03/12/2010
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MARA NEWS March 2010 Our Web Address is: WWW.KL7JFU.com Mailing Address: M.A.R.A., PO Box 873131, Wasilla, AK 99687-3131 QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST QST WE ALWAYS NEED NEWSLETTER MATERIAL! PLEASE SUBMIT ITEMS TO WOODY’S ADDRESS = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = President’s Corner
What an interesting meeting. Thanks to all those that attended and a big thanks to John/AL7LA for arranging the program from Steve Brown on GPS and recovery of the Space Shuttle in Texas. As we saw the use of the GPS is becoming invaluable. We use it in allot of our operations. I would like to see if the membership would be interested in a class on the use of, applications, and map reading. As much as we are in the back country in Alaska or on emergency ops or search and rescue in some cases this would be very handy. If you are interested email me at KL7JFT@arrl.net. This would take about 4 evenings and we could have the intro class at the club meeting.
Well the Jr. Iditarod has been completed and again a nice turnout and support. Richard/KL7DY put together a good race. We used several different types of equipment and modes of operations, primary was APRS, also used was Winlink, FM Voice and ATV (Amateur Radio TV). The folks in the main hall of the community center could watch the end of the race as they came across the finishing line from the warmth of the building thanks to KL1IL’s TV system. A big thanks to WACO, the Willow Community Center folks, for their support to us. The other important part of this event was to provide assistance to the public and demonstrate what Ham Radio is all about.
The dog races are over for now as far as Club Support. The next major operation will be Alaska Shield Statewide Emergency Exercise, so standby for additional info for that and put the 26th of April on your calendar and please sign up with me if you can assist, we need about 10-12 folks, the more the merrier. We will be setting up and manning 2 HF rigs, 3 VHF, APRS, Winlink, HF Digital and SSB. We will be setting up the Tower Trailer, Beam, portable tower, 2 Wire Antennas and VHF Jpoles and beams. Ray may even be setting up the ATV. It will be all day and yes it’s a Monday, but what a better way to enjoy a Monday but by working an aspect of our hobby. We will also need a few base stations for relay; we’ll be giving out details and operating requirements of those stations later. MARA will be Net Control for the entire state operations for the Amateur network, connecting outlying areas to the SECC at FT Richardson and supporting MATSU Borough Ops. Our next message/net control training exercise will be Mar 20th. I have various members coming to Bushmaster Operations for training. Others, please tune into the operating freqs and monitor. We will be supporting Cordova, Valdez, Kodiak, and Fairbanks. AL7N/Ed in Fairbanks is still looking for CW operators to work official traffic and the exercise, contact him for details and information.
May 8th has been set for the MARA Hamfest, we are doing the final coordination with the site and if it goes well, it will be at the Body Shop just east of the Harley Dealer on the access road near the Parks Hwy. We’re looking for door prizes; please coordinate with John/KL1XM. Ray and I will be coordinating the operation; you can reserve tables thru us. More info to follow.
We have been doing minor upgrades and maintenance on the Commo Trailer. Thanks to Tom/NL7TZ and John/KL1XM, they have upgraded the weather GPS, added our web site letters and boy do they standout in the dark. Additional shelving, I’ve added a CB, we’ve mounted a couple more radios in there and are looking for a good 10-12 channel Motorola commercial band we get use for the Borough Public Safety channels so when we work together they will have an operating position. The trailer is now completely insulated and weather stripping is in place.
Our program for the next meeting is tentatively set for Alternate Energy systems by George Sikat. He handles most of the wind turbines in the valley. If folks have any other ideas for programs or individuals you know that may have an interesting subject, let us know.
Please contact Charlotte/KL2TE at ketchikan32@yahoo.com prior to Mar 15th if you would like to place an order for food items for emergency/contingency rations or other items that were presented at the club meeting. She is coordinating the order.
We are still looking for large areas that may be a good candidate for Field Day. Let Ray/KL1IL or your Board know of these sites and if you can coordinate the use of it, please let us know. We need a 1000’ Diameter site. Last year the setup of 4 stations was great but we need the separation to cut down on the interference.
We’re taking orders for the large patches at approx $37.00 each. We need 18 orders and money, then we can order 25, which is the minimum amount of the order. If you want MARA cups let me know, they are $18 each and I can order as we need them. Just need your Call Sign and first name.
