April 2014 Edition NCRC NEWSLETTER NEWTON COUNTY RADIO CLUB NEWTON COUNTY ARES/RACES Covington, Georgia http://ncrcga.org <k4ncr@ncrcga.org> (678) 521-1355 The Newton County Radio Club/NCARES Net meets every Thursday at 8:00 p.m. on 146.925 MHz (88.5 PL) and 444.800 MHz (88.5 PL). ῼ The FM Digital Net meets every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. on 146.925 MHz (88.5 PL). The net starts out in MT-63-2KL Mode (1500 Hz Center), then often switches to another mode. ῼ Newton County Radio Club & Newton County ARES / RACES meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm. Our April 15 Meeting will be 6:30 pm at Newton County Law Enforcement Center, 15151 Alcovy Road (1/4-Mile NE of GA Hwy 142) ῼ Newton County Radio Club Officers President: Ronnie Pittman KK4CDB (678) 521-1355 <kk4cdb@arrl.net> Vice-President: John Nix N5EEO (770) 483-7695 <ednix@bellsouth.net> Treasurer: Brian Fain KI4JIL (678) 439-6883 <ki4jil@gmail.com> Secretary/News: Delbert Davis W4DEL (404) 229-7555 <w4del@arrl.net> Trustee/AEC NCARES: Jim Marston K4DOI (404) 376-5107 <k4doi@arrl.net> EC NCARES/RACES, DEC Salvation Army, Net Mgr GA Traffic Net, NC Skywarn Coord. Charles Davis WA4UJC (470) 564-4316 <wa4ujc@arrl.net> AEC For Law Enforcement NCARES Donna Reeves, KJ4CAU (770) 780-9758 <kj4cau@gmail.com NC Skywarn Assistant Coordinator Greg Davis KI4NWD (404) 483-6312 <ki4nwd@yahoo.com> ῼ MARCH MEETING MOVES HAMFEST PLANS TO FRONT BURNER Club President Ronnie Pittman KK4CDB called the March 18 meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. at Newton County Law Enforcement Center. Twelve NCRC members and four visitors attended. Ed Hoard KK4GNH led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. A MOTION (Dan Darsey W4DED) was SECONDED (Gary Chambers K4MDC) and PASSED to authorize Club Treasurer Brian Fain KI4JIL (along with Club Trustee Jim Marston K4DOI if a second Club officer is required) to open an account at Community & Southern Bank. Club Secretary Delbert Davis W4DEL will provide Brian KI4JIL with supporting documents, including current copies of the Club Constitution and By-Laws; and a copy of this meeting s minutes. Brian KI4JIL will provide the Club s Employee Identification Number (EIN). Jim Marston K4DOI presented a patch sample of the RACES Logo, and requested that the Club pass a motion to have the logo engraved on club member s shirts. He showed a shirt example and held the patch against the shirt as a visual aid for the group to decide where to engrave the logo. A MOTION (Cliff Prosser K4HCP) was SECONDED (Mike Crowe AJ4GU) and PASSED to have > Above: Gary Chambers K4MDC and Jim Marston K4DOI check HF antenna connections during the workday at Covington/Newton 911 Center on March 17. Ω Above: Club President, Ronnie Pittman KK4CDB Ω Page 1 of 5
Above: Mike Crowe AJ4GU analyzes the HF antenna and feed lines during the 911 Center workday. Ω the logo placed on the right side of the shirt under the existing ARES logo. The cost will be $7.25 per shirt/logo, to be paid by shirt owners. Members should contact Jim K4DOI to have their shirt(s) engraved. Ronnie KK4CDB reminded everyone that Club dues should be paid by the May meeting; that Club membership runs from May to May. It was previously reported in error that March was the deadline. At that time, Gary K4MDC announced there would be no program at the night s meeting because David Rudd AI4JI was, unfortunately, tied up in a work-related emergency. David had planned to present a program on 2M and 440 Mhz Antennas. Although disappointed, everyone understood the situation and recognized that those things do happen. Gary