The NewsFuseThe NY Hall of Science Amateur Radio Club Newsletter
October 2004Next meeting Tuesday October 12th 8pm
|
|
Club News
With regard to the ongoing cabling, work is still in progress, and we will keep you updated as we complete the work.
The Fall Hamfest will take place on Sunday October 10th. Hamfest chairman Steve WB2KDG will assign jobs and times for all those who volunteered. Please show up on time and stick to your assigned task. Please note that buyers to our last hamfest will be admitted for free to the October hamfest provided they have a ticket from the June hamfest. If you plan to sell items at the club table you MUST label each item with your name, call, and price, otherwise we will not allow you to sell at the club table. If you plan to work the club table please bring your own chair. On a personal note in the past club members have put out there items before the buyers have entered the hamfest, subsequently allowing the sellers to make purchases at the club table, and then resell the items at their own tables. Let’s try to wait until 9am to put the items out on the club table.
The club would like to extend a special thank you to Pete W2IRT for his undertaking the gargantuan task of transferring our paper logs to computer logs and bringing us into the 21st century with the clubs participation in the ARRL's logbook of the world program.
President's Corner
Tom Golero KC2CBA e-mail: tomflushing3@aol.com phone: 718.886.3175 (Evenings Please)
Hello to all
|
|
I would like to thank again, everyone who attended the September General meeting. The turnout was low but I know that as we get back into the swing of things attendance will increase at our General Meetings. Unfortunately there was no scheduled guest speaker
however Steve Barreres, K2CX candidate for ARRL Section Manager for the NYC/LI division stopped by to remind us to vote in the upcoming elections. To get more information before you vote visit www.election-nli.info Steve was kind enough to help fold, staple, and address our 600+ hamfest flyers. If he is willing to do this much for our club, imagine what he will do for the league!
One of the issues addressed at the general meeting was finding guest speakers for our meetings. We at the board of directors try to make the meetings interesting and meaningful, but we need your help in order to accomplish this. Last year Pete W2IRT, Dave WA2KWP, Tom N2YTF, John N2STX, and a few other dedicated club members stepped up to the plate and volunteered to be guest speakers for the club. I would like to see more of you try your hand at giving the club a short presentation. We are looking for 30-45 minute presentations with 15-20 minutes left for Q&A. You don't have to be a world renowned expert in your field. You do have to have a desire to share your knowledge experience and enjoyment of the hobby with us! I suggested a few topics such as: mobile radio installation, how to shop for a radio, what specs mean when buying equipment, and how to load and tune an older rig. By no means is this a complete list of topics. You can share any trips, visits, or experiences you have had related to amateur radio. Nothing elaborate is required for your presentation. We have access to a TV and VCR, and I'm sure we can get a slide projector if needed. It would be a good idea to supply some handouts, and of course we will pick up the cost of printing, and some visual material for your presentation.
|
|
Also discussed at the meeting was a need to increase the VE pool at the club. Information on how to become a VE can be found at www.arrl.org or by calling 1-800-927-7583 to request a VE packet. Lenny Menna W2LJM is available at our general meetings to answer any questions you have on the program. The club holds exams once a month and during both of our yearly hamfests, so your commitment will be minimal.
It's nomination time again at the club. We made a call for volunteers for the nomination committee, and Bernie Stein K2ZIR and Rich Vogel KC2GSX volunteered. We still need 1 more volunteer according to the club constitution. Qualifications to run for all positions on the board of directors is you must be licensed and a member in good standing for 2 years.
In my opinion the qualifications to serve on the board, is you must be willing to put in time, do work at home on behalf of the club, attend all meetings (board and general) and put the club before your needs. I will not be running for club President this year, I have served 1 term as Vice President, and 2 terms as President. During that time, I hope I have served the club as best as I could. However I will be running for the board of directors and I will continue to work on behalf of the club.
I firmly believe that club officers, and board members should change hands regularly and more members should exercise there membership in the club be running for these positions. All positions are up for re-election. Do not "feel bad" or disloyal or that you are being unfair by running against incumbents on the board. Competition is not only healthy but beneficial to the club. I would ask anyone that is interested in running to contact Bernie or Rich as soon as possible to let them know your intentions. It would also be a good idea to show up at the November and December meetings to introduce yourself to the voting membership.
