SEASON'S GREETINGS

From KARC News

NEXT MEETING- Saturday, January 15th, 2000, 9:30 AM- At Field Day Site

In Kaneohe, at The Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, A weekend of Ham Radio
Activity. This meeting will be a "Play In The Park" Activity Meeting!
from Friday, 14th to Sunday the 16th. Contact KARC President,
Walt, AH6OZ, 263-3872. The location
will be at the usual "Nui" Field Day site on the grounds. Look for the
Antennas, Sunshade, Tarps and "Radio Activity". There is lots of parking,
nearby rest rooms and short flat walk to join in the fun. There is lots
of room in the park consider binging the whole family to have fun while
you play radio with your ham friends, and have picnic afterwards.

The meeting will be short, and no guest speaker, There are benches attatched
to the picnic tables that will be rounded up, or bring your favorite
folding chair along with your picnic lunch and stay a while. (Reminder:
No Alcohol in Park). There will be lots of radio operating oportunities
with a QSO party in progress during the weekend.

There will be special antenna exhibit, including a Kite Antenna if there
is wind on the "Windward" side at meeting time. PSK-31 and other
"Special Modes" will be showcased, with presentations on various
aspects of Amateur Radio Operating. There may also be a "Fox Hunt"
Demonstration, many activities for this special day are still being planned.
Don't miss this special KARC Meeting as we guide our club into the next
1000 years! Details in January KARC News. Resolve to contribute to
KARC News in Y2K!

HPD Y2K New Years Day Communications Watch- Can you help?

HPD has installed VHF/UHF radios in all police stations and HF, as well, in
7 of the stations. HPD has been conducting licensing classes for their
officers, but further assistance is needed.

Current plans are for RACES members to report to their assigned station
about 8:00 PM on Friday, Dec. 31st and could be released by 1:00-2:00 am on
Jan. 1st if there are no problems.

A productive exercise was held last Sat. Nov. 20th, with amateur radio
operators at each HPD station. Further exercises are planned for Dec. 3rd
(midnight) for HF only, and Dec. 11th (details in future KARC News).

If you would like to participate at one of the stations, contact: Bev Yuen,
AH6NF or
Ray Moody, or
KARC President-Walt, AH6OZ

MINUTES- Here is what you missed at the November Meeting...

Editor- I was told that the club voted to affiliate with the ARRL.
KARC President Walt, AH6OZ, continues to work on the paperwork relating
to making KARC more "official", this will have many long-term benefits
Thanks Walt!

TREASURER'S REPORT- Len, KH6NFN

VEC TESTING- AH6HH's W5YI VEC Group

The remaining candidate, Evgueni Safronov presented his
3 day old CSCE for Technician Class and took the Element 1B exam; 13WPM
code test and passed with flying colors, and has been issued the call KH7YD.
"Congratulations Evgueni" and thanks to the KARC affiliated Testing Group!
"Eugene" is a citizen of Russia and gained his morse code experience
in the Army. He will be working QRP CW on the 7100 to 7150khz band with
his new QRP rig, and in a few weeks moving to the Seattle area, listen for
KH7YD.

The next AH6HH W5YI VEC Testing dates are: 8 Jan 2000, 11 Mar 2000 and
13 May 2000. 11:30AM to 3:00 PM- Thanks AH6HH for this information.

USS MISSOURI RADIO PROJECT- Warren,KH6WM

He is looking for names of ham radio operators who would like to become
members of a ham club to work on this deserving project.

Please contact him via e-mail k1er@arrl.net
. John is also listed in the Honolulu phone book with an Aiea address.

HOW TO KEEP UP WITH HAWAII HAM ACTIVITIES ON-LINE OR BY EMAIL

Receive immediate postings by e-mail relating to Hawaiian Amateur Radio
Activities. Sign-up for one or both of these free email reflectors.