Ray/KL1IL and I are looking for folks interested in setting up and obtaining Amateur TV on the 70CM band. We have located a source for the transmitter from MFJ. After getting that, we just need to make up antennas, hook up TVs or older Video cameras and we can add another mode to our normal operation. How would like to have a cat’s eye few of an event.
For those who sent letters to our Congress and Senate Reps to ask their support of S 1755 Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009, our letters should be in or in the mail. I received mine from Senator Murkowski and Rep Don Young, both will be supporting the bill 100%.
Now for some sad news, we just lost one of our own, Mark/KL7TQ. We all will miss his companionship and mentoring.
Mark J Kelliher August 1942 – February 27, 2010 Mark J Kelliher 67 of Eagle River, died Saturday 27 Feb. 2010 of a heart attack in McGrath, Alaska. Vigil and Visitation was held Thursday MAR 4 2010 from 7-9 pm, and again Friday MAR 5 2010 from 10-11am followed by a Funeral Mass from 11-12 at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Eagle River. Burial will take place at the Fort Richardson Cemetery on Monday MAR 8 2010 at 2:30. Born in Springfield Massachusetts Mark was the youngest of three children of Mark and Mary Kelliher. After a tour in the Army where he met and married Hanne he pursued his lifelong dream of working in electronics, first at China Lake Naval Weapons center, then later with the Federal Aviation Administration. In 1974 the family moved to Alaska fulfilling another lifelong dream. He enjoyed being outdoors in Alaska, whether it was flying his Super Cub, hunting, fishing, camping, or boating. He was an assistant hunting guide for many years, proudly served as the Scoutmaster of Troop 230 in Eagle River, and was an active member of St. Andrews Catholic Church.
After retiring he volunteered more of his time to different groups, including the Iditarod, amateur radio (KL7TQ), and St. Andrews. He enjoyed spending time at his cabin, with his grandchildren, as well as helping out his sons on their various projects, whether it was fixing a boat or adding on to a house. He especially enjoyed and took great pride in assuring that the Army Reserves, Marine Corps Reserves, as well as other groups had a Santa for their Christmas activities to bring smiles to children’s faces.
His knowledge and advice will be missed, but will continue to be used by all he has touched. We love you.
Mark is survived by his wife, Hanne, sister Patty, sons Sean, Mark (Chris), grandchildren Olin and Tia, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and countless close friends that were family to him.
Mark was preceded in Death by his parents, sister Joyce, and niece Joyce. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the building fund, St Andrews Catholic Church, Eagle River, Alaska. Thank you everybody, Hanne and Family See you all at the next meeting.
PHUZZIE SIGHENCE OUR MOTTO = PSI ARE ROUND/ CAKE R SQUARE
Welcome to the month of March. Will it live up to the old saying about arriving like a lion and leaving like a lamb? Will we like Caesar of 49 BC should be wary of the Ides of March? If March is a repeat of February, you better not put away that Snuggy or snow blower just yet. Rumor has it that the East Coast has exported snow to Canada for the 2010 Winter games! Hey the ground hog warned us! The other rumor is that Al Gore crawled into the ground hog’s den and is burning copies of his book to keep warm! The news media has been referring to the extreme winter by using the politically correct term “Snowmageddon”. The folks shoveling and slogging through the snow used the title “Goremageddon” or my favorite “Algorezilla”. Some have suggested enacting an “Anger, I mean Amber Alert” on ole Al to account for his whereabouts or at the very least put his picture on a milk carton ! I’m sure the government will appoint a Blue Ribbon Committee to spin, I mean investigate these stories. In last month’s column we wrote about the new diet laws that the city of New York was imposing upon it’s citizens, I forgot to mention that the city fathers are taking the next step in promoting a healthful lifestyle by publishing a “How To Guide” for drug addicts showing the proper way to shoot up! I don’t know if it’s called “Drugs For Dummies” or “The Junkie’s Journal Of Joy”! We wouldn’t want those folks to do anything dangerous like missing a vein and getting a nasty infection. The manual also includes a voter registration form. While on the subject of health, noted experts are pushing to put warning labels on food. No not the ingredients, the shape which as we all know can cause a choking hazard. The first item on their list is that old American favorite, the Hot Dog! Their suggestion is to have the makers redesign the humble tube steak into a more suitable shape that would prevent people from inhaling them like a Shopvac! Are we getting so lazy that we can’t be trusted to chew our food anymore? Will we arrive at a state where all food needs to be pre-chewed prior to the act of swallowing? Many animals, birds, and fish use that method on their young and in some ancient human cultures food was provided to the very young and feeble elderly by that practice. Those unable to accept this nourishment were consigned to the wilderness as food for Hyenas or perched on an ice floe to pass their