73's Tom Golero KC2CBA
|
|
DX at the shack
This months selection is a 15 Meter sideband contact with DXpedition TO4E - Europa Island
Europa Island is the largest of the scattered French Islands of the Indian Ocean with a land area of 28 square kilometers. It is a deserted island situated in the Mozambique channel about 25 kilometers West North West of Madagascar, half way between the East coast of Africa and the West coast of Madigascar. The island hosts a large colony of birds, (Frigates, Gannets, and Terns) and large herds of wild goats. The island is also a migration site for pink flamingos. Sea turtles also lay there eggs on the shores of the island.
Europa island history began as a haven for pirates fleeing the French Royal Navy. In 1897 France took possession of the island. There have been very few settlers on the island except for those trading in sisal (a hemp plant used to make heavy rope) and turtle shells. The main resource is Sea products, because farming is very difficult do the large number of rodents on the island. In 1949 a weather station was built on the island for the purpose of predicting cyclones around the Mozambique channel and to make air and sea navigation safer between South Africa and Madigascar. Europa Island has been set aside as a nature reserve and only a small military garrison that staffs the weather station are allowed on the island. All information for this article was gathered from www.europa2003.free.fr
By Tom Golero KC2CBA
|
|
Shack News by Peter Dougherty W2IRT
Computers
Windows 2000
Over the summer, Windows 2000 was installed on the left-side computer, and it'ss been running flawlessly since. Not one crash yet! I have created a login that everyone is welcome to use. The username is HOSARC and the password is wb2jsm (in lower case). This profile will allow you to access the logging software, the CW decoding program, the CW sending program, the PSK31, SSTV and RTTY programs, MS Office, DX Atlas, IonoProbe, propagation prediction programs and many other nifty goodies. All I ask is that you please do not load any other software on this computer. If you know of something that you think we can't live without, please speak to me and let me try it out on my system for a week or two. If it's safe and would make a good addition to an amateur-radio display station I'll gladly install it.
Anybody who wants their own login (for example, if you want your own wallpaper, desktop icons, etc), please e-mail me and I'll set you up next time I'm in the shack. It's very simple to do.
Web browser
Due to several well-known security vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, I've elected to use Firefox as the Internet browser of choice. Having used both for a while now, I think you'll find that tabbed-browsing is wonderful and it's infinitely safer to use. I would strongly encourage everyone with an Internet connection at home to download and install Firefox on your home machines as well. If you'r running Microsoft's Internet Explorer and your system isn't completely patched up-to-date, it could be vulnerable to attack. Firefox is completely free, it takes about 2 minutes to set up and it will import all your settings from IE. Go to www.mozilla.org/products/firefox for more information.
|
|
Logging
We now have the two best state-of-the-art logging programs installed on the left computer in the shack. The contest logger, N1MM, is a free program that’s simply the best-in-class for contesting. For a complete station log, we’re now using DX Base 2005, by far and away the best application of its kind, which will now allow us full contact and QSL management, rig control, eventually rotor control and much more.
By the time you read this, all of our paper logs from 1994 to the present will have been manually input into DX Base (about 2700 QSOs or so) and uploaded to the ARRL’s Logbook Of The World. As we go down the road, any non-contest QSOs made should be logged using DX Base, not the paper logs. If you’re interested in learning how to use the logging program, please e-mail or phone me any time and I’ll be glad to show you how to do it.
If we're participating in a contest, I’ll set up N1MM logger for the contest, after which I’ll manually import the logs into DXBase for record management. N1MM is only for contests, but DX Base is for everything else.
Incidentally, we have about 150 countries worked so far, and well over 100 confirmed, which means the club is eligible for at least one DXCC award! Hopefully later this fall we’ll arrange another trip to Newington, at which time we’ll hand-deliver our QSLs and application to the League and get our DXCC certificate before the end of the year! |
|
HOSARC Adventures
While on vacation last summer Wally Wentworth KC2MNV visited the VE3OSC station. VE3OSC is located at the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Canada. Their mission is the same as ours, to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the visiting public. Franz Hrazdira VA3FRA, and Tom Curtola VA3TY, volunteer operators at VE3OSC, were most hospitable. They have many ideas for demonstrating amateur radio and Tom has suggested putting together a list of all amateur radio stations that are affiliated with science museums. The list would be used to share ideas and to setup demonstration contacts between museum stations.
Note the speakers above the shack. The speakers are used to greet the public with the sounds (CW or phone) of the conversation in progress.
|
|
Note the plexiglass frame around the radio gear. A great idea. It both protects the radios and allows the public to see the entire radio setup.
Need a lift to a club meeting?
We would like those who can volunteer to give rides and those who need rides to the general meeting. Please contact Tom Golero and he will match drivers to riders.
HOSARC Membership
Where were you?
|