• Hawaii Ham Radio Email List
  @ qth.net
  
• HamRadioHawaii
  @onelist.com
  
• KARC "Members Only" E-Mail List- Current membership
  in Koolau Amateur Radio Club required. You will receive e-mail
  notice of KARC News Upload and "Members Only" notices. Estimated traffic
  is about 2 e-mails per month. To join
  KARC Members Only LIST- wb6fzh@arrl.net
  

NWS & Skywarn- Training and Exercise

Mike (AH7R), Art Neilson (AH6P), David Lau and some others will be
running the National WX Service special event station in Hawaii, KH6/W6H.
That is during the CQWW CW Contest weekend, Friday (11/26)0000Z to
Saturday 0000Z.- Thanks AH6OZ for information!

CONTESTS- Details in World Radio, CQ and QST Magazines

• DECEMBER 3-5 : ARRL 160 MTR Contest
  
• DECEMBER 5: QRPARCI- Holiday Sprint
  
• DECEMBER 11-12: ARRL 10 MTR Contest
  
• DECEMBER 19: RAC Canada Winter Contest
  
• JANUARY 8-9: ARRL RTTY Contest
  

SWAP, SELL & TRADE- KARC Members...Your FREE Advertisement here!

• WANTEDCopy of the ARRL OPERATING MANUAL- KH6WM, Warren,
  487-1863 or email to kh6wm@arrl.net. Will buy or swap.
  Need any edition OLDER than current edition which is the 6th Edition,
  a big fat 8 x 11 volume with a multi-colored mostly green cover.
  Repeat, any edition OLDER than current 6th edition. Particularlyd looking
  for any of the earlier small size editions of the Operating Manual.
  
• FOR SALE: RELAY RACK CABINET- WB6FZH, Greg, contact by email
  only while he is off island (wb6fzh@arrl.net). 19" relay rack cabinet,
  dark gray, deluxe...deep, internal blower with air filter, locking back door(w/key), Casters, Beautiful (but not fully appreciated by XYL!) New..Big
  Bucks!($1550+.. ) Price $350 or Best offer. Trades considered.
  
• FOR SALE- RF AMPLIFIER- AH6CS, Crox, 235-1589, ALPHA Model 91B
  RF Amplifier- Call AH6CS, Crox for further information.
  

COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATOR LICENSES IN THIS DAY AND AGE?

Yes, Virginia, commercial radio operator licenses are still available for
issue. Although the mandatory need for such licenses was greatly reduced
by regulatory changes which occurred in 1984, examinations for these
licenses are still given quarterly in Honolulu.

There are 3 main reasons for obtaining a commercial radio operator's
license: first, as part of a mandatory requirement for work such as repair
and maintenance of (for example) shipboard radio and radar equipment;
second, as independent proof of overall electronic knowledge for other jobs
in the electronics or technical field; and third, strictly as a personal
achievement. And yes there still may be a few actual radio operator jobs,
but technology has just about done away with this specialty - though the
Marine operator permits may have some value if you are a boating worker or
enthusiast.

My personal experience is that I passed the old 1st Class Radiotelephone
test quite some years ago while working in the Electronics Shop at Pearl
Harbor Naval Shipyard, although we weren't required to be licensed
individually by the FCC. Having the license came in very handy a few years
later, because, after something of a career change, I needed a part-time
job. Armed with my "ticket" and ZERO broadcast or high power RF
experience, I became a weekend Transmitter Technician at Channel 13 (then
KIKU-TV), and got to baby-sit 30 KW of ERP all by myself !!!

Recently, I realized that the old commercial ticket was long expired, so I
looked into the new regulations. Things have sure changed, but the
so-called operator exams are still given. Here in Honolulu, the tests are
given by Richard LaChance WH6T of StarComm Radio (and Koolau ARC member)
who is certified by the W5YI commercial testing organization which handles
the liaison with the FCC. After quite some study of new material and
review of old fundamentals, last Saturday I did take and pass Elements 1, 3
and 8, so I think I am at least nearly the same technical level of 20 plus
years ago. Maybe the grey matter is not completely dead hi !

