KARC NEWS
The EXCHANGE BOX will be there with used books, magazines, catalogs, and electronic parts. Reminder: You do not have to bring anything to take something from the box. The ever-popular "Show and Tell" needs you to bring something from your shack for those attending to see, while you briefly explain about it. Remember, you can not win the door prizes if you do not come.
Correspondence- None
Attendance: 16 Members & Guests
Treasurer's Report-: Balance: 12/31/97- $540.77, Income:$144.78, Expenses: $307.76, 1/31/98= $377.79
A KARC Club Banner was constructed by Derrick Young, WH6BH, and presented by his dad, our treasurer, Len Young, KH6NFN. It is about 2'x 6' in size, White with Navy Blue Letters "Koolau Amateur Radio Club". I will be put to use at KARC public Activities. Thanks Derrick!
Discussion: $25.00 was authorized for refreshments to Jerry for the Transmitter Hunt. A "Club Station" was discussed, along with loaner equipment bank. School Stations and Clubs were discussed. The 145.15 repeater will be moving, and a new location is needed. Sid, AH6HH, said that if it did not create TVI or other interference might work out at his Kaillua QTH. Nothing new was learned about the KARC supported Windward CC VEC program closure. Sid- AH6HH, Mike- AH7R, Walt- AH6OZ, and others are looking into the details of setting-up a VE testing program. Greg, WB6FZH said he would contact W5YI & ARRL for VE information. Greg also said he would look into ARRL club affiliation and its possible benefits. He also was going to track down the paperwork that established the club. Does anyone have the articles of incorporation, or the IRS non-profit paperwork? Greg, WB6FZH, briefly reviewed KARC Website now up and running at UH, and said he would send email to various organizations and individuals to start the initial advertising, and to get us listed on other websites and directories.
The FOX HUNT on February 16, 1998 was a victim of too many activities on the President's Day. A poor turn-out by anystandards was reported by Jerry, WH6BKQ and Fred, KH6BI. It will be rescheduled on Windward or Honolulu side in the near future.
Pre-Field Day was a big success, Mike, AH7R and Walt AH6OZ had two
stations set up with multi-band activities. QRP and medium power was used,
with several antennas constructed and tested. More information at the March
Meeting. More photos have been posted in the Photo Gallery of the KARC
Website.
KARC WEBSITE: http://www.pilikia.net/karc/ The initial notifications have gone out, ironically during a period when the computer that hosts the website was broken, it went back in service almost immediately (Thanks Mike & Walt). The plan to advertise in coordination with educational and testing programs is in the works. Greg, WB6FZH is donating some business cards with the website URL and the Koolau Amateur Radio Club contact information. These will be handed and mailed to anywhere that it would be helpful to raise the club profile. More photos of the officers of the club and Pre-Field Day were taken and uploaded to the KARC UH website by Greg, WB6FZH. Please send any photos you would like considered for posting at the website to Greg.
VE TESTING PROGRAM- Greg, WB6FZH, sent for information from W5YI and ARRL. He will bring whatever has arrived to the next meeting. Locations are being checked, and the names of those interested are being collected. The group will determing what forms of testing, and association will be best for them. After things are more formalized, KARC can address the level of financial support, etc. If you are interested contact Walt, AH6OZ, walt@hawaii.edu.
ARRL Pacific Director Visits- Brad Wyatt, K6WR, visited with local amateurs at the regular Columbia Inn Ham Radio 0830 Thursday Morning Breakfast, March 5th. He spoke about RF Exposure, Late QST Delivery to Pacific Areas, and took questions from the assembled group. KARC members; KH6BI, Fred, WH6CUQ, Ralph, and WB6FZH, Greg were in attendance. Director Wyatt fielded questions and offered his and the ARRL's support to all amateurs and potential amateurs in the Pacific Division. Brad's travel plans included visits to Kuai, Maui, Big Island and Oahu. He was very interested in KARC, our VE Testing Program, and our plans to attract internet users & students to Amateur Radio. The ARRL & it's educational resources have been responsible for many of us becoming licensed Radio Amateurs. The ARRL and Pacific Division websites are linked to the KARC Website, and the Koolau Amateur Radio Club is listed on the ARRL site for anyone to easilly find us too.