said he s sure David will be more than happy to reschedule (Update: The program IS rescheduled for our July 15 meeting). AEC Jim Marston K4DOI reported for ARES because EC Charles Davis WA4UJC could not attend. Jim - also 2014 Cheerios Challenge Coordinator and Net Control Operator for the event - said an email had been sent out that included maps and radio assignment locations. Charles WA4UJC will make individual ham radio operator assignments specific to those locations. Gary K4MDC - Assistant Net Control Operator for the event - will distribute that information in time for everyone to locate their assigned positions in advance. The Cheerios Challenge is being held on Saturday, April 19. Jim reminded participants to make sure their HT batteries are fully charged and warned operators to be prepared to switch to simplex operation in case there s a problem with the repeater. Gary K4MDC & Jim K4DOI also reported on the recent workday at the 911 Center station. On HF, we still have high SWR that changes for the better when the wire antenna is dropped below the tops of the surrounding buildings. We intend to experiment with some different antenna designs. There s also a problem with the HF rig that causes a carrier to be transmitted on SSB when the PTT is pressed with no audio input (like it should NOT do); but doesn t transmit a carrier on AM when the PTT is pressed and there is no audio input (like it SHOULD do). Mike AJ4GU pointed out that we still need to get an operational VHF/UHF station for the 911 Center station. Vickie Henry KK4VUG asked about progress in planning for the upcoming NCRC Hamfest that had been announced for July 26. Ronnie KK4CDB had checked on a couple of locations with no success in securing one. After some discussion, Brian KI4JIL suggested that we let him contact Berry s Christmas Tree Farm about having it there. We wouldn t have a climate-controlled building, but there s plenty of room with two covered buildings, ample parking, and it s conveniently located near I-20 in Newton County. He said the owner may also be willing to provide food vendor service for the Hamfest. A MOTION (Del W4DEL) was SECONDED (Gary K4MDC) and PASSED to designate Vickie KK4VUG as Hamfest Coordinator. Vickie KK4VUG will organize a Hamfest Planning Committee and Brian KI4JIL will confirm the location availability. Vickie KK4VUG will also confer with Kroger management in Covington about permission to set up a booth there, toward the end of June, to promote our Hamfest. Del W4DEL and Gary K4MDC suggested that those in attendance read an article in the April edition of QST about a VHF Simplex Sprint contest, with an eye toward holding such an event in Newton County. First Door Prize a Millennium Pocket Knife was donated by Jim Fletcher K4SEU. That prize was won by Ronnie KK4CDB. Second Door Prize a Logitech Portable Notebook Stand with Integrated Keyboard was donated by Del W4DEL. That prize was won by Gigi Hoard, wife of Ed Hoard KK4GNH. Third Door Prize an oil-filled Dummy Load - was donated by Ken May KU4ZY. That prize was won by Del W4DEL. ῼ Below: Charles Davis WA4UJC organizes cable routing at the rear of the 911 Center HF station. Ω Page 2 of 5