spirits to a Polar Bear. I’m not sure but think that in the Pacific Islands, they were used as fishing bait. What ever happened to the table manners we were all harassed with as children? You know, Sit Up Straight, Elbows Off The Table, and Chew, Chew, Chew your food! There are starving kids in third world countries unable to chew. The Winter Olympics are winding up as I type this column. Canada had a few problems with the lack of snow and a tragic accident on the Luge Run. The torch array was a bit stubborn when first activated but nothing to compare with the problem years ago at one of the Summer Games where the released doves of peace roosted and roasted on the torch caldron when it was lit. I seem to remember a great gasp from the crowd as they where showered by smoldering dove debris. There were a few shouts of “Yum, Yum” but they subsided quickly upon realizing that the birds were not meant as lunch. The ice rink resurfacing machines were a problem this year. They were supposed to be a Green Machine built to do the job of a Zamboni but had a series of breakdowns resulting in the importation of a real Zamboni to groom the rinks. I think the Green Machines were made by Lameboni or Shamboni . They were later used in a destruction derby on ice by the rink crew in a private event open only to the Olympic Organizers. In the 2010 Winter Games the athletes of all nationalities did their home lands proud even if they didn’t get a turn on the medal podium. It’s nice to win a medal with the eyes of the world upon you but it’s more important if the athlete who loses shows sportsman like grace knowing there’s always next time. We know that all the medal winners will get lucrative deals with sporting goods manufacturers, breakfast food, and makers of energy drinks. The folks who didn’t win gold, silver, or bronze should not be left out. The market is wide open with products like Ace Bandages, Ben Gay Rub, Iodine, and Aspirin . We in Alaska are into our own winter games. The Fur Rondy, The Jr. Iditarod, and yearly dash to Nome Iditarod are at hand. As usual everyone is hoping for better trail conditions as some of the earlier events were scrubbed or rescheduled due to open water and overflow on the creeks and rivers. Not good unless your sled is a kayak being pulled by a team of Labrador Retrievers. All I can say is “Slush, You Huskies, Slush”. New items in the world of technology mentioned in the media this month are an Ipod type projector that shows your favorite jpeg, photo, or spread sheet onto a wall screen, draped bed sheet, or any light reflecting surface. Look up PICO PROJECTOR. I can see that more manufacturers will get into this market if only for the popularity of NET sites like UTUBE that show wacky clips. I can also foresee a series of animated commercials shown on objects that in the old days would have been considered inappropriate and would warrant a trip to the wood shed if you got caught by mom or pop. The other big news item is the unveiling of an actual 3 D television set with a market price in the range of $ 3,000. Within five years that price should be whittled down however. At this stage the technology still requires you to wear a pair of viewing goggles, which look similar to the ones worn by folks doing some brazing work but what the heck, it’s a new toy. Maybe by the time this system becomes really popular, they will eliminate the need for the geek goggles with a true holographic format. In twenty years a Star Trek type Holodeck should be available. Hey why be just a voyeur when you can participate? A bit closer to our time frame are the items built into today’s new automobiles. We already are nagged about seat belts, doors ajar, check engine warnings, and other mundane items to numerous too mention. Over the road truckers and rental cars have been using what they call “tattlers” for a long time which can be used in a court of law for alleged criminal offenses. Will the future require a similar device in the family auto? This would keep the people in the vehicle on their toes for fear of breaking some regulation which we all know most of which are just government revenue producers anyway! The new device could be compared to the Ankle Bracelet worn by felons and may be named an Axle Bracelet. This kind of puts the automobile in the realm of Artificial Intelligence which can actually make a type of citizens’ arrest. We are getting ever closer to a culture controlled by the things we used to think of as toys! To paraphrase the computer HAL from the Sci Fi movie 2001 A Space Odyssey “I’m Asking You Nicely SLAVE! Like Cesar, we must Beware The Wi Fi s of March”! Guess that’s about it for this month folks. The crew in the super secret underground lab will soon be released to the open air where they will research the feasibility of clearing smog and ice fog areas of pollution by building huge siphon tubes from the floor of the affected inhabited valleys to the tops of surrounding mountains thus making a natural suction device, painted black to absorb solar heat which will act like a chimney on a wood stove. A series of wind turbines could be incorporated using the updraft to generate electricity. The intakes of course would have to be fenced off or screened to prevent any type accidental siphon ingestion. This is a far better concept than the previous study using community sewage outflows and water wheels!