The commercial license structure is somewhat complicated, so I won't go
into the numerous options. There are fees for taking the exam and for
necessary review books, and the fees aren't as cheap as they used to be,
that's for sure.

The study manual is available through StarComm Radio, and I can bring mine
to any KARC meeting so anyone can review the commercial license structure
and requirements. Give me a call if you have any questions on the
commercial licenses, or send e-mail to me at wmunro@lava.net.

And you get a good-looking certificate too !

QRP Column- Ham Radio Contesting Hints- From Greg, WB6FZH

This article contains a few ideas that you might try at any power level,
but will be particularly helpful when running 5 watts output or less.

The writer of this article,
Greg, KH6/WB6FZH at the edge of Kaneohe Bay armed with a vertical and G5RV
wire antenna hanging from a 25'Coconut Palm, has been running QRP
(less than 5 watts) in the major ARRL and CQ WW Contests. He has won the QRP
Pacific Section or Hawaii divisions since his arrival in 1994.
Often he won because nobody else entered... Other times he made the top
10 world-wide and won the Oceania Division, so there is some skill involved
too..This is the subtle reach for some credibility

Greg entered his first ARRL Sweepsteaks as a Novice
at 15yrs old in 1963 and was the over-all national winner for Novice
Division. (He thought he was some kind of super-contester..turns out his
2 Element Quad, Hilltop Location, and Luck were probably responsible for
the win..) Over the 36 years since as time and circumstance dictated he
operated in many events. Presently he is content to let others set the
records, and mostly operates for the fun and comradery. These ideas are
based on his experience and many similar suggestions that have appeared in
print written by others through the years. Now for the hints, they are not
in any particular order.

Before you start, remember, you are not out to win the contest, just to have
fun and see if you like contesting. Most contesters are patient and
considerate, like in anything there are some idiots too. Contesting is not
"Rocket Science" but you will hear some stations that clearly have a gift.

• Use the "Search and Invade" or "Pounce" technique. Tune the band,
  become familiar with who and what is where. If it is a CW contest, where
  are the suggested frequencies? (Write them down). Are there foreign
  voice signals, digital bandits, or is another local station situated on a
  particular frequency, making contact after contact? If so, make a note of
  what that frequency is, so when you search and find a station you wish to
  call, that might be in close proximity to that frequency you will not blow
  your fellow amateur out of his or her chair.
  

  
  Now that you know where to look, start listening...have your printed
  references located in a handy place, incase you need them later. When
  all else fails, read the rules. Lots of scratch paper and your favorite
  writing instruments are a must. If you want to have a soft drink or water
  at your operating position, use a container that if it spills over will not
  make a big mess. Put the pizza on a TV dinner tray..to the side, etc. Lots
  of napkins...
  

• Decide ahead of time on a telephone policy, if practical, use an
  answering machine, put the pager in the icebox, turn off the cell phone,etc.
  
• Limit distractions, TV, Stereo, Video Games, Bikini Clad Visitors, etc.
  
• Logging is an important part of contesting. You may do it by hand at
  first. Later try it with a specialized program (there are many free ones
  availiable). Later, you will probably need a computer logging program to
  save you hours putting the activity log into the proper form for entry.
  
• When all else fails..read the contest instructions several times
  before the contest. Mark the page in the magazine, or photocopy it and
  make notes,etc.
  
• Make a small sign with a sample contest exchange on it. Example:
  "556Q KH6/WB6FZH 63 PACIFIC"
  
• Make sure to check your UTC/GMT Date/Time and keep contest log in UTC.
  Use the KARC UTC Conversion Chart you cut out of an earlier issue of your
  newsletter, or make a chart of your own. Consider purchasing a clock that
  runs on a 24 hour format.
  
• Determine what the multipliers are and try to concentrate on them as
  you operate if you have the opportunity.
  
• Be aware of the locations in the band of the "big guns", strong signals,
  or rare DX stations. Pick a spot far enough away that you will not
  be anoyed by constant entrusions as the pile-ups widen.
  