COVINGTON HAMFEST JULY 26 BERRY S CHRISTMAS TREE FARM VICKIE HENRY KK4VUG TO CHAIR EVENT Members of the 2014 Covington Hamfest Committee recently visited the selected event location, chatted with owner Chuck Berry, and made plans a top priority as far as Club activities are concerned. The ARRL-Sanctioned Hamfest will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Berry s Christmas Tree Farm on July 26. The tree farm address is 70 Mt. Tabor Rd., Covington (see map, right). VE Testing will be available during the morning hours (exact time TBD). The Butts/Henry/Newton/Spalding VE Team will conduct the testing. Applicants should contact VE Team Captain Jesse Porter W4DNS <w4dns@arrl.net>. Members of the 2014 Hamfest Planning Committee, in addition to Chairman Vickie Henry KK4VUG, are Jim Marston K4DOI, Gary Chambers K4MDC, Brian Fain KI4JIL, Ronnie Pittman KK4CDB, John Nix N5EEO, Del Davis W4DEL and Charles Davis WA4UJC. If you are a Club member and would like to join the committee, contact Vickie <vbhtbn@hotmail.com>. Ω Berry s Christmas Tree Farm 70 Mt. Tabor Rd. Covington, GA 30014 http://berrystreefarm.com FIELD DAY AT KROGER TO PROMOTE HAMFEST & HAM RADIO Hamfest Chairman, Vickie KK4VUG has informed the NCRC Newsletter that she has secured the local Kroger Store location for our Amateur Radio Field Day exercise. The store is located on Highway 278 in Covington. The Saturday, June 28 event will help to promote our upcoming Hamfest and introduce the virtues of amateur radio to shoppers. It will also provide the opportunity for Club members and visitors to participate in the annual nationwide Amateur Radio Field Day exercise. HF & VHF stations will be set up and operated. ARRL information and handouts will be available, as will Club, ARES and RACES information. Ω Page 3 of 5
AN INTRODUCTION TO ARES & RACES - PROGRAM FOR UPCOMING APRIL MEETING - Charles Davis WA4UJC, Newton County ARES/RACES Emergency Coordinator, will present An Introduction to ARES and RACES at our April 15 monthly Club meeting. Be sure to attend so you ll be up-to-date on recent ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) & RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) documents and procedures and learn about our recently approved RACES affiliation. If you would like an ARES and/or RACES application, contact Charles at <wa4ujc@gmail.com>. Ω UPCOMING EVENTS & MEETING CALENDAR APRIL 12-13 Georgia QSO Party (georgiaqsoparty.org) 15 *NCRC MEETING Newton County Law Enforcement Center, 15151 Alcovy Road, Covington - Nominations for new Club Officers - Introduction to ARES & RACES by Charles Davis WA4UJC 19 Cheerios Challenge - Jim Marston K4DOI <k4doi@arrl.net> 25-26 Southeast VHF Society Conference Norcross, GA (svhfs.org) 26 Calhoun Hamfest - Sugar Valley (k4woc.com) MAY VE TESTING 16-18 Dayton Hamvention (hamvention.org) 20 *NCRC MEETING Newton County Law Enforcement Center - Election of new Club Officers - HF Digital Communications by Keith Studdard KR4IP JUNE 7 Atlanta Hamfest (atlantahamfest.org) 17 *NCRC MEETING Newton County Law Enforcement Center - EMP (Electromagnitic Pulse) by Jim Marston K4DOI JULY 15 *NCRC MEETING Newton County Law Enforcement Center - 2M & 440 Mhz Antennas by Dave Rudd AI4JI 19 HamCram Butts County - Buzz Kutcher <k3gwk@arrl.net> 26 Covington Hamfest (ncrcga.org) VE Testing <w4dns@arrl.net> AUGUST 16-17 Huntsville Hamfest (hamfest.org) SEPTEMBER 13 Fuzz Run Covington (covingtonpolice.com/fuzz-run.aspx) OCTOBER 11 Augusta Hamfest - Blythe (theamateurradioclubofaugusta.org) 18 Rome Hamfest (w4vo.org) 18-19 Spin For Kids Rutledge (spinforkids.org) - Bill Ronay KM4LS <billronay@plantationcable.net> NOVEMBER 1 Stone Mountain Hamfest (stonemountainhamfest.com) DECEMBER ===================================== Spalding County ARC Next Session April 12 9:00 a.m. 2nd Saturday EVERY Month Charles Clark NQ3I <nq3i@aol.com> Spalding Regional Medical Center Henry County ARC Next Session April 19 9:00 a.m. 3rd Saturday EVEN Months Roy Baker AJ4GT <aj4gt@bellsouth.net> Piedmont Henry Medical Center Butts County ARC Next Session May 17 9:00 a.m. 3rd Saturday ODD Months Jesse Porter W4DNS <w4dns@arrl.net> Butts County Community Center ===================================== Ω NEWTON COUNTY RADIO CLUB MEETINGS * 3RD TUESDAY EACH MONTH 6:30 P.M. * For Meeting Program Scheduling Contact Gary Chambers K4MDC <k4mdcc@arrl.net> ῼ THIS MONTH S PHOTOS COURTESY OF GARY LINDEMANN, N4OLN ῼ Page 4 of 5
