind walls. The radios would be taken out at night so they could listen to their exiled leaders and maintain hope of being liberated. Lynne Olson in her new book Last Hope Island recounts the story of Great Britain s efforts to cooperate with the exiled European governments. The book was very Unofficial Clandestine Operator s Certificate. Do not post at undercover operating station. informative and a wonderful read. I think I am like most Hams as I love to operate and make contacts. I also love a challenge. I know that radios communicate but don t talk. Several nights ago with my headphones on I thought I heard my KX3 asking my IC April

5 7300 why they were being ignored. The KX3 explained that we are transceivers (not separate receiver and transmitter) and we have filters, auto tuners, cw side tones, iambic keying, visual displays and more power. The ICOM responded with It s all about the challenge and the history. If you are a CW op, a WWII history enthusiast or if you just want to become a clandestine radio operator agent, I would look into the Bayou Jumper. As a secret agent radio operator I first thought about writing this anonymously but considering that WikiLeaks will probably uncover and disseminate my true identity. Peter S. DeLuca, AA2VG Agent 033 Foot note 1: Serial and Secret Agent number program courtesy N5IB bayoujumper.php April Meeting: Antique Radio Restoration April 12, :30PM Huntington Senior Citizen Center April

6 Yahoo Group Please join the Clubs Yahoo group. Not a member already send an to the following address: larkfieldarc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Join our facebook group ARES/RACES NET Sunday 0900 New York State RACES LSB Monday 1900 Huntington Monday 1930 Smithtown Monday 1930 Southampton Monday 2000 Nassau County ARES RACES Monday 2000 Easthampton Monday 2015 Babylon Monday 2030 Brookhaven Monday 2100 Sufolk County RACES Huntington ARES/RACES April

7 The Larkfield Amateur Radio Club Affiliated with American Radio Relay League Officers (one year terms) President Peter Deluca AA2VG (2018) Vice President Neil Harris KC2TAF (2018) Treasurer Jonathan Schwartz KC2PBE (2018) General Directors (two year terms) Neil Goldstein Bob Benward Rich Florio Scott Conover Roger Rapp W2NDG AC2AZ W2TMA AC2FV W2GLE ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (2018) WA2PNU Station Trustee Jonathan Schwartz KC2PBE WR2ABA Station Trustee Jonathan Schwartz KC2PBE W2LRC Station Trustee Jonathan Schwartz KC2PBE Members of the Larkfield Amateur Radio Club are invited to use the W2RGM Dix Hills Repeater System: MHz out/ MHz in 4z/136.5 Hz PL 70 centimeters MHz out/ in 2a/114.8 Hz PL THE LARKFIELD AMATEUR RADIO CLUB OPERATES: WR2ABA HUNTINGTON REPEATER MHz out/ MHz in 4z/136.5 Hz PL W2LRC HAUPPAUGE REPEATER MHz out/ MHz in 4z/136.5 Hz PL W2LRC HUNTINGTON APRS MHz In/Out USA EASTNET FLEXNET NETWORK WA2PNU (0-15) Nodes MHz WA2PNU (-4) Node MHz (BBS) The Larkfield Amateur Radio Club wishes to thank Bruno KC2ESI, Jack K2JX, Joe N2QPD, Bob AC2AZ, Thomas KC2PSC, and Pat WB2CMF for their dedication and efforts in maintaining the Club s repeaters and our packet and APRS stations. Their collective efforts and donations of equipment along with the overview of Bob AC2AZ and Peter AA2VG have kept us on the air. Still to go, another 440 MHz repeater and adding IRLP or Echolink to one of our repeaters. We need volunteers for this new work. General Meetings 7:30 PM March 8, 2018 April 12, 2018 May 10,2018 Board Meetings 7:00 PM March 8, 2018 April 12, 2018 May 10,2018 GOOD AND WELFARE Attention members: Our Good and Welfare Chairperson is Helene Lazarus (XYL of Arnie N2PLS (SK)). Please inform her ( ) of news about club members so she may make submissions to this publication. April

8 2018 DUES SCHEDULE Regular Membership: $35.00 Members Age 65 or older: $25.00 Members Age 17 or less: $25.00 Disabled Members: $25.00 Living Outside Club s Operating Sphere: $15.00 Pay by PayPal at larkfield.org Make your check payable to: LARC And Mail to: Larkfield Amateur Radio Club Inc. PO Box 1450 Huntington, NY Add $10.00 if you want QSX via U.S. Mail VE SESSION SATURDAY April 14th HUNTINGTON TOWN HALL 100 MAIN ST., ROOM 114 WALK-Ins WELCOME Team Liaison is Rich W2TMA. Fee is $15. All elements will be offered and exams start at 9:00AM. You must have 2 forms of ID, one of which includes a photo. If upgrading, bring an original and a copy of your license and an original of any CSCEs. The next Executive Board and General meetings will be on Thursday, April 12th at 7PM and 7:30PM, respectively. You can submit articles or photos for publication by at: larkfieldqsx@gmail.com Larkfield Amateur Radio Club, Inc. Post Office Box 1450 Huntington, NY April