De Tim Comfort, NL7SK 73
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ARES & EMCOMMS INFO
DISASTER PREP TIPS As we start a new decade, let's review some of the basics of Amateur Radio disaster preparedness. The following are tips from John Covington, W4CC, of Dallas, North Carolina. You must make sure you're personally prepared for a disaster before you can even consider helping with Amateur Radio. If you are preoccupied with personal matters, you won't be able to help ARES. To be ready for disaster communications, do the following: Train regularly with your local ARES group. Think about how you might best be able to help during a disaster. Some of us are good at installing antennas and equipment, others of us are better at operating on the air. Not everyone is suited to doing every job. Sometimes just having helping hands, spare equipment or supplies can be helpful even if you cannot operate the radios yourself. Generators need fuel, operators need coffee, and stations need to be set up. Figure out where you best fit in. Decide how you can help out if you stay home: Can you deploy at a shelter or EOC for a few hours? Operate from home? If you must evacuate, can you deploy from where you have evacuated to, such as a shelter? Have all resource materials you need in printed form. Don't depend on computers, PDAs and so forth as they may not work in a disaster, require electricity and are relatively fragile. If you use a computer regularly in your on-the-air operations, make sure you practice doing things such as calling nets and handling traffic the pencil-and-paper way once in a while. Remember, you may not be able to spare the amp-hours or the table space to run a computer. Have an Amateur Radio ready-kit to supplement your personal ready kit. Some items to include: *Portable radio, antenna and power supply or batteries (2 sets) *Headset or earphones (you may be operating in a noisy area) *Any cables you could possibly need *Pencils and Paper *Clipboard (firm writing surface, you may not have one otherwise) *Radiogram forms (helpful but not absolutely required) *Operating aids (pink card, Field Resources Manual, list of ARRL numbered radiograms, and anything appropriate for your local area) *Small tools (multi-tip screwdriver, multitools, etc.) *ARES Identification Card, if appropriate *Important phone numbers and frequencies *Map of the area *Flashlight *Poncho - very small to store, only around $2 and can be useful when you least expect If carried in lieu of a personal ready kit, a few other items may be helpful: *For a short deployment, a bottle of water plus some crackers or something to eat requiring no preparation could make things much more bearable for you *Medicine *Toilet paper - small packets from MRE kits are very handy and don't take up much room *Moist towelettes _________ Here are a few other suggestions from your editor based on his perspective as a Registered Nurse: *Know CPR. *Know the location of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and how to use it. *Know the signs/symptoms of a heart attack and stroke. Also, be prepared physically, mentally and emotionally for the sometimes overwhelming demands of a disaster or emergency environment. Hope for the best, but expect the worst. You are at risk for witnessing horrific scenes. Protect your self and especially young hams; participate in psychological and grief counseling, if necessary. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
NEW MODES The Pony Express is perhaps one of the most iconic Old West symbols of American ingenuity, initiative and enterprise. Many of us grew up reading stories or watching television shows about the heroic adventures of the fearless Pony Express rider who grabbed a saddlebag of mail, flung it over his horse and then tore out of town. With a fresh horse every ten miles or so and a new rider every hundred, the nearly two thousand mile route could be covered in ten days instead of thirty by an overland stage. Their motto was "The Mail Must Go Through" and they played a vital role in how the West was won. As a kid it was easy to imagine that the Pony Express pursued its mission for years, if not decades, as the vital communications link to the frontier and all the way to Sacramento, California. But such was not the case. In reality it was a short-lived money losing venture. Although they delivered over 34,000 pieces of mail and only lost one delivery, the completion of the transcontinental telegraph immediately spelled the end of the Pony Express. Instead of a ten day ride, messages could be routed across the country by wire. Delivery time could now be measured in minutes. Nineteen months after it started the Pony Express rode off into the sunset of obsolescence, replaced by a technology that was faster and could handle a much greater volume of messages. What's the lesson in this for the Amateur Radio emcomm community? Well, if you have a horse and saddle you can still climb aboard and ride to the next