AO-27- This orbiting repeater is heard for about 6 minutes during mid-mornings in Hawaii. It briefly connects the mainland, and the Islands, and on atleast one other pass a day (daylight only) there is a KH6 pass that we have our own private satellite! Uplink: 145.85 fm voice Downlink: 436.8 fm voice. A beam on downlink is helpful, the receiver on-board is fairly sensitive and even an HT can capture the satellite when it is in a favorable position. If you would like the times of the passes for AO-27 for a particular day, contact Greg, WB6FZH/KH6.
Regular readers of the QRP column may remember the "160 Meter Miracle" QSOs. Well, the miracle was re-created during the recent CQ 160 meter CW contest, 5 Watts output to 25'Vertical with 160 loading coil spanned the Pacific again. It took about 8 hours to make 3 contacts...Alaska... Calif... Arizona. S-L-O-W S-E-N-D-I-N-G and determination finally made it! A Yaesu FT-101E (1976) @ 5 watts output (max) and the same Butternut antenna was used.
Another recent QRP contest was held, it was called FYBO. The idea is to exchange RST, QTH, NAME and the temperature at your location. The letters stand for "Freeze Your B.. Off!" All stations run 5 watts or less from often remote locations...Snowbanks, Mountain Tops, Desert Wilderness, or a nearby park! I contacted a few stations in the S/W US that were running 2-5 watts output into portable antennas. We all had about the same temperature...70 degrees! In September there is a "Burn your B...Off" contest, with multipliers for high temperatures.
On the Big Island, KH6B, Dean, is operating 7mhz with his newly assembled NorCal 40-A CW transceiver. The NorCal Kit runs about 2 watts maximum output . Dean is also using a "Pixie" CW Xtal Controlled CW Xcvr (The same little rig displayed at a recent KARC "Show & Tell") running about 250mw output on 80 meters. Mike, AH7R, contacted Dean from "Pre-Field Day", on 3686 khz. Dean is the contact person for the Hawaii QRP Club. There is no charge for membership and the issuance of your permanent member number. The club has operating events scheduled and is quite informal. Contact Dean Manley, KH6B at kh6b@juno.com for further information.
In the Midwest, W9PNE, Brice Anderson, recently worked 21 countries on 4 continents during the CQ WW DX Contest. This was done with a TenTec Argonaut 515 modified for an output of 20mw[.02 watt] to a 3 element beam. Brice is 79 years young [you would think he would know better!], and has written many articles for the magazines throught the years.
Did you know that there is a License Free Band at 160-190kc? You are limited to 1 watt input and a combined transmission line/antenna length of 50'. It is possible to make contacts on Oahu using simple CW transmitters or even farther with special digital modes (BPSK/coherent). A beacon is a lot of fun too, with others alerted to listen for your signal. "Lowfer" activity is growing all over the mainland. Receiving converters to put 0-500 khz into your 3.5-4.0 or 4.0-4.5 mhz receiver. Many of your HF SSB transceivers already can hear 160-190 khz. I am going to be building a beacon in the next 90 days with a short antenna. I have alot of information on this interesting band and would be happy to share it. I am also thinking of loading the same antenna with a 100mw Broadcast Band Beacon too.
DIRECTORS
PROGRAM CHAIRMAN- Howard, WH6LF 247-0775
NEWSLETTER
CLUB MEETINGS
MEMBERSHIP/FIELD DAY CHAIRMAN- Jerry Mulherin, WH6BKQ, 235-3042, jerham@aloha.net
MAILING ADDRESS- KARC c/o J.Mulherin, 45-145 Mikihilina St., Kaneohe, HI 96744
VEC TESTING
2 METER ACTIVITY