DAILY GEORGIA NETS HF SAVE THIS PAGE FOR HANDY REFERENCE! [7 am] Georgia Cracker Net 3985 khz (Daily Except Sunday) [8 am-1pm] SouthCars Net 7251 khz *South Coast Amateur Radio Service [1 pm] GA Traffic Net - Cycle 2 3987. 5 khz (or 7287.5) (Daily Ex. Sunday) [6 pm winter] GA SSB Association Net 3975 khz [7:15 pm] 3982.5 khz GA Traffic & Emergency Net [9 pm] GA CW Training Net 3549 Hz [10 pm] GA State CW Traffic Net 3549 khz ῼ ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN WEEKLY COVINGTON AREA & GEORGIA NETS HF, VHF/UHF Sunday [5:30 pm-summer] GA ARES Digital Net 3583 khz (USB) (or 7042 (PSK-31) (Center 1000 Hz) Sunday [5:30 pm summer] Butts County FM Training Net 147.285 Mhz (131.8 PL) Winlink Checkins: WX4BCA Sunday [6 pm summer] GA ARES SSB Net 3975 khz (LSB) WINLINK Checkins: WX4GMA Monday [8 pm] Walton County ARES FM Net 147.270 (88.5 PL) Monday [8:45 pm] Rockdale County ARES 10-METER PHONE Net 28.325 Mhz (USB) Monday [9 pm] Rockdale County ARES FM Net 147.210 Mhz (162.2 PL) Monday [9 pm] Southern Crescent FM Net 145.170 Mhz (146.2 PL) & 444.875 Mhz (123.0 PL) Tuesday [7:30 pm] NW GA *CERT Digital Net 3583 khz (USB) (PSK-31) (Center 1000 Hz) Tuesday [8 pm] GA *CERT FM Net 146.805 Mhz (100.0 PL) *Community Emergency Response Team Wednesday [8 pm] NEWTON COUNTY DIGITAL NET 146.925 Mhz (88.5 PL) (MT63-2KL) (Center 1500 Hz) Thursday [8 pm] NCRC/ARES/RACES FM NET 146.925 & 444.800 Mhz (88.5 PL) Winlink Checkins: K4NCR April: (NCS John N5EEO) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS Gary K4MDC) May: (NCS Ronnie KK4CDB) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS OPEN) June: (NCS Jim K4DOI) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS Del W4DEL) July: (NCS OPEN) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS OPEN) August: (NCS Gary N4OLN) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS OPEN) September: (NCS Del W4DEL) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS OPEN) October: (NCS Ronnie KK4CDB) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS OPEN) November: (NCS John N5EEO) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS OPEN) December: (NCS Jim K4DOI) (ANCS OPEN) (WL2K NCS OPEN) Saturday [11 am] **SATERN Net (Southern Section) 7262 khz [1 pm] **SATERN Digital Net 14.062-065 (Olivia 8-500) **Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (Ctr 1000 Hz) ῼ Thursday Night Net Control Operators Needed! No Experience Necessary! Help & Net Script Available! NCRC Membership Not Required! Rewarding! Educational! Fun! Interested? Contact N5EEO, <n5eeo@arrl.net> (770) 483-7695 ῼ MONTHLY HOSPITAL & ARES NETS HF, VHF 1st Sunday [3 pm] GA Hospital Net NCS: Ken Reid KG4USN, ASEC Public Health: Barry Kanne W4TGA Net Operating Frequencies: VOICE: 5330.5 khz (USB), 7188 khz (LSB), 3975 khz (LSB) DIGITAL: 7042 khz (USB), 3583 khz (USB) The April 6 Net will feature a test using the PSK-31 digital format. Specific frequencies and modes are announced each month prior to the net. 1st Sunday [4 pm] Metro ARES FM Net 145.430 Mhz (107.2 PL) Also on Echolink at WB4NWS-R (Node: 593209) ῼ Please submit Newsletter contributions & suggestions to Del Davis <w4del@arrl.net> Newton County Radio Club Monthly Newsletter April 2014 Page 5 of 5 QRT