• Long before the contest check your equipment, antennas, cables and
  supplies. Do you have a spare microphone?, hand key?, Keyer? or Radio?.
  
• If you are considering adding a new antenna, do it before the contest
  and switch in in while you are operating and compare signal reports both
  TX and RX to similar parts of the world.
  
• If you are going to consider using "packet clusters" as an aid,
  check the rules of each contest relating to them.
  
• During various contests listen to the various operators,
  what are they doing?, how well does it seem to work. Consult operating
  manuals and magazine articles for ideas and techniques that do work.
  
• If you have a dual vfo, park one on a station you want to work, but
  have had no luck with, refer back from time to time. NOTE: Be
  cautious,and sure that you understand how your remote VFO works! Nothing
  like transmitting on a DX Station's out of US Band frequency!...Don't
  Ask.
  
• Do not spend too much time trying to work any one station, set the
  remote vfo, or make a note, check back later, band conditions change.
  
• If you are considering using a computer logging program, test it out
  before the contest. Many have a tutor built in. Make a chart or notes that
  will help you learn what command does what.
  
• Timing is everything..tail-ending, but not QRMing, etc. Make it all
  business, if the other operator wants to chat or divert from the format,
  certainly you have a choice. Form good professional skills they will serve
  you well. It is hard to correct bad habbits later...Don't Ask.
  
• Generally you will be happier with short transmissions; "CQ"s,
  "CQ Test", "CQ Sweepstakes", etc de (Your Call) with internationally
  recognized phonetic words for letters. Pause during your transmissions
  and learn to listen inbetween your words or code characters to see if
  still clear.
  
• Developing Professional, Disciplined operation will come in handy
  when some rainy day you are involved with disaster or Network communications
  . Often when you are tired you will be on auto-pilot and need these skiills.
  
• Note the contest rules regarding changing bands and time spent
  transmitting & receiving, they vary contest to contest.
  
• Domestic Tranquility is important, be sure to let your spouse, children
  and pets know that you are going to be contesting. Remind them a few
  times prior to the event. Think of things the family can do outside of the
  house. Send them to the movies, out to dinner or a neighbor island.
  
• Check other bands to see if they opened up, check higher frequencies
  first.
  
• Review propagation reports or forcasts... Before and during the contest.
  
• Listen, Listen, Listen, maybe you will find that special station
  slightly off frequency, up or down.
  
• Listen to the stations that you can hear, where are they located?
  Is the band lengthinging out, or just local signals,etc. Constantly be
  aware of the callsigns and where in the world they are!
  
• If you are not having fun, turn off the radio and do something else.
  Walk around the room, house or block if you are tired. If you realize your
  head is on the desktop, and have spiral binding grooves in your forhead
  from your log, or your nose is jammed into your keyboard, you have
  probably been asleep...
  
• If you have internet capability, check internet contesting websites for
  updates, web articles on contesting,etc.
  
• Later, after the contest review your log, was there an area of the
  world you did not hear or contact? Consider an additional antenna that
  will favor that direction. Best is to have a beam antenna or atleast a
  couple of antennas to switch between.
  
• Consider contesting accessories; headphones, headset, keyer, w/wo
  memory, or a bikini clad assistant (the divorce attourney will
  ask if she was licensed).
  
• Comfort is important, how is your Chair? Posture? Can you
  reach everything OK?.
  
• Do not have food or drink that can spill all over your operating area.
  If you want, have a water bottle with straw or valve-capped top, so if it
  does fall, minimal amounts will spill. Pizza sauce will eat through paint
  on most radios.
  
• Lighting? Try just the readout or dial light and small student's lamp
  on the log, or if using a computer,just the screen itself set to proper
  intensity for your comfort. Otherwise use plenty of lighting to avoid
  eyestrain.
  
• Have a good mental attitude, call stations, the worst that can happen
  is that they do not answer. Try positive thinking, stare at a map
  and try to visualize radio contact with that part of the world.
  