county or wherever to deliver a message. If the message's destination is farther than you can ride, how many relays will it take for the message to be delivered? How reliable will each leg be along the entire route? By the time the message reaches the recipient will it already be outdated? Sure, the means of delivery may still work but does it meet the true needs of those who are relying on it or simply keeping you and your pony in shape? The point is that even tried and true methods of wireless communication that have near iconic status may not have either the relevance or utility that potential consumers may require. Yes, it may be the manner and mode of communication that the operators are accustomed to, but will it meet the actual need? This is not meant to be a particular criticism of any particular national system because it can apply just as well to local operations, too. Do the people and agencies that we serve need a capacity for more lengthy and detailed messages? Rapid delivery to multiple recipients? Message attachments? Images as well as text? Inter-modal movement of messages? Some may disparage services such as Twitter, but is a twenty-five word limit for a Radiogram all that different from the 140 character limit for a tweet? It seems that every few months we are reading about some new digital mode for Amateur Radio, many of them sound card-based freeware. Sure it is difficult to keep up with all of them and none has become a standard, but it is easy to begin sampling them and seeing what works. We all have an obligation to expand our communication horizons by acquiring new skills and exploring new modes and technologies that we can interface with traditional modes. Otherwise we run the risk of standing around holding the reins on our pony waiting for someone to ask us to help. Jim Aylward, KC8PD/AAM5EOH, EC, ARES of Portage County; Radio Officer, Portage County EMA/RACES Emergency Operations Officer, Ohio Army MARS
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AMATUER RADIO NEWS YOU CAN USE from The ARRL Letter
FCC SEEKS COMMENTS FOR BLANKET WAIVER TO ALLOW AMATEUR RADIO IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DRILLS
In February 2010, the American
Hospital Association (AHA) filed
a request with the FCC for a
blanket waiver of Section
97.113(a)(3) of the Commission's
Rules "to permit hospitals
seeking accreditation to use
Amateur Radio operators who are
hospital employees to transmit
communications on behalf of the
hospital as part of emergency
preparedness drills." On March
3, the FCC issued a Public
Notice --WP Docket 10-54 --
seeking comments if the
Commission "should grant AHA's
request for a blanket waiver of
Section 97.113(a)(3) to permit
amateur operators who are
hospital employees to
participate in emergency drills
that are conducted by hospitals
for accreditation purposes and
that are not
government-sponsored." Section
97.113(a)(3) specifically
prohibits amateur stations from
transmitting communications "in
which the station licensee or
control operator has a pecuniary
interest, including
communications on behalf of an
employer." ARRL Seeks Input for New IARU Region 2 Band Plan The International Amateur Radio Region 2 (IARU R2) conference -- held later this year in El Salvador -- brings together delegations from the national Amateur Radio Societies in the Western Hemisphere. One of the topics on the agenda will be the Region 2 HF band plan. This band plan is "harmonized with" -- spectrum management-speak for "very similar to" -- the IARU Region 1 and Region 3 band plans. According to ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, many hams in the USA probably did not know there was such as thing as a Region 2 band plan until recently. Now, however, many more American hams have heard of it, but may not know how -- if at all -- this band plan affects them. Here are important facts for American hams to keep in mind:
A new, more transparent procedure will be followed this year for considering possible changes to the Region 2 band plan. The ARRL is cooperating with this procedure by inviting input to be sent to the ARRL Board of Directors' Band Planning Committee. The committee will review the existing Region 2 band plan, consider input from the amateur community and make recommendations to the ARRL Board for submission to IARU Region 2. The inadvertent omission of the AM center of activity frequency (calling frequency) -- 3.885 MHz on 80 meters -- has already been noted, and this will be one of the recommended revisions. The deadline line set by Region 2 for gathering input and formulating recommendations is rather short. Amateurs who would like to submit input should take the following steps:
If you live in another country in Region 2, please contact your national Amateur Radio Society for information on how to submit input for the band plan process.
Another issue for you all.
Your editor Douglas ‘Woody’ Duncan, KL0TS
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