• When full pages of log are done, move them away from the operating
  area. (Incase you spill the food or drink that is not supposed to be in
  your operating area on it!)
  
• Get-up and walk around a bit from time to time.
  
• Remove items that are not necessary for the contest from your operating
  area.
  
• Schedule Rest periods, use a separate alarm clock in your view, take
  that rest, as close to your schedule as practical. Know when the contest
  starts and stops in local and UTC.
  

I hope you find these hints helpful, try operating in a contest soon.

CLUB OFFICERS

• PRESIDENT: Walt Niemczura- AH6OZ- 263-3872 email: walt@hawaii.edu
  
• VICE PRESIDENT: Clem Jung- KH7HO- Chinjung@aol.com
  
• SECRETARY: Randy Scott- KH7EH- scottrb@concentric.net
  
• TREASURER: Len Young- KH6NFN- kh6nfn@arrl.net
  

DIRECTORS

• Fred Maertens, KH6BI- hoolu2@aol.com
  
• Al Kaopuiki, AH6PT- akaopuiki@hawaii.rr.com
  
• Howard Andrus, WH6CLZ-andrush001@hawaii.rr.com
  
• Greg Greenwood, WB6FZH- wb6fzh@arrl.net
  

NEWSLETTER- Online & Mailed Versions

• EDITOR: Greg, WB6FZH, uploaded from Northern California, wb6fzh@arrl.net
  
• DEADLINE: 20th of month, email your articles and News!
  
• UPLOAD TARGET DATE: 25th to 1st of month. Local Printing from Website
  The first of the month, Local duplication & mailing follows.
  
• Your Articles(.TXT files), Information(E-MAIL) and Photos(.JPG files)
  are Welcome!
  
• E-MAIL NOTIFICATION LIST- Send your email address to WB6FZH, Greg at
  wb6fzh@arrl.net to be included in the
  KARC group email list. Receive information prior to the date of publishing,
  special announcements, and more via email. Your address will not be sold
  to a 3rd party unless the club can make big bucks from it.
  

CLUB MEETINGS & MEMBERSHIP

2nd Saturdays, 9:30am, Visitor's Center, Ho'omaluhia Park, Kaneohe (No
December Meeting) Map and info on the KARC Website.

MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN- Jerry Mulherin, WH6BKQ, 235-3042,
email:jerham@aloha.net

MAILING ADDRESS- KARC c/o J.Mulherin, 45-145 Mikihilina St., Kaneohe,
HI 96744

KARC RADIO & INTERNET ACTIVITIES

• Check the KARC Website for Current Oahu Testing Information
  
• New KARC Amateur Radio Testing Consortium- Thanks AH6HH!
  

2 METER ACTIVITY

• 2M SIMPLEX- 146.505(CD Map), 146.580
  
• KARC NET- Mondays, 7:30 pm 147.200 (+600)
  
• WINDWARD NET(KARA)- Wednesdays, 8:00 pm, 145.15 (-600)
  
• PACKET- 145.05- APRS/BBS, 144.91- NH6UY BBS
  
• WINDWARD REPEATERS: 145.150 (-600) , 146.660 (-600) ,
  145.29 (-600) , 147.200 (+600)
  
• SWAP SHOP- KH6CDO- Tuesdays- 8 pm 146.88 (-600) Monitor
  

KARC WEBSITE & INTERNET INFORMATION

• KARC WEBSITE- http://www.pilikia.net/karc/
  
• VISIT your Club Website: KARC NEWS (Online), VE Testing,
  E-mail Directory, Ham & Public Safety Frequency Lists,
  Latest News and Much Much More!
  
• WH6GS- Jim Yuen's Hawaii Ham Radio BBS
  
  http://home.hawaii.rr.com/jy/ham/bbs.html
  
• KARC WEBMASTER AH6OZ- Send your
  ideas to Walt.
  
• Thanks AH6OZ, AH7R & UH Chemistry Department for